Can someone talk to me about this Vista turning itself off feature?

[KingCanuteIAm]

Basically, what is it, how does it work and where can I find it?

I would very much like to make sure that the I dc get to bed at a decent hour, I heard about this feature on another thread and wondered if it was real, it sounds a bit too good to be true to me

I'm so fucked off with Vista it's not true!

For the past 3 weeks or so, it's been reminding me of updates and shutting down to install them, and then failing to do so.

?

So the shutting down feature doesn't work or the installs it does whilst shut own don't work?

Try the following:

1/ Start Button -> Control Panel -> System and Maintenance -> Administrative Tools -> Schedule tasks

2/ In the Actions column on the right, click Create Basic Task?

3/ Give it a sensible Name and Description - click Next.

4/ Set Trigger to Daily (or whatever you fancy) - click Next.

5/ Set the Start Date and Trigger Time - click Next.

6/ Set Action to Start a Program - click Next.

7/ Program = C:\Windows\System32\Shutdown.exe
Add arguments = /s
Click Next.

8/ Click Finish.

When the task fires off and starts to automatically shut Vista down a window pops up telling us that Windows will shut down in less than a minute. You can click on the Close button but that will just close that window and Windows itself will continue to shut down.

Enjoy the screaming!

just unplug it

it can turn itself off after a certain amount of time being dormant

You can set up parental controls for a particular account on a computer - but if you want to restrict yourself you'd have to use a standard account, not an administrator account (which would mean you couldn't install programs yourself)

You'd have to get someone else to set up the controls for you from an admin account for which you don't know the password, or you'd be able to bypass it.

The installs it does when it shuts down don't work.

I'm beyond fucked off with and think I may get my landlord to put XP on it when he gets back.

That sounds really frustrating expat, mine sometimes still has the instal icon there on the close button several times for, seemingly, the same updates but they always go in the end.

Zebra, that sounds like the stuff, I will eperiment, out of interest, can you just turn it back on afterwards or does it stay off for a set amount of time? I was planning to try it out for both me and the dc so we have different needs - but also different PCs so that should help make things less complicated!

Rusty, I am super lazy, if it turned off at a certain time I would just give in and go to bed, unless I was about to impart some serious wisdom of course

SEA, I don't have the willpower to unplug it, the flesh is willing but the mind is weak and all that

Right, I am going to try it out, I will just pop out for some ear plugs so I don't have to hear the dc scream the first time it does it, thanks everyone

After it has shut down it will start back up again at will!

However you could set a raft of scheduled tasks to shut it down every 15 minutes from Midnight to 6 am...

DC will get the message!

That sounds like a very good plan! Thank you!

Think I saw the same thread - you set up times each user account is permitted or blocked access. At the moment I've just got my (administrator) account with a password so they just can't use the pc if I'm not around, but that's a bit inconvenient when I'm at work. Problem is, I can't get internet access working from DD's account.

Was so much easier when they went to bed before me