Computer Boot

[DHTech]

So how are you guys booting your computer inside the cabinets? Looking to auto boot from mains power on and not use the power button!

[keilmillerjr]

I believe you might find what you are looking for in the computers bios.

[JDFan]

For mine I ran the 2 wires from the power button to an arcade button placed on the backside of the system and then set the options for the power button to shut down the system - that way one press of that button turns on the system if it is off or shuts down the system properly if it was on.

Problem I ran into with trying to run it without using the power button is even with it set to turn on when power is plugged in (or smart strip is turned on) was easily done by ensuring it was set to restart after power loss was shutting down the system properly instead of just turning off power which could cause system corruption. (could work if you set it to restart on shut down instead of just shutting down but then you need to turn off power after it shuts down and before it restarts - so was easier to just add a power button on the back of the system instead.)

[Nephasth]

Here's an arcade button I installed just inside the coin door, wired to take the place of the computer's power button.

Installed inside the cabinet.


View through the coin door.

[Chris John Hunter]

When you open a computer case, there is a circuit board with the on off button plus reset (on some) you unscrew it, mount it behind a standard push button (at the back of mine- generally fairly long reach) without a microswitch, so every time you press it it pushes back and hits the on off button.

With the monitor if you took it out of its casing for mounting like I have, you find that if you leave it on it stays on. So when you turn your computer on the whole thing comes on.

Really wouldn't recommend you try to do it from the mains only. Because if you have problems your playing with hot hardware. I.E its on! If you use a button its off. Although you could do the same with the monitor button.


This techinque works well. Most computers (if not all) use a separate circuit board - small thin easily mountable. Take care to check how its mounted as you unscrew it and mount it in a similar manner.

[Chris John Hunter]

 

[WindDrake]

Both my cabs use ASUS monitors, and they auto Power-Up when AC power is applied.

The PC's are set in BIOS (ACPI) Resume on Power Restore, which does the same thing as the monitors.

I've got those Belkin wireless remote-control surge suppressors/power strips to control power to the cabs individually. Works great.

[CoryBee]

Drake, how do you shut them off? Just kill power to the computer through the remote control strip???

 

[keilmillerjr]

Guys, installing a power button is not what he wants. Read the original post carefully. He can always have the computer set so when he exits the front end, it shuts down the computer. No power button necessary. I would want a dedicated power button, but I would understand if you didn't. Perhaps if the computer were to remain on for long periods of time and you just wanted to trigger shutdown via network and startup multiple machines attached on the same power cord.

[Chris John Hunter]

Like I say, I unscrewed the existing power button and the standby button which were on a circuit board plugged in I am talking of a XPC Cube jobby bob. Space, Bartop wise is at a premium. Benefit is they both have led indicators. So I mounted the board at the back of the cab, used the plastic strip that fronted it to widen the size of the push when its applied by the mounted microswichless button behind it. I have it strategically placed. I got one of the big 40mm light up buttons from ARCADEWORLDUK.CO.UK and put that there so it lights up funky orange and due to its size it looks nifty too.

[DHTech]

Most bios setting allow the computer to restart in the event of power failure, I wouldn't recommend using this setting to boot your machine, you're asking for trouble and could corrupt your OS or other files on the hard drive.

What I was looking for is to boot the computer from powering on my cabinet and not having to press another button to turn the PC on.

[Dawgz Rule]

Not exactly what you are asking for but have you considered using a smartstrip?  Doing so will allow you to have one device power everything else up at startup.

[chopperthedog]

I always wire a power button directly to the mobo and tap into either the 5 or 12v feed from the ps to trigger a relay (aka poor mans smart strip) that will switch everything else in the cab on when computer is turned on. In control panel the option to shut down when power button is pressed is enabled. This will leave you with one button for everything and eliminate having to come up with a method to shut down cab from front end.


good day.

[Chris John Hunter]

Oh yeah. With my method that's how it works. With the exception that I never turn off the monitor.  Which isn't an issue. Because when I press my off/on button and it turns off the pc by shutting down I switch off the plug anyway. I didn't have to adjust the settings but on some pcs you need to change it as Good Day says in the control panel.


Also a point of note, I use a Y shaped kettle lead so I halve the number of plugs. My system doesn't use any other plugs so I just have the one plug coming out and into the wall socket.