[In v2.2] Shutdown option in Exit menu

[breazile]

A shutdown option in the exit menu would be great. I configured CMC to run on startup, and the only time I close it is to shut down the machine. Having the shutdown option there would make things easier.

Regards,
Jon

[Pauven]

Hey Jon,

I think that is a great idea. Thanks for submitting.

Paul

[pks]

Hi all,
I'm just catching up on the latest comments on the forum and found this request somewhat curious.

I'm running Windows 10 Pro. In CMC's movie library settings, in the the "MCE Remote Configuration", in the "Button to Close Programs", we have the option to select one of the button options of "none", "Red", "Recorded TV", or "Record".

I happen to have mine set as "Recorded TV". This I use after stopping a movie being played by PowerDVD. It kills the app.

Well, you can then close CMC in the standard way using, or you can use (in my case) the "Recorded TV" button to kill the CMC app.
Then your left with just your desktop.

If you hit (in my case) "Recorded TV" button again, nothing happens. But if you then hit it one more time, the Windows 10 message box appears giving you the option to Shut down your PC. In my case the message box defaults to the option to Shut Down. So all I have to do is click "Select" on my remote and my PC is turned off.

Not may steps to make it happen. It serves my purpose for home theater in that I never want to have to get my butt off the couch to do anything.

Pete

[Pauven]

Thanks Pete, that's a great tip. And depending upon where you are in the CMC GUI, and what other windows you have open, this can actually be fewer button presses.

Best case with this approach, you'd have to press a minimum of 5 buttons (Press Close = CMC Closes, Press Close = nothing, Press Close = Windows Shutdown Prompt, Arrow to select Yes, OK to commit). The other nice thing about this is that you don't have to start from inside CMC, as the Close button on the remote works anytime and anywhere in Windows.

In CMC, to get to the Shutdown PC menu option would typically be about 7 button presses, give or take a few.

The only downside to using the Close button is if you have a lot of programs/windows open. Each time you press close, it closes the current foreground program (and sometimes you get prompted to confirm closing). When everything is closed, the next button press always does nothing, and then the 2nd press prompts to shutdown Windows. So a lot of open programs/windows will require you to close all of them separately, so a lot more button presses. That could be a good thing or a bad thing, based on your personal preference.

I'm thinking it would still be a good idea to add a Shutdown option to the Exit menu, plus a Sleep option.

Paul

[pks]

Sounds good, Paul. I'm sure many would appreciate a PC shutdown function from within CMC.

On a slightly related issue - turning "ON" a PC remotely (cold booting, not awakening from Sleep mode) - I think many of us have seen the various procedures and products out there. Some of which include control via a LAN - which I don't do.

But I'll offer the following to anyone interested:
A number of years ago, I purchased the very inexpensive PCS-1 hardware device from www.simerec.com and installed it in my PC. This approach might not be for everyone. I had to drill a small hole in the front of my PC case for the included IR receiver.

But installation wasn't that tough and I love it. It has always worked very well. Anyone interested in more info can check out:
http://www.simerec.com/PCS-1a.html

So once again, my butt has remained on the couch from startup to shut down. Now if I could only find someone to carry me to bed.

Pete

[Pauven]

The SIMEREC PCS-1 and PCS-2 seem really cool, thanks for sharing that Pete. I didn't realize an IR responsive solution existed for powering on a PC remotely.

That should work for both poweron and poweroff, right? And the poweroff behavior would be whatever behavior you configure in Windows for the Power button, right? So you could choose Sleep, Hibernate, or Shutdown.

When a PC gets hung and you need to force power off, you have to hold the power button for 10 seconds. Can you do that through this device?

Paul

[Jamie]

On a slightly related issue - turning "ON" a PC remotely (cold booting, not awakening from Sleep mode) - I think many of us have seen the various procedures and products out there. Some of which include control via a LAN - which I don't do.

Pete

I have both a rosewill RC6 remote and a HP model TSGH-IR02 remote. They work with my NUCs and they have a power on and off button which work on the NUCs to power up my PC. I don't know whether they are sold any more, but I have found them to be very useful for my Windows 10 PCs. The only problem I have had is that I have to re-program them after every Windows 10 feature update

[pks]

Paul,

I only have the PCS-1 so I have no experience with the PCS-2.

You wrote: "That should work for both poweron and poweroff, right?"
The same remote button that I programmed to turn on the PC will also turn it off. But I don't do that because it just quickly turns the PC without any warnings to close any apps that might be running. I have always believed in an orderly shutdown and somewhat fear that if the PC is shutdown when - say - Windows is doing some kind of updating in the background, or some files are being copied, or whatever, it might screw up my PC.

You wrote: "And the poweroff behavior would be whatever behavior you configure in Windows for the Power button, right? So you could choose Sleep, Hibernate, or Shutdown."
Maybe you're right but I'm unsure. Again I don't like to use it for shutdowns.

You wrote: "When a PC gets hung and you need to force power off, you have to hold the power button for 10 seconds. Can you do that through this device?"
My PC almost never gets hung. Can't remember the last time very well. But if it did, I think I would get up and manually hold the power button for 10 seconds. This would be the safest route.

Sorry I couldn't be more help.
Pete

[Pauven]

I have always believed in an orderly shutdown and somewhat fear that if the PC is shutdown when - say - Windows is doing some kind of updating in the background, or some files are being copied, or whatever, it might screw up my PC.

Surprisingly, pressing the power button to shutdown does conduct an orderly shutdown. Windows will gracefully exit programs, and wait on any that are busy, and finish doing any updates. The only problem I've noticed is that if you have some open documents with unsaved changes, it might not allow you the chance to save them. But that's an unlikely scenario on a HTPC.

Another one of my projects is a pinball machine controller solution (electronics and software). I run my pinball machines on a Windows PC, and you need to be able to start it up and shut it down via the standard power toggle switch in the cabinet by the front coin door. The problem is that users typically just flip the switch off, wait a couple seconds, and flip it back on, but for a PC the shutdown may take longer. I have a control board that monitors the PC state via USB, and the toggle switch position, and intelligently presses the power button for you. So you flip the toggle switch off, the control board momentarily closes the power button switch, and then monitors the USB for a power off state. It then checks the toggle switch position and, assuming you've already flipped it back on, it will wait a few seconds then momentarily close the power button switch again to power on. This is how I know that Windows shuts down correctly via the power button.

My PC almost never gets hung. Can't remember the last time very well. But if it did, I think I would get up and manually hold the power button for 10 seconds. This would be the safest route.

While I agree with you, typically when it happens to me I'm laying on the couch with my dog on my chest. It's a PITA to get her off of me, and then she takes over the couch and doesn't want to let me back in. In those times, I would love to just hold a button on a remote for 10 seconds...

Paul

[pks]

I hear ya.
And thanks for the interesting comments. Pete