Shutdown gaming PC on No Input

[benplace]

I have a gaming PC setup that I want to shut off automatically after no user input after say 45 minutes.

I assumed I would set up a batch file with "shutdown /f" in it and schedule it for on idle using task scheduler.

This doesn't work when the CPU is not idle.  

Does anyone have an idea for how to force a PC to shutdown when no user input has been detected for a period of time, even if a game or app is using the CPU?

My kids walk away and leave their games open all the time.

I am not worried about save games, if they walk away without saving thats their fault.

[FiB3R]

You can put it to sleep from within the power options, if that is good enough for you?

Control Panel > Power Options > Change Plan Settings.

[benplace]

No, I want it to shut down. Also sleep wont work with games open.

I tried that and hibernate both with a game running and it set to 2 minutes.

[FiB3R]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2332556

 

[binaryzero]

Start asking them to chip in some of their pocket money into the power bill, see how fast things change. 

[MikeChipshop Member]

Hibernate should do it. Not sure if the games will stop this happening though.

[BinaryData]

Hibernate should do it. Not sure if the games will stop this happening though.

Hibernate might not work.

@ OP Why not hire someone or ask someone to develop a script. I'm assuming this is windows, right? If you'd like, I can look into it. Shouldn't be TOO difficult to do.

1. Load the shutdown45.exe into the start up menu.
2. Configure the config file (Time / idle % (what % and below it should consider "idle"))
3. let it run.

I'll ask my C++ guru buddy if he can whip something up quickly. If it's an extensive program, I'll toss him some $$ on your behalf. Since I'm asking.

[zhangm Supervisor]

I have a gaming PC setup that I want to shut off automatically after no user input after say 45 minutes.

I assumed I would set up a batch file with "shutdown /f" in it and schedule it for on idle using task scheduler.

This doesn't work when the CPU is not idle.  

Does anyone have an idea for how to force a PC to shutdown when no user input has been detected for a period of time, even if a game or app is using the CPU?

My kids walk away and leave their games open all the time.

I am not worried about save games, if they walk away without saving thats their fault.

Haven't tried this screensaver myself, but point it at a file.

http://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Skrommel/index.html#RunSaver

You can trigger shutdown with the command shutdown -s -t 0, or add some delay e.g. shutdown -s -t 60 for an alert and one-minute countdown to shutdown.

[benplace]

Screen savers do not stay active when games are launched.