Automatic shutdown when idle

G

Guest

Is there a way to make Windows XP shutdown automatically if the mouse or keyboard has not been used for a defined period of time, or if the screensaver has been active for a given amount of time
The point is to automatically shutdown unused machines to reduce security risk...
 
C

Carey Frisch [MVP]

HOW TO: Force Users to Quit Programs and Log Off After a Period of Inactivity in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314999&Product=winxp

How to Change the Length of Time That Your Computer Is Inactive Before Your Status Becomes "Away"
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307300&Product=winxp

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

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| Is there a way to make Windows XP shutdown automatically if the mouse or keyboard has not been used for a
defined period of time, or if the screensaver has been active for a given amount of time?
| The point is to automatically shutdown unused machines to reduce security risk...
 
T

Torgeir Bakken (MVP)

Per-Henning said:
Is there a way to make Windows XP shutdown automatically if the mouse or keyboard has not been used for a defined period of time, or if the screensaver has been active for a given amount of time?
The point is to automatically shutdown unused machines to reduce security risk...

Hei Per-Henning,

You can use a scheduled task for this that is configured to kick in
after x minutes of inactivity. The task can then use e.g. a command
line utility to shut down the computer.

See this example for more (just change the input parameters for
psshutdown.exe to do a poweroff instead of logoff):

http://groups.google.com/[email protected]
 
T

Torgeir Bakken (MVP)

Carey Frisch said:
HOW TO: Force Users to Quit Programs and Log Off After a Period of Inactivity in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314999&Product=winxp

How to Change the Length of Time That Your Computer Is Inactive Before Your Status Becomes "Away"
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307300&Product=winxp

Hi

Note that none of the methods above will shut down a idle computer,
Winexit.scr is only able to logoff the user.
 
D

Dusko Savatovic

I would simply enable Hibernate in "Power Options" in "Control Panel". After
a set timeout period, this should save all current memory contents to disk
(hiberfil.sys) and switch off the system. Allthough this functionality is
intended for laptops, it should work on desktops too.

Dusko Savatovic

Per-Henning said:
Is there a way to make Windows XP shutdown automatically if the mouse or
keyboard has not been used for a defined period of time, or if the
screensaver has been active for a given amount of time?
The point is to automatically shutdown unused machines to reduce security
risk...
 

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