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PC power on/off switch WITHOUT modifying PC motherboard/switch
edub:
Just to follow up on the "power on" state of my PC (Dell Zino HD) with Windows 7.
Some suggestions have been made regarding setting the BIOS settings for "AC Recovery". Please note that this setting is defined as "this field specifies how the system will behave when AC power is restored after an AC power loss".
I have 3 choices:
- Power Off
- Power On
- Last Power State
My system behaves the following way (maybe yours is the same):
Setting = POWER OFF
If I pull the plug BEFORE OR AFTER shutting down windows, I must turn the power back on AND push the momentary switch to boot back up
Setting = POWER ON ***
If I pull the plug BEFORE OR AFTER shutting down windows, all I have to do is turn the power back on (via power strip) and the computer boots - YES !!
Setting = LAST POWER STATE
If I pull the plug BEFORE shutting down windows, all I have to do is turn the power back on (via power strip) and the computer boots
If I pull the plug AFTER shutting down windows, I must turn the power strip ON AND press the momentary switch to power back up.
*** I chose "Power On" for the BIOS setting of "AC Recovery". It works EXACTLY like I want it to.
Going with the idea that it is safest to SHUTDOWN windows before turning the power off, I had to have a way for the PC to boot simply by applying power to the power strip and hence the PC. The "Power On" setting does this perfectly. If you shutdown windows and have the AC Recovery setting set to "Last Power State", then re-applying power does nothing. However, if you simply KILL windows by turning the power off, then re-applying power with this setting works just fine. This is not what I would do, but it works that way.
So, the last piece of MY puzzle was testing the AC Recovery setting in BIOS - and I've set it to "Power On". With the above last post (electrical pieces) and this BIOS setting, I think I've found my solution - which is probably exactly how other people do it - I just didn't either see it or I saw it and didn't understand it until now.
Cheers,
edub
jamieoliver22:
I have set mine as 'Power On'. It is useful to have Power on all key presses, and Power on from USB devices, etc - then if it doesn't turn on automatically for any reason, you only have to press any button for it to boot.
Regarding the shutdown, you can (in Maximus Arcade anyway) choose to not shutdown unless it is held down for so many seconds, which may be useful. Also, having it as a shifted key would make it less difficult to accidently press.
Glad you've managed to find a solution that suits what you need! :D
edub:
Thanks for the tip about holding the shutdown button for multiple seconds - decreases the chances of an "accident". Also, the suggestion about power on "all key presses" is interesting - I didn't see that in the BIOS settings - I will have to investigate. Thanks.
Cheers,
edub
edub:
jamieoliver22,
My BIOS settings apparently don't support the "any key" option for power on. I just have the 3 options I described and nothing else. I couldn't find the "any key" option under any heading of the BIOS settings. Where exactly is yours located? It is possible our BIOS settings are different and mine does not allow this feature.
Thanks,
edub
jamieoliver22:
All BIOS settings/options are different depending on your motherboard. I can't remember where exactly, but it mine was under Power Management I think. Don't worry if you don't have the option though, it's only a back up anyway really. As long as it turns on when it receives power, you'll be fine.