1. Why is it called Timed Shutdown when you can use other triggers?
2. Will you release versions for Windows NT and Windows ME?
3. I set a CPU usage but it DID NOT shutdown?
4. I set a CPU usage but it shutdown BEFORE my operation was complete?
5. What's the point in the Internet Connection trigger?
6. What does the timer for the Internet Connection trigger do?
7. Why can't I use the Internet Connection trigger if I don't connect using dial-up?
8. Why can't I use the Internet Connection trigger if I'm offline?
9. What if I want to abort a Shutdown or change the settings?
10. What's the point in the final Countdown?
11. How do I abort the final countdown?
12. What's the 'Use Force' option for?
The program started off only being able to shutdown at a set time. It has now been updated to allow you to use other triggers like when your CPU usage drops below a certain % or when you get disconnected from the internet. I did think about changing the name, but decided against it in the end.
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The program may already work on these operating systems. ME is based on 98 and NT is similar to 2000. However without access to these operating system I can't test it.
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This was probably because you set the CPU usage too low. This meant that the CPU usage when the system was idle was greater than the value you set. This means it never went below it, and therefore never shutdown. The idle CPU usage will vary from computer to computer because programs running in the background etc. To set a good value, you should see what Timed Shutdown reads your CPU usage at before you start your operation, and then again during. You can then pick an optimum value somewhere in between.
NOTE: Windows 9x sometimes doesn't return CPU usage back after closing a program. In fact in some cases it can even be higher. I think this is a problem with the way these earlier operating systems measure the CPU load. This doesn't mean that you can't use this feature successfully in Windows 9x, it's just something to be aware of.
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There could be two reasons for this...
1. Because the CPU usage value was set too HIGH. This means your computer was already below the CPU level and therefore triggered a shutdown. To set a good value, you should see what Timed Shutdown reads your CPU usage at before you start your operation and then during your operation. You then want to pick a value somewhere in between the two. For example if before your operation your CPU value is around 30% and during it's 80% you could try setting a value of 50%.
NOTE: Windows 9x sometimes doesn't return CPU usage back after closing a program. In fact in some cases it can even be higher. I think this is a problem with the way these earlier operating systems measure the CPU load. This doesn't mean that you can't use this feature successfully in Windows 9x, it's just something to be aware of.
or
2. Your time settings was too LOW. Say you set it to 1 second, that means that if during your operation the CPU usage drops below your set value for just 1 second this will be enough to trigger the shutdown. As your CPU is likely to fluctuate you want to set a higher value. I recommend you use 30-60 seconds as this will ensure your CPU has reached a constant level.
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This is for people using dial-up connections that get disconnected from their Internet Service Provider after a set time e.g. 2 hours. The idea is you can start downloading a file and leave the computer untended, then when you get disconnected your computer will automatically shutdown.
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This defines the delay between the internet connection being lost and the shutdown being triggered. You should leave this on the 60 seconds default so downloading software has time to close properly or to allow the connection to be redialed if dropped prematurely.
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In earlier versions this option wasn't available as I didn't think anyone would need it. On request though, this limitation has been removed. If you're still getting the error, please download the latest version of the program.
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If you're offline then as soon as you start the trigger, the computer will shutdown. It has been restricted to stop people from accidentally selecting the option when not online.
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When you click 'GO', Timed Shutdown gets minimized to the System Tray (bottom right hand corner of the start bar). If you double click on the icon then the Information Panel will be displayed showing the details of the shutdown. If you want to resume the Shutdown then you can click on the 'Continue' button, alternatively to cancel the Shutdown click 'Abort'. This will take you back to the main menu where you can change the settings and go again or exit the program.
You can also right click on the icon in the System Tray. This gives you three options. You can 'View Details', this is the same as double clicking and brings up the Information Panel. 'Change Settings' takes you back to the setup menu where you can change the settings and start the Shutdown again or exit. And finally the last option 'Abort and Exit' immediately aborts the Shutdown procedure and exits the program.
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Before the command to shutdown is sent, the final countdown is displayed. This gives you one last chance to change your mind and abort.
This option can be disabled in the advanced settings, but I recommend ALWAYS using it regardless of the trigger. This means that if you go away and comeback forgetting about the shutdown, you'll get some warning before your computer turns off.
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When the countdown is active, you can either click on the 'Abort' button or simply hit the Escape key on your keyboard.
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This option has always been used in previous versions but the user can now choose to turn it off. When a shutdown is in process, sometimes a program can refuse to close. If force isn't used then the shutdown is automatically aborted at this point. While this may seem like a good idea, not all busy programs will halt a shutdown and more importantly some programs that aren't doing anything important can stop a shutdown. Let me try and explain this better with an example...
Once, I set a Internet Disconnect trigger to shutdown without using Force. I came back later only to find my computer was still on. It seemed that when asked, ICQ (an instant messaging program) refused to close as there was an un-answered message. If force was Enabled it would have shutdown regardless. From this point on I have always had Force enabled, though I thought I'd give the option as there may be certain situations when people don't want to use it.
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