Waking PC from BIOS

checjb · 13 Oct 2008 at 12:19

Hi all,

Here is my issue. I get free broadband from 2-7am and I want to take full advantage of this. However, I don’t want to leave my PC running until 2am (when I usually go to bed around 11pm) as this is just a waste of power. So, what I’m looking for is a way to automatically start up my PC at 2am. The rest of it (starting the programs and shutting down I can do already with freeware on my PC).
The motherboard is a PC Chips A33G running WinXP Home (fully updated). I have been unto the BIOS and Activated ACPI and set the RTC to resume on RTC alarm (which I set to date and time). Result: Nothing.

Any ideas what rudimentary mistake I’m making? 

wolvers · 13 Oct 2008 at 12:38

If you set your programs as a scheduled task, doesn't it wake and run them? This works on my HTPC when it's recording TV, updating AV etc.

Sorry to ask a stupid question but you're putting it into standby right?

checjb · 13 Oct 2008 at 12:47

Yes to standby. My problem is that the PC doesn't start. Once into Windows I'd be OK. The problem is that I can get that far.

wolvers · 13 Oct 2008 at 13:00

Are there any power state options in the bios like S1, S2 etc?

What about options to wake from USB, PCI etc?

checjb · 13 Oct 2008 at 15:18

There are options for S1 and S3 (iirc). Nothing like wake from USB, PCI etc.

wolvers · 13 Oct 2008 at 15:38

checjb said:
There are options for S1 and S3 (iirc).

Might be worth playing around with these. S3 is the most recent version ASAIK.

checjb said:
Nothing like wake from USB, PCI etc.

Does the pc come out of standby properly? Can you wake it with the mouse/keyboard?

checjb · 13 Oct 2008 at 16:27

Wolvers69, I'll have a play when I get home. As a matter of fact it doesn't wake from stand-by from keyboard/mouse. I usually have to hit the power button to get it to boot.

ns400r · 13 Oct 2008 at 16:54

Look in the BIOS, Power Management Setup page.
Set 'Resume on RTC Alarm' to Enabled and then configure a time for the system to turn on.
Try it with no date set.

Resume On RTC Alarm
The system can be turned off with a software command. If you enable this item,
the system can automatically resume at a fixed time based on the system’s RTC
(realtime clock). Use the items below this one to set the date and time of the
wake-up alarm. You must use an ATX power supply in order to use this feature.

checjb · 14 Oct 2008 at 12:11

Using a combination of enabling/setting the RTC time/date and a freeware program called WakeUpFromStandby I was able to get the system to boot itself 3 times yesterday whilst playing around. Satisfied, I went to bed after setting to to wake at 2am. Result: It didn't turn on but sat in standby al night uselessly.

More investigation proceeding tonight.

dipper17 · 18 Oct 2008 at 08:17

My mobo (Abit IP-35) has a bios setting which starts the computer automatically from a total powered down state (does not need to be in standby) Set this for 01:45 so it has time to start and then set your tasks to start from 2:00pm.

Cheers