Turn on PC via remote control? IS THIS POSSIBLE?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
F

fraseyboy

Distinguished
Jun 19, 2006
15
0
18,510
My PC is shut in a cupboard because of the noise. This works great for giving me peace and quiet when watching movies, but its REALLY annoying for powering on the PC! I have to bend over and try and find the button... This is the reason why I need to find another way to turn it on!

Now I was thinking either turning it on via keyboard, or via remote. I heard someone saying about pressing Ctrl Alt Delete to turn on the PC. Dunno if thats true or not... Any other ideas?

Is there any way to turn on the PC other than pressing the button?
 
you can have it set to turn on via ps/2 mouse, ps/2 keyboard, or modem..

I used to use the ps/2 mouse with my Dinovo (which was hooked up with USB) when I was running Vista Beta 2, but it hasnt worked sence


I have seen a drive bay..... somewhere..... some little crappy website that's name wasnt worth remembering at the time. It had a thing that looked like a lock/unlock keychain thing to go on a keyraing that you use for a car

(hahaha note my semi-technical terms for computers, and my complete lack of knowledge when it comes to cars.... My dream car is a VW beetle)


Anyways, the drivebay proves that it is possible. I have been thinking about a way to rig something up like that for a really long time. I was thinking i could get an old VCR, and take apart its infared thing, and hopefully see where it connects to the same port as the on off switch (wish me luck, i'll need it)


Basically all you need though is a infared device to connect two wires together. It really doesnt seem that complicated. If you throw the words "computer remote turn on" into the mix though, you get slapped with a heafty price tag.



My advice is to think outside of the box (i would be, but I have more important things to do first. i.e. get a seasonic PSU so I dont have to listen to my jet engine of a computer)

good luck, and shoot me a PM if you find a way to do i without a drivebay!
 
YAY A REPLY!!! lol

I currently have 2 Ir receivers (well, one of them is IR and one is RF) that allow me to control my htpc with a wireless keyboard and remote, but i see no way to let me turn it on with them.

I know the little thing your talking about, the drive bay. I've seen it somewhere, but its expensive and I dont really wanna pay that much (im trying to silence my jet-engine computer as well, but in more creative and cheap ways such as shutting it in a cupboard and routing the wires under the house. Seems to work.)

Hmm I wonder if theres another way...
 
looks cool but... I bet it doesnt ship to New Zealand where i am.... Surely there would be as way to do it with a USB IR Receiver...
 
Overstock.com has them, also, for a couple of dollars more, and I do believe they do international shipping.
 
The other way you can do it, and would cost maybe 5 bucks, is to simply buy some wire, and a momentary toggle switch. Attach a spare Power Swith header pins to the wires, run them through the back of the case with the rest of the wires and place the switch anywhere on your desk that you wish. You could even get creative, a few company sell what they call "Aircraft Toggle Switches", which are the ones that have a flip up cover over them, as well as light up when turned on. These can be found for about 10 dollars.

Because, when it is all said and done, do you really need wireless? Are going to need to power on your computer from 20 feet away?

Also, when it comes to IR, remember that IR functions via "line of sight", you would need to have the IR receiver somewhere on the desk where the remote could hit it, so you would have a wire anyways.
 
Yeah, I may as well do that... But how hard is it? I have tried to make a couple of simple curcuits (from a kit) and non of them worked, so I think its fair to say that I'm not very good with electronics... But if I could do that, that would be perfect! Are there any guides on the net?
 
silentpcreview.com is the best place for anti-jet engine information

They provide VERY in-depth information about noise levels, and have VERY good, inexpencive ideas on how to make your computer shut up

they have how-to gudies on things like suspending a hdd by elastic, so it doesnt vibrate the case. And they have lists of the quiet fans for different needed CFM and sizes.

I'm not affiliated with them at all, I'm not even a member, but they have helped me alot, so they are deffinately worth checking out


and btw, check to see if your computer's noise is coming from the vga cooler, psu, or wherever else

a good, high performing vga cooler is the Zalman vf900 (its vsomething, pretty sure "f")

and a good quiet psu is the s12 line by seasonic. newegg carries them. all the models have the same noise levels, with the exception of the 500 and 600 watt models. the 500 and 600 watt models both have the same noise levels however



Not trying to hyjack a thread or anything, I've just been doing alot of research on this and thought I could save you some time



and about wireing a switch. its REALLY not hard at all. you just ....

cut the power switch wire in half

remove some of the plastic insulator stuff so you have a little bit of wire exposed

tie them back together the way they usesd to be, however this time wrap the wire from the switch in with them

put some electrical tape around the exposed wire, so all you see is plastic and wire

and now you have a fully working, two switch system


good luck, and as always when you play around inside your case, make sure you always have a hand on your (plugged in) psu, or guy a anti-static wristguard from your local rat shack for a few bucks, and clip it to the psu.
Also remember to turn the PSU off, not just the computer. there is an on/off switch on the outside of it.
 
Okay NO idea, what that guy was talking about. Power switches are really easy.


