KB98: How to: Use Omnivex PowerDown

Summary

Omnivex PowerDown is a free utility that you can use to shut down your local PC on a schedule.

Solution

Typically, to use PowerDown, you schedule it using Windows Scheduler, so that PowerDown shuts down or restarts your PC on a regular basis.

To schedule PowerDown:

1. Using Windows Explorer, browse to C:\Program Files\Omnivex
2. Create a new folder (right-click and select New > Folder). Name the folder PowerDown.
3. Copy the PwrDown.EXE file into your new folder.
4. Click Start > Settings > Control Panel. The Control Panel dialog box appears.
   
5. Double click Scheduled Tasks. The Scheduled Tasks dialog box appears.
   
6. Double-click Add a Scheduled Task. The Scheduled Task Wizard appears.
7. Click Next.
   
8. Click Browse and browse to find the PwrDown.EXE file.
9. Click Open.
   
10. Select Daily.
11. Click Next.
    
12. In Start time, set the time when you want PowerDown to run.
13. Select Every Day.
14. Click Next.
    
15. In Enter the user name, type the user name of the person who is normally logged in on this computer.
16. In Enter the password and Confirm password, type the password for the user account.
    Note: Enure that the user account password is not set to expire as your scheduled task will no longer run if this password changes.
17. Click Next.
    
18. Select Open advanced properties for this task when I click Finish.
19. Click Finish.
20. The PwrDown dialog box appears.
    
21. In Run, after the file path information, type any additional behavior you want PowerDown to use, separated by slashes:
22. To set the system power down options, type /S: followed by:
    
    • L, to log off the current user.
    • S, to shut down the system but not to turn off the computer's power.
    • P, to shut down the system and turn off the power. This is the default behavior.
    • R, to restart the system.
23. To set the applications termination options, type /A: followed by:
    
    • G, to close open applications. Save dialog boxes appear so that you can save any work before the application closes. This is the default behavior.
    • H, to close open applications. Save dialog boxes appear on those applications that are supported by them. All other applications are forced to close.
    • F, to force all open applications to close without an opportunity for to save work before. This option may result in data loss if you are not careful.
    
    As an example, if you wanted the PowerDown process to reboot your system after forcing all of your applications to close, your Run setting would appear as C:\Program Files\Omnivex\PowerDown\Pwrdown.exe /S:R /A:F
24. Click OK.

• Omnivex PowerDown: all versions

Related Item

• KB172: Your Display Player crashes when you include PowerPoint or Web zones in your content

Keywords

shutdown pwrdown reboot

Last revised

12/7/2012 3:36:15 PM