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Start the system at a specified time. Timer programs for turning off the computer by time

Perhaps many of the users of stationary personal computers were wondering how to organize automatic switching on And turning off the computer at a given time or according to a schedule. In this article we will look at one of the more accessible methods.

To implement this function of a personal computer, we will use exclusively the built-in capabilities of the BIOS input/output system and the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system. The use of third-party software is excluded by itself.

Let us define a schedule that consists of the necessary conditions, i.e. we need the personal computer to turn on every weekday at 07:00 in the morning and turn off at 17:00 in the evening. Regarding weekends, due to restrictions in the BIOS input/output system, the computer will start at 07:00 in the morning and turn off after 10 minutes as unnecessary, because there is no one at the workplace.

So, let's begin. When you turn on your computer, you need to enter the BIOS input/output system. To do this, press the key "DELETE", this key is mainly used in many motherboards, but there are still other uses of the keys, such as:

Esc F1 F2 F3 F10 F11 F12

After pressing the “DEL” key, the BIOS system menu will be displayed and will look something like the one shown in the figure below:

We set the value of the “Resume by Alarm” parameter to , activating the computer to turn on according to a schedule. In the “x Date (of Month) Alarm” parameter, you can select daily execution or specify the desired day of the month; in our case, we will use the first – Everyday. The computer turn-on time “x Time (hh:mm:ss) Alarm” is set to 07:00 am.

Thus, automatic switching on personal computer organized according to a schedule: daily activation at 07:00 am, both on weekdays and weekends.

Automatic computer shutdown settings

Now we need to create a schedule for automatic shutdown personal computer. The built-in console file will help us with this taskschd.msc, the so-called “Task Scheduler”, which will perfectly cope with the task. You can launch Task Scheduler using the “Search programs and files” line and Windows Explorer.

Method 1 - “Find programs and files”

Method 2 - “Explorer”

After the above commands, the “Task Scheduler” will open, in which you need to go to the “Task Scheduler Library” item and perform the action to create a task - “Create a task” or “Create a simple task,” as you like. We will not describe a detailed description of creating a task; everything is accessible and written in Russian.

As you can see, in the figure below, two tasks have been created that produce automatic shutdown personal computer. The first task, called “OFF PC,” organizes the PC to turn off on weekdays at 17:00, and the second task, called “OFF PC Weekend,” turns off the PC on weekends 10 minutes after turning on the PC.

A detailed description of task creation is missing, but you need to know the following: automatic computer shutdown you need to enable the program launch shutdown.exe –s in every task.

And also in the “General” tab for both tasks, rules are set for completing the task only for a registered user, see below.

The created tasks will not function unless automatic user authorization is created in the system, i.e. when the computer starts and boots, login will not be performed, since you must enter a password to log in, and this is stipulated in our created tasks.

Therefore, to log into “User Accounts” and set a password for automatic login without a visible password prompt, you need to open Explorer and specify "control userpasswords2" or "netplwiz", not for everyone.

Now we've finished setting up automatic switching on And shutdowns personal computer, using the built-in functions of the BIOS and Windows 7 OS. Try it YOURSELF!

Turning your computer on and off using a timer is a useful function. Thanks to them, you can use your PC as an alarm clock or have it turn on automatically shortly before you arrive home. In the evenings, you don’t have to wait for the download of a large file to finish. The computer will turn off on its own. Convenient, right?

You can set up a timer to turn your PC on and off using Windows 7 in 5 minutes. Now we will deal with it, and also consider several third-party programs designed for this.

Creating a timer via Task Scheduler

Setting up a power plan

Before you can create a timer, you must allow the system to wake up on a schedule. The feature is enabled in the power plan settings. By default it is disabled.

  • Launch Control Panel and click “Power Options”.

  • Select your plan and click the “Set up power plan” button.

  • Next, click “Change advanced power settings.”

  • Select “Sleep” – “Allow wake timers” from the list of options and set them to “Enable”. If you are creating a timer on a laptop, be aware that it may turn on while in the case and suffer from overheating.

Create a computer shutdown timer

  • Launch Task Scheduler through the “Start” menu – All Programs – “Accessories” and “System Tools”. Or just type the word “scheduler” into the search bar in Start.

  • In the “Actions” column of the Scheduler, click “Create a simple task.”

  • First you need to give the task a name. Let's call it “Turning off the computer.” In the “Description” field, you can write a few words about the new task, but you can leave it blank. After that, click “Next”.

