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What's this I hear about BIOS, a SmartStrip and the "one button power on"???
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thetaylors3:
I don't have a smart strip, I used a relay hooked to the PC power to control the strip but it's essentially the same thing.  In BIOS, I've set the computer to "power up on key press", that way I can hit any button on the machine and everything turns on.  Some BIOs also have the option to "power up on password".  I'm currently using this method.  I set the password to one of the buttons.  This way you can pick which button you want to turn it on.  Also, since my kids like to hit buttons, I set the password to 3 letters where I can just press the same button 3 times to turn on.  That way random button presses won't turn it on.  I like this set up best because it doesn't require an extra button.
mumbles:
In my bios setting it lets me turn the computer on by clicking the right mouse button. I have an optipac connected via usb with a right mouse button connected to the optipac from my control panel but when I press the button on my control panel it doesn't switch the computer on.

Also my bios says that it can turn the computer on by a keyboard with a power button or by password but i won't let me change any of these setting to allow the ocmputer to do this.

Therefore how do i change it or do i need to upgrade my bios. I have an ipac4 connected as well by usb and you can set one of the buttons as "power" but I can't change that setting in bios. Would it make a difference if I had the ipac or optipac connected via ps2 instead of usb??
brophog:
One of two things:

It's set for a PS2 mouse only.

OR

Check your motherboard for a mouse power on jumper.
mumbles:
if i buy  usb to ps2 convertor then and plug the optipac in to the ps2 port instead, could this hten turn on the computer?
nostrebor:

--- Quote from: SirPoonga on January 25, 2006, 05:51:29 pm ---
--- Quote from: thebrownshow on January 25, 2006, 05:48:41 pm ---First, check your BIOS and see if you have a setting called "Restore Power after AC Power Loss" or something to that effect.  Essentially what that means is that when there's power at the PC's plug, should it fire up your PC?

--- End quote ---
Now, doesn't that mean you have to cut power to the computer while it is running, you can't use normal shutdown?

Smartstrip, I think, would be the safer route.  Also note some computers have a power on keyboard in bios too.

--- End quote ---

You don't have to cut the power while running. I use mamewah, which will let you map a button within mamewah to exit and shut down windows.

My setup is like this:

Regular powerstrip - Hack into power cord of the strip and add a switch that breaks one of the wires (black or white. white is the best choice). The switch is a toggle style, like you would find on a typical arcade cabinet for power. It needs to be rated for household current.

Set computer bios to come on at power failure. - This setting works even when the computer is already turned off. The PC senses when the power has been cut at the power supply, like you unplugged the supply. If it loses power, as soon as power comes back at the supply, the computer boots.

Plug all your components into the powerstrip and turn the switch on the powerstrip on and leave it on. - now you are controlling the powerstrip from the switch we hacked into it above.

Flip the switch and all the components come on, and the PC boots :)

When shutting the system off, I have a button mapped in my frontend that exits and shuts down windows. Then I just reach up and flip the "hacked into the powersupply" switch. This tells the PC that it has lost power, which sets it up to come back on the next time.

There are no hard shutdowns, the hack is extremely simple with a few wirenuts and some HD lamp cord. The entire costs was about $8 for a powerstrip, lampcord(for the run to the hacked switch), and some wirenuts.
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