Can you turn on desktop remotely?

[galbicake]

I am using a desktop (Windows OS) with a monitor that serves as essentially as an electronic bulletin board.

I have gotten some concern from the building maintenance people regarding leaving the desktop on 24/7. Right now, it is above the ceiling tiles of a hallway. This desktop only needs to be on a couple days a week.

Is there a way to turn on and off the desktop without hitting the power button?

 

[bobsmith1492]

Put it in standby?

 

[SuperNaruto]

yes, but it will be pricy

options includes IP control power strips APC

pci remote control card - AMI makes some

bios timer turn on...

 

[wgoldfarb]

Most computers allow you to set an option in the BIOS to have the computer turn on at the same time every day. In some cases this will only work if the computer is actually turned off (i.e. it will not wake a computer that is in standby, for example).

To turn it off, there some pieces of software that allow you to do so remotely or automatically. I use switchoff. It is freeware and allows you to turn off the computer either at a certain time each day or after a specified period of time. You can also turn it off, reboot it or put it in standby remotely from another computer assuming you are on the same LAN. You can find it here.

 

[ForumMaster]

well any modern BIOS includes a Wake on LAN feature. you could shut down the computer when not in use and they wake it when needed. a keyboard can also certainly work although i don't know if a wireless keyboard will work.

my computer is set to power on from any key press on my keyboard. why reach down? that same can be used with this computer. wgoldfarb's app sound good.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: SuperNaruto
yes, but it will be pricy

options includes IP control power strips APC

pci remote control card - AMI makes some

bios timer turn on...

If you want to do this totally automatically, the bios timer turn on is very doable and cheap (free!). I use it all the time. Assuming your PC's BIOS supports it, go in there and configure to turn on every day at a certain time. Then plug your PC into a digital timer (I have one of those) that supports programming each day of the week individually. If you want it on only 4 hours/day, say on Tuesday and Friday, just have the timer turn on on Tuesday and Friday, just before the time that you want your PC to turn on. Then you programmatically have your PC power itself off at the time you want it off. I do that with a freeware program called Poweroff (Google it). Have your digital timer turn off the power shortly after the PC powers itself down. You could probably use Windows Scheduler to turn off the PC, but I've never used it. The digital timer cost me something like $20 at a hardware store. It's nothing fancy, looks similar to the other digital timers you see in hardware stores. Just make sure it supports programming each day of the week individually.

Works great, and I use this combination all the time to record radio broadcasts to MP3, totally unattended. The timer I use to turn my receiver on and off, but you could use it to give your PC power on days you want it to turn on. Of course, if the PC isn't getting power, the BIOS can't turn it on on days you don't want it on.