  • Next, we create a task trigger – repetition frequency. Let's select “Daily”.

  • We will set a date and time for the task to begin.

  • In the “Action” section, select “Run program”.

  • In the next window, select what we will launch: write in the “Program and script” line: C:Windowssystem32shutdown.exe, and in the “Add arguments” field enter the key -s. Click “Next” and “Finish”. The task has been created, all that remains is to check how the computer turns off.

Create a computer turn-on timer

  • We launch the Task Scheduler again, but now select the “Create task” item in the “Actions” list.
  • On the “General” tab, give the task a name – let it be “Turning on the computer” and write a description (optional). In the “Configure for” drop-down list, select Windows 7.

  • On the next tab – “Triggers”, click the “Create” button. We configure the task execution schedule, mark “Enabled” and click OK.

  • Let's move on to “Actions”. Here you need to select a program, script or other action to be performed. If you are creating a timer as an alarm, select a music file. In our example, we will create a message that will be displayed on the screen when the computer turns on.

  • On the “Conditions” tab, check “Wake up the computer to perform a task.” Here it is advisable to leave active the “Start when powered from the mains” and “Stop when switching to battery power” items – this will protect the laptop from accidental overheating.

  • On the “Parameters” tab, you can set additional conditions for executing the task. That's all. Now it is advisable to check how the created task functions: send the computer to sleep or hibernate and wait for it to turn on according to the timer.

Programs for turning on and off your computer under Windows 7

For those who are lazy and do not want to bother working with the Scheduler, there are many programs with similar functions - turning the PC on and off according to a schedule. Here are some of them:

  • sleep timer(OffTimer) is a simple free application that requires installation. To set up a schedule, in a single small window you need to set the desired time and press the arrow button. There is no function to turn on the PC here.

  • TimePC- a program with the function of turning the PC on and off, has a built-in scheduler, which is not similar to the Windows 7 Task Scheduler. Using TimePC is very easy - just create the desired schedule and select a program or action that will be performed when the computer is turned on.

  • Power Off A powerful multitasking tool that works without installation. According to the schedule that can be configured in this program, the computer turns on and off.

All these applications are free, compatible with Windows 7 and in Russian.

What to do if the PC does not turn on or does not turn off on a timer

  • Make sure you remember to enable wake permission in your power plan settings.
  • Check whether the “Task Scheduler” service is running on the PC - press the “Windows” + “R” keys, enter the command in the “Open” field Services.msc. Confirm your entry by clicking OK. In the list of services window that opens, find the one you need and right-click properties to make sure it is working. If it is stopped, turn it on.

  • Make sure your account has sufficient permissions to create scheduled tasks. Create a schedule under an administrator account.
  • Check whether the created task is still there and whether the conditions for its execution have changed. Launch Task Scheduler, open Scheduler Libraries, find the task and view the data.

  • If your PC still won't turn on or off, the Scheduler log may help you determine the reason.

If it is not disabled, all information about the execution of tasks and their errors is recorded there.

In the two weeks of September, my youngest son Sashka has already slept through school twice - he just can’t adjust from the summer holidays to go to bed earlier, and not sit at the computer until one in the morning. So I decided to teach his computer to forcefully turn off at a certain time.

Helped me in this anti-democratic matter computer shutdown timer- absolutely free, simple and powerful (as it turned out) program PClimiter.

The PClimiter computer program does not just turn off the computer at a certain time - it allows you to set various restrictions on the use of the computer on any day of the week, set limits for different users - for example, 2-3... hours a day from 8.00 to 22.00.

This computer shutdown timer is not as simple as it seems at first glance - it will not allow you to change the system time or user, delete yourself without entering a password...

...continues to work after deleting the task in the task manager and will even start with the computer after excluding it from startup - I tried all this.

Intrigued? Let's take a closer look at PClimiter and learn how to use it...

PClimiter - smart computer shutdown timer

So, the most important thing is that when setting the computer shutdown timer, you will be asked to enter your parental password.



I kindly ask you to approach this moment responsibly and remember this password, so as not to ask stupid questions later in the comments to the article - no one but you will be able to unlock the computer, if anything...

After installation, the program will appear in the tray (near the clock) - left-click on the icon and in the window that appears, click on the green padlock in the right corner...

...enter the parent password and proceed to limiting the operating time of the computer...

