Auto shutdown of XP using 'Scheduled Tasks' 1

[BobNY]

Perhaps I'm expecting too much, but is there a way to utilize 'scheduled tasks' in control panel to program my pc to shut down at a certain time and date? If 'scheduled tasks' can't do it, is there any other way to do this within XP Home Edition?

Thanks in advance for your response,
Bob

 

[bcastner]

Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
Click Performance and Maintenance, and then click Scheduled Tasks.
Double-click Add Scheduled Task. The Scheduled Task Wizard starts.
Click Next.
Under Click the program you want Windows to run, click Browse.
In the Select Program to Schedule dialog box, locate the %SystemRoot%\System32 folder, locate and click the Shutdown.exe file, and then click Open.
Under Perform this task, specify a name for the task and how frequently you want this task to run, and then click Next.
Under Select the time and day you want this task to start, specify a start time and date for the task, and then click Next.
Type the user name and password to run this task under, and then click Next.
Click to select the Open advanced properties for this task when I click Finish check box, and then click Finish.
Click the Task tab.
In the Run box, specify any additional parameters that you want to use with Shutdown.exe.
Click OK.

Source:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=814761

 

[BobNY]

bcastner,
Thanks for the reply. I'll give it a go. You guys are the best.

Bob

 

[BobNY]

Well guys, I followed the tech report provided by Microsoft that includes the suggestions included above. The outcome is that there is no shutdown, just a momentary blink. Further, if shutdown.exe is located and double clicked, the same effect occurs. So................in order to accomplish an auto shutdown, there must be an addional file that needs to be launched. According to the microsoft tech doc, they will solve this problem in the next service pack. I'm not holding my breath.

For the time being my solution is.............set up an electronic timer at the power source and program the power to just shut off at a certain time. It's crude. But, what other choice is available? Don't you hate it when things don't do what they're supposed to do?
Bob

 

[Xemus]

Steve Gibson wrote a program that you can set to force Windows to shut down.

http://www.techtv.com/callforhelp/freefile/story/0,24330,3399460,00.html

 

[bcastner]

Sutdown requires parameters.

shutdown -f -s

 

[BobNY]

bcastner,
Regardless of whether one runs shutdown.exe through 'scheduled task wizard'utilizing the parameters, password, etc., or one just clicks on shutdown.exe, the outcome in my case is unfortunately the same.

The Wizmo program obtained from the link supplied by Xemus looks like a cool program. I'm going to give it a go. If all else fails, I still have my Radio Shack electronic timer!
Thanks guys,
Bob

 

[bcastner]

"bcastner,
Regardless of whether one runs shutdown.exe through 'scheduled task wizard'utilizing the parameters, password, etc., or one just clicks on shutdown.exe, the outcome in my case is unfortunately the same."

Answer:

Shutdown.exe is designed to respond with a brief console display of options to avoid a user shutting down the system inadvertantly.

If requires paramters to be passed in a command line, which most certainly can be done through Schedule Tasks.

Test:

Start, Run, shutdown -f -s

If your machine does not shutdown, there is a misconfiguration in your ACPI or APM settings, or a stuck test.

Resolution:

To resolve shutdown issues, see:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q308029

http://www.theeldergeek.com/shutdown_issues_in_xp.htm

http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/shtdwnxp.htm

http://www.bitzenbytes.com/101/s103-shutdown.htm

 

[BobNY]

bcastner,
The machine shuts down using the shutdown command in run as you suggest. I should point out however that if shutdown.exe is launched directly, no console appears as you mentioned. So, under those circumstances, there is no possibility of entering parameters. And, as I mentioned earlier, when 'scheduled task wizard' is run with the appropriate parameters, the outcome is the same, i.e., the CPU does not shut down. Instead, there is just a brief 'blink' but no shutdown.

 

[SYAR2003]

Make a xxxx.bat file with the parameters .
Launch the xx.bat file in task scheduler .
That's how i use it .

SYAR

 

[bcastner]

It does not show a console, in the sense that it permits you to add parameters. What it shows is a DOS Box, listing possible parameters.

The intention is deliberate: they did not want someone clicking on the program a shutting down a machine unintentionally.

If you use the Browse feature to point at shutdown.exe, you can edit the line that is inserted as the Target applicaton in Scheduled Tasks. The full line would read something like:
c:\windows\system32\shutdown.exe -f -s

after your edits. Or you can schedule a .bat file with just this line as SYAR suggested. Either will work.

 

[BobNY]

bcastner and SYAR2003,
Both methods work exactly the same. Thanks alot for your help. I can put the Radio Shack Timer away now.

Bob