Scheduled Shut Down

[LeMarchand]

I've been using PSShutdown to shut down computers at the end of the day, but have found out that the message window has to be clicked on for the users to get the warning (and we all know how well that will work). I've since found an hta script that does the job brilliantly if double-clicked, but when it's set as a scheduled task the window isn't given focus, so it's no better than PSShutdown.

 

Task is run as logged in user (figured PSShutdown could mop up non-logged in machines) and I have (I think) given focus to the window on start.

 

Basically, I want a visible "PC is shutting down in x minutes" warning followed by a shut down. Has anyone managed to get something like this done on a vanilla network?

[glen_j]

scheduled tasks can do it below is a startup script to add the task uses the shutdown command which also can be set to display a message. copy text and save as a batch file.

 

 

REM Create a task for this computer to shut itself down at 4:45pm

 

schtasks /create /tn "Shutdown at 16-45" /tr "shutdown -s -t 300" /sc daily /st 16:45:00 /ru system

[LeMarchand]

Cheers!

 

Will put that in place tomorrow. Anyone know how to do it via visible hta? (Looks both more obvious and enables a few extras like delays etc).

[Norphy]

Do you need the users to have the ability to cancel the shutdown? If so, the shut down command isn't really the best tool for that.

 

We use a piece of software called EMCO Remote Shutdown. You can use this to schedule the start-up and shutdown of PCs on a schedule. It can put up a visible warning for a defined amount of time and the shutdown can be cancelled if the user sees the message in time. Useful if there's an open evening our if a teacher is working late.

 

http://emcosoftware.com/remote-shutdown

 

It's not free but it was very cheap. The licence is perpetual too, no need for a support contract

[LeMarchand]

It's not free but it was very cheap. The licence is perpetual too, no need for a support contract

 

Unfortunately the idea of paying for technical solutions is a bit of an anethema to SMT.

[TechMonkey]

I can confirm it is a nice piece of software. You can even use it to force a log off, which is nice since MS took of the ability for admin accounts to logout users.

[Norphy]

Unfortunately the idea of paying for technical solutions is a bit of an anethema to SMT.

 

You could point out that the savings that their scant $272.30 investment would provide would be much, much more that $272.30. That's about £180 at today's exchange rate.

 

It was @TechMonkey who pointed me at it, it's well worth the money.

[themightymrp]

We use something similar to @glen_j But instead of deploying a startup script (nice by-the-way ) I set it up in GPP as a scheduled task

[LeMarchand]

Used the switches from the script @glen_j posted + GPP as @themightymrp suggested. This works for logged in users and displays a warning unless machine is locked and a PSShutdown run 30 mins later seems to shut everything else down. Would have been nice to have a larger message box, but have spent way too much time on this already!

[strawberry]

This is the one you want, ignore the branding, you can run the tool remotely or locally.

 

http://blog.coretech.dk/kea/configuration-manager-shutdown-utility/

[LeMarchand]

This is the one you want, ignore the branding, you can run the tool remotely or locally.

 

Coretech Blog » Blog Archive » Configuration Manager shutdown utility

 

Cheers - will give it a go when next on site/after holidays. Hopefully I will have my car sorted by then...