Balance - time available to the user on a specific day of the week
Bonus - extra time that can be used on any day of the week
Limit - the maximum allowable time for a specific day of the week (Balance + Bonus).

I set the balance for the entire restriction period, but you can set it to 2-3... hours - as much as you want. This way, your child (or you) will be able to turn off the computer and turn it on as many times as desired, and the program will keep track of the time used. When the limit is reached, the computer will turn off.

I got a little distracted - let's continue. After you have entered all the balances, limits and bonuses by day of the week, you need to select the user for whom you prepared all this and click on his icon...

... "enable time restrictions" ...

All you have to do is click on the red padlock in the upper right - that’s it, congratulations, the usurper computer shutdown timer is working.

How to turn off PClimiter

You can only uninstall it if you know the parent password or “disable time restrictions” where you activated them (under the user icon), but the program will continue to work.

How to turn off PClimiter if there is no tray icon and the entire limit for the day has been reached (this is exactly what happened to me when I removed the program from startup - an ambush, the computer immediately turned off after turning on)?

I’m telling you, you only have a couple of minutes - after the next start of the system, very quickly go to the folder with the installed program and click on its shortcut...

...an icon will appear in the tray - click on it, in the program window that appears, click on the lock even faster, then on the user icon and “disable time restrictions”. Don't forget to click on the lock again to apply the changes. Did you make it?

Download PClimiter

The size of the downloaded installation file is 3.1 MB. There are no viruses or additional “useful” software in it. The program understands ALL versions of the Windows operating system (including the tenth).

Each user may have many reasons to turn off the computer at a certain time or after a given interval. If you have set a movie or any file to download, but cannot physically wait for the download to complete, you can set a shutdown timer and the computer will turn off on its own at a certain time. Don't want your child to spend too much time on the computer? Set a time interval after which the equipment will shut down, regardless of running processes and programs. For this purpose, you can use the built-in Windows tools: task scheduler, command line. If these methods are unacceptable for you, use programs to turn off computers, which require a minimum of resources, but have a wide range of functions. Let's look at some of these programs.

The simplest utility to turn off your computer.

This utility is distributed absolutely free of charge and has a Russian-language interface. In order to use it, you do not need to install it, it is created as a portable version (if you do not like the program, you do not need to take any steps to remove it from the system, just delete the utility file). Managing the program is simple and will not present any difficulties at all, even for novice users. On the left is a window with the current time, on the right you need to specify the time after which the computer will be turned off.

You can download this program.

Do you like to fall asleep listening to music or are you afraid that you will fall asleep while watching a movie? No problem, download the USleep Timer program, which will shut down your computer after a certain time. To do this, just launch it and set the time after which the computer should be turned off. It can be run on any version of Windows, and it does not require installation.

A fully functional gadget to turn off your computer.
Auto Shutdown is a gadget that allows you to set a timer or time to shut down your computer. If you don’t need it at the moment, you can turn it off until required. For full operation, it requires a minimum of computing resources. In fact, it is an alternative to the standard Windows shutdown panel, but has greater functionality. In addition to shutting down, here you can check the box to reboot, go into standby mode, block the user, etc. With the parameters entered, the gadget instantly picks up the data and completes the established procedure on time. There is both a timer and input of the time at which the shutdown or any event you set should occur. The only disadvantage of this gadget is that it only works in versions of Windows not older than 7, because in subsequent Microsoft operating systems, gadgets cannot function at all.

According to many experts, this program is the best of its kind. It is compact, undemanding of resources, and the Russian-language interface is intuitive and even a novice user will not have any difficulty using it fully from the first launch (to install the Russian language, you need to go to the Options section and select the Russian language). Many users believe that this is how the Windows developers should have made the shutdown button. After clicking on the icon, a menu opens that looks approximately the same as the standard menu. A significant difference from the standard shutdown is the many functions that can be customized depending on your needs.

When you hover the cursor, for example, over the line turn off, a pop-up context menu will appear indicating when you need to perform this function. Also, it even provides functions such as disconnecting the network connection, etc. In order to set a specific time for shutdown, you can go to the " Set up a task» and set the necessary parameters.

The most functional tool.
This software can be called fully functional. It contains a huge number of tools that serve the sole purpose of turning off or rebooting equipment at a given time or interval. This software is ideal for professionals, because it even has the ability to turn off equipment when a certain process is completed or a certain drop in processor load is reached. And although there are a lot of functions here, you can figure them out quite easily.

