Can Win7 Task Scheduler cause the PC to do a cold boot?

[slafferty]

I have been unable to get the Win7 Task Scheduler (TS) to start up the PC when it is shut down. I had assumed that it could do this but have been unable to do so, in spite of enabling "allow wake timers" in power settings. Combed the bios for relevant settings. All I could find was an enable for RTC, which wants a specific wakeup time for the PC. I went ahead and enabled it though.

All of the credible references that I have found on the Net refer to TS starting the PC from Sleep or Hibernation mode. But nowhere could I find confirmation that it cannot start up a scheduled task from a shutdown condition. I just performed an experiment in which a task was started okay from sleep mode but not from shutdown condition. I would like to setup nightly automatic backup. However, it's not good to always turn off with sleep mode, as Windows never gets to reboot and refresh. There are other reasons for a true shutdown, also.

Can anyone confirm whether or not TS can start up a scheduled task from a shutdown condition?

 

[KSoD]

No you cant use TS to start a PC that has been shut down. The system is not on at all, there is no way for the OS to send any commands when it is not operational. Not to mention the fact that once the system is shut down, there is no way possible that the OS can send any commands if it is not in use.

Think of it this way. You cant force your car to backup and park itself in a new spot if you are not in it with the keys. You cant expect the OS to startup if you have not pressed the power.

 

[Frosty is a Snowman]

You could use "wake on lan" but this requires a server or similar network device to send a message to the computer or a network to wake it up http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wake-on-LAN

 

[slafferty]

Hi KSoD,
Thank you for your message. I had hoped that the OS would be able to configure the timers on the mobo which can power up the computer on a specific schedule. I can set that in the bios but that isn't as flexible, as if it were configured in the TS.

 

[KSoD]

Windows cant do anything like you were hoping. You have to remember the first thing that boots when you press the power is the BIOS powered by a watch battery called the CMOS. It is called the BIOS for a reason. It stands for Basic Input Output System. All this does is start up specific hardware, mainly the CD Drive, Display, Keyboard and then your hard drive and from there Windows takes over. There is no way that Windows can send a command to the BIOS to do anything at any time. Windows doesn't affect the BIOS at all. That starts up and is completely independent of the OS.

So you will have to either leave the system asleep/hibernating or you will have to try the Wake on LAN approach.

 

[Lexluethar]

Wake on LAN is your only option. As others have said there is no physical way for your PC which is completely turned off to turn itself back on. This isn't a SciFi movie, computers aren't that smart yet. YET....

 

[tj_extreme]

Wake on LAN is your only option. As others have said there is no physical way for your PC which is completely turned off to turn itself back on. This isn't a SciFi movie, computers aren't that smart yet. YET....

I could see this happening in the near future though.

 

[slafferty]

Hi Mak (sorry for referring to you by the KS0D handle, earlier),
I imagine that you are correct that there is no way that TS will be able to start up from a cold boot. However, it's not true that "Windows doesn't affect the bios at all." For example, the power options set in Windows affect what the bios and mobo do. Not saying that the OS is directly involved in the start up; just that it can change parameters used by the bios. I doubt that being able to set a start up time from cold boot is completely out of the question, as this project appears to have done just that: Timer starts your computer using the BIOS

Wake on LAN is not applicable here because there is nothing to send a magic packet to wake the machine. My best bet appears to be using the bios RTC feature to wake the machine at the same time every night.

 

[KSoD]

The power options that are set within Windows, only affect Windows. They affect what happens only within the OS and nothing more. They do not affect the BIOS or Mobo. You can't make changes to the BIOS from within Windows, you cant force those changes to stay. There is absolutely no options for this.

If you don't believe me, try this. Set up your power options the way you want. Reboot into a Linux LiveCD. Now since the system is on, and if your statements are correct, Linux would also be affected since you made the changes that affected the BIOS and mobo. but you will see that nothing will have changed once you are outside of Windows. Even better, make a change then go into your BIOS itself and see if the changes you made affect the BIOS and its settings at all.

You will see that it is only when you are within Windows that those settings matter. The only time, and I do mean only time, that Windows will have any effect on the BIOS is when you use a BIOS Flasher from within Windows.

In fact if you read, all this does is put the system in low power standby as evident by this line right here on their page:

nstead of 100 W when running your computer needs may only consume 5 W in the stand by mode.

If your machine is completely off, then why would it even need 5W of power? That 5W is what it is using to run this script and basically create a BIOS infection to cause the system to boot. Sorry but this is very ill advised. You basically can corrupt your BIOS and end up bricking you entire machine trying to run this script. If you do, best of luck to you.

Just to say it, cause I have to. Lex and myself have been working with computers for well over 20 years a piece. Lex is a network administrator. I have been using Windows since 1984 when Windows 1.0 was first leaked out on the IRC Channels. We do have a clue what we are talking about. This script could be more harmful than good. I wish you luck, but the simple facts are there. Windows can't affect the BIOS. This creates an attachment to the BIOS to cause it to boot. It is an infection for your BIOS and can cause massive damage.