Topic: Automatic startup on a Dell PC?

[EV607797]

Is there a Windows (XP) setting somewhere that will allow a PC to start up automatically upon power up?  Here's the situation:  I'm using this old desktop PC for remote access, but occasionally the power goes out and the remote PC goes off.  I get the customer to just go push the power button on the PC and it boots right up.  The thing is, the power button is a momentary contact button, meaning that the power supply is always energized and responds to just a momentary contact closure to turn on.  The customer isn't always available to do this power up. 

I bought some remote control electrical outlet gadgets that I can access from my smart phone and would love to put one of these on the phone system and another on the PC. Of course, the one on the phone system works just fine, but I need the PC to start up the same way.  Any ideas?

[telemarv]

This would be a feature in BIOS (if this PC can do it) nothing to do with operating system. Although they are typically based on DOW/TOD and not when power is applied. So worse case scenario the PC would turn on the next day after a power failure,

Power on the PC and press F2 repeatedly until it enter BIOS mode navigate to  ADVANCED > POWER SETTING

[MacGyver]

What Professor Marv said.  I believe the choices are normally something like On, Off, or Last State.

[CMDL_GUY]

I thought what your looking for was pretty much the Dell default, all my Dell PC's do this. In any case do as Marc says and you should be fine.

[Keighlar]

We used this on ESNAs all the time.  BIOS is the way to go. 

[EV607797]

And *POOF!*, problem is solved!  I went into the BIOS settings and it didn't allow exactly what you mentioned for options, Marv, but it allowed me to set it to start up at any specific TOD/DOW, so I set it for daily at midnight.  There was also an AC restore mode, which I turned on.  Apparently, this puts it right back to wherever it was when the power interruption occurred.

The nice thing about these power reset gadgets is that they give it a good 20-30 seconds of off time in order to perform a hard shut down.

As always, many thanks to you Marv and all who contributed.  I can't imagine where I'd be in this industry without the immense knowledge of everyone here.

[telemarv]