<--->
|***|
|***| <== Power Switch Header. (Usually says something like PWR
<---> SW)
|| ||
|| ||
|| ||
|| ||
|| || <= Two wires.
|| ||
|| ||
|| ||
A B


A B
^ ^
|| ||
|| ||
/===\
|****|
|****| <==== Switch.
\===/

A normal non-lightup switch only has to post on it. Connect the two wires and you are done. If you want a light up swith the have three posts, the third being for a ground connect, and need constant power. They are a little trickier. But for basic switches. It's just two wires into two posts. And make sure you get a "Momentary" Swith, not one that stays in ON posistion. For ATX motherboards, you just need to complete the circuit for a second to tell the MOBO to power on.
 
sry if I was confusing. You said the same thing I did, but I planned on having 2 switches on the system. That would be a much better idea (in my oppinion) because then you wont have an annoying dead button on the front of your case. What I was trying to say is to do the same thing the guy above me did, but connect two switches.

Things make alot more sence in my head then they do other peoples...

A sign of supperior knowledge? or a sign of idiocy.
(dont answer, I'm in denial) :lol:
 
The only problem with having two swithes, is that you would have to piggyback the connections on both wires, other wise you would have to press them both at the same time to complete the circuit.
 
My PC is shut in a cupboard because of the noise. This works great for giving me peace and quiet when watching movies, but its REALLY annoying for powering on the PC! I have to bend over and try and find the button... This is the reason why I need to find another way to turn it on!

Now I was thinking either turning it on via keyboard, or via remote. I heard someone saying about pressing Ctrl Alt Delete to turn on the PC. Dunno if thats true or not... Any other ideas?

Is there any way to turn on the PC other than pressing the button?
Click to expand...

Instead of wiring up this and that...just get a simple remote like this one that has the software functionality that you want. They also make RF remotes if line of sight is not possible.
 
My PC is shut in a cupboard because of the noise. This works great for giving me peace and quiet when watching movies, but its REALLY annoying for powering on the PC! I have to bend over and try and find the button... This is the reason why I need to find another way to turn it on!

Now I was thinking either turning it on via keyboard, or via remote. I heard someone saying about pressing Ctrl Alt Delete to turn on the PC. Dunno if thats true or not... Any other ideas?

Is there any way to turn on the PC other than pressing the button?
Click to expand...

Instead of wiring up this and that...just get a simple remote like this one that has the software functionality that you want. They also make RF remotes if line of sight is not possible.

Is that programable into a regualr universal remote??? please say it is!!! If it is, the I will order mine right now. Please, please, please,please. 15 dollars for adding my computer into my yamaha reciever remote.... That would be great! way better then those keychain sized solutions I have seen
 
My PC is shut in a cupboard because of the noise. This works great for giving me peace and quiet when watching movies, but its REALLY annoying for powering on the PC! I have to bend over and try and find the button... This is the reason why I need to find another way to turn it on!

Now I was thinking either turning it on via keyboard, or via remote. I heard someone saying about pressing Ctrl Alt Delete to turn on the PC. Dunno if thats true or not... Any other ideas?

Is there any way to turn on the PC other than pressing the button?
Click to expand...

Instead of wiring up this and that...just get a simple remote like this one that has the software functionality that you want. They also make RF remotes if line of sight is not possible.

Is that programable into a regualr universal remote??? please say it is!!! If it is, the I will order mine right now. Please, please, please,please. 15 dollars for adding my computer into my yamaha reciever remote.... That would be great! way better then those keychain sized solutions I have seen

Hmmm...sorry, don't think so...the iMON is geared more towards the HTPC and presentation markets...it is programmable but not programmable enough to take the place of a universal remote plus still be an HTPC remote...if you've got an HTPC with a wireless KB and mouse, then the iMON would be a goood replacement to automate media software and repetitive KB functions...
 
I already have a remote and usb receiver which came with my Theatre 550 Pro TV card. Maybe I could program that to turn it on?
 
I dont need the full functionality of a HTPC remote, I just really need the pwer button

Do you have one, or work for the company??
Click to expand...

The HTPC stuff is the advantage for owning the remote, but it can be programmed to turn on and power down your PC...No, I don't own an iMON remote, but my friend does for his HTPC, it work well for him and is handy for all types of media apps...I don't work for the company either...personally, for my HTPC, I use this wireless keyboard with a built in mouse, but that's only because I like having a fuctional KB with my HTPC, hard to do a google search if you can't type
 
Hey, I use a similary wireless keyboard with built in mouse, which I place between the two airmchairs in my HTPC room 😀

Hmm I think il try wire up a wired power button. Maybe I'll do that after I've finished building my headphone amp...

But wait, I dont get it lol...

What type of switch would I need to buy? I can't seem to find them anywhere... And how would I get it outside the case and under the house and up on my desk? I would need at least 2 metres of wire... How could I do that?
 
you would need something that resembles more of a button then a switch. You need a button that will only stay in the "on" position while you are holding it down, unlike lightswitches on your walls, which stay in the on position untill you turn them off.

I use a wireless keybaord and mouse too, Logitech DiNovo, works very well. But sometimes I would like to be able to turn the computer off without having to go across the room to my computer, or having to find my mouse/keyboard.

A wireless keyboard and mouse is all you really need if your a neat person, unfortunately, I am not.......
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom