I ’m aware of a lot of programme that can automatically turn a PC off at a preset fourth dimension . Are there any that will turn one on mechanically ?
William Lee , Clinton , Utah
Your personal computer ’s apparatus program may let you schedule a boot . To find out , start your computer and watch the screen . Before Windows onus , a content will say you the key to pressure to enter Setup . Once the syllabus has load , search its carte du jour for an autostart choice .
Windows ’ Scheduled Tasks tool can ready a awake - up call for your organization , but only if you hibernate your personal computer or put it in standby mode rather than shut Windows and shutting off the machine . ( Placing your organization in hibernation saves about as much energy as change state it off . ) For more on hibernation , read “ Enable Hibernation ” from my November 2002 column .
schedule Tasks ask that you utilise a logarithm - on password in XP ; see “ Schedule Tasks in XP ” from my January 2003 column .
To wake your system from understudy or hibernation at a set time , clickStart , Programs(All Programsin XP)Accessories , System Tools , Scheduled Tasks . Double - click theAdd schedule Taskicon to plunge the Scheduled Task Wizard , and clickNext . Select a program you ’d like to run when your organization wake up , and schedule the task . On the star ’s last page , checkOpen modern properties for this task when I click Finishbefore clickingFinish . In the resulting Properties dialog boxwood , click theSettingstab , checkWake the computer to run this project , and clickOK .
Now you just have to make certain you hibernate your personal computer , rather than exclude it off , when you ’re ready to call it a day .
To schedule a task that will inflame your PC from hibernation and then reboot it , download thereboot batch filefor Windows XP or98 / Meand save it on your background or in another convenient location . ( The Firefox web internet browser does n’t accommodate batch - Indian file downloads , so you will have to use Internet Explorer to get your written matter . ) observe that Windows 2000 lacks the power to reboot from a batch file .
If you are working at the scheduled restart time , you have 30 seconds to abort the reboot . Go to the clean - text - on - black Command Prompt windowpane and pressN(in Windows 98 or Me ) or any key ( in XP ) .
Good Gauges
I formerly used Symantec ’s Norton SystemWorks and enjoyed the System Doctor ’s gauges that kept me apprised of system memory board and hard - drive space . Is there a cheaper and simpler way of seeing this entropy ?
Name withheld by request
The metering program that I like best is PE Soft ’s freeTinyResMeter , which is super simple to operate – just right - click the puppet ’s image in the taskbar to select the statistics you desire to show . The canonical bar graphical record are n’t as fairly as System Doctor ’s gauge - and - graphical record approaching , but they evidence you what you demand to have sex . Choose from a range of statistic that include processor speed , processes , RAM , and local drive ( seeFIGURE 1FIGURE 1 : See what your PC ’s resource are up to with the free TinyResMeter utility .. you may make the display transparent so you may see what ’s underneath , and set it to disappear when you move the computer mouse pointer over it .
Easy Product Key Display
LastNovember , I told you to keep your Windows Product Key handy . Ty Davis of Edgewood , Rhode Island , note an easy means to unearth it using the freeKeyfinderprogram from Magical Jelly Bean Software . ( Clickherefor more on Keyfinder , from last October ’s emergence . ) start the programme , and it returns your product key . Because this utility can be used for unwholesome intent , your antivirus or antispyware program may foreclose it from running . Disable your protective cover , start the program , note your ware key , and then reactivate your security tools .