In contact with

And the second way is to use special software. There are a lot of similar utilities, but this article discusses only the 5 most popular and free programs for turning off the computer (they, by the way, are also called timers). Each of them has different functionality, but almost all of them work on Windows 7, 8 and 10. In this regard, these utilities are universal.

Also at the end there will be a comparative table of basic and additional functions, on the basis of which you can decide which program is best to choose to automatically turn off your computer.

Airytec Switch Off is an excellent free program that allows you to turn off your PC automatically. It has a simple and understandable interface in Russian.

Its main advantages:

  • full or portable version (your choice);
  • Automatic computer shutdown due to time or inactivity;
  • selecting an action (turn off the PC, reboot, sleep mode, hibernate, turn off the Internet);
  • ability to set up a notification (beep) before shutting down.

Also, this program for shutting down a PC has a number of distinctive features:

  • energy saving calculator;
  • the ability to control via the command line;
  • remote configuration via a web browser.

This utility has an office. website, so if necessary, you can download a program to automatically turn off your computer. Choose which version suits you best (full or portable) and install.

Another great program for automatically turning off your computer is Shutdown Timer. Yes, the name is rather banal, but it still copes with the main task well.

Main advantages:

  • simple and intuitive interface in Russian;
  • the ability to autorun with Windows;
  • setting the countdown;
  • selecting an action (shutdown, reboot, sleep mode, disconnecting the Internet connection or monitor).

By the way, this utility supports the ability to set a password so that other users cannot change the specified settings. And this is a definite plus.

The shutdown timer has one peculiarity: it forcibly closes any open applications, and therefore there is always a risk of losing unsaved data. Take this into account and look at the countdown so you have time to save the necessary files.

The third program on the list for turning off a laptop and computer is PowerOff. In fact, this is quite a powerful software, which in addition to the timer has many additional functions. An undeniable plus is that the utility is supplied in a regular archive and does not require installation.

Main functions:

  • automatic shutdown of the computer or switching to sleep mode at a specified time;
  • PC blocking (instead of shutdown);
  • integration with the Winamp player (an excellent option for those who like to fall asleep to music, because in this case the computer turns off after playing the previously set track);
  • disconnecting the Internet connection.

Also, this utility has a simple interface in Russian, so setting a timer to turn off the computer is not difficult. By the way, users have the opportunity to configure hot keys - and this is another plus.

Goway is a program to turn your computer on and off according to a schedule with a minimalist design. It will appeal to all lovers of simplicity, as well as to beginners. After all, this utility has only 2 tabs.

In the first, you need to set a timer for the desired time and select an action (turn off the laptop, reboot or log out). And the second tab is used to set up email alerts.

Sending notifications by e-mail at the appointed time is a distinctive feature of this program.

Other benefits:

  • the simplest interface in Russian;
  • the ability to activate hidden mode (the utility will not be visible either on the desktop or in the tray);
  • works on Windows XP, 7 and 8.

Time PC

And the last program on this list for automatically turning off the computer at a specified time is Time PC. Its main feature is that it does not stop the computer from working, but only puts it into hibernation mode. All applications will be closed, the monitor and the Internet will turn off, but the laptop or computer will not turn off completely.

Main functions:

  • setting the computer shutdown time;
  • turning on the PC according to a schedule;
  • launch selected applications when you turn on your PC or laptop;
  • autorun with Windows;
  • check for updates.

It has a clear interface entirely in Russian. Therefore, if you need a simple utility to put your computer into hibernation mode, then Time PC is a great choice.

A few words in conclusion

So, above we discussed free programs for automatically turning off the computer based on time. Since each of them has its own characteristics, a comparative description is presented below for clarity. The table clearly shows the main functions of all utilities - this should help you quickly decide on the appropriate option.

And one more small nuance. If you plan to auto-shut down your PC infrequently, then there is no need to download any software. You can use standard tools in Windows 7, 8 or 10 (read more about this at the link given at the very beginning of the article).

If you want to limit the time a computer or laptop can be used (for example, by your child), then shutdown timers are not very suitable in this case either. After all, you can simply close the utility, thereby canceling all previously specified settings. In this case, it is better to use parental controls.

Actually, that's all. Above are 5 excellent free programs for automatically turning off your PC on time, and all of them are in Russian. Which one to use, and whether it’s worth installing them at all, is up to you to decide.