Microsoft Power State Detect/Respond

[JRL]

Would it be possible to have a new function(s) that could give scripts the ability to receive and respond to Microsoft power messages?

For example: Imagine I have a script that is humming along sitting in a loop waiting for a user response. The user has gone to lunch but their computer is configured to go into sleep mode after 20 minutes of inactivity. I don't want to move the mouse at intervals to prevent sleep mode as that will also prevent their screen saver from activating but I do want to prevent sleep mode because it causes problems with the script. If the script could register for the Microsoft power messages then respond to such a message with "DENY", the unwanted sleep mode could be thwarted.

Maybe there is another way. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks
Dick

[Phil Pendlebury]

You can make an entry into Task Scheduler that re-runs the script (or another task) with a Trigger of:

Log: System
Source: Power-Troubleshooter
Event ID: 1

I know this is not really what you wanted but it may help a bit. I believe you can add that on install of a script too.

For example: I have a script that checks a web page (for an update) on every boot. But if the system is hibernated or Slept it doesn't work, so I added it to the Task Scheduler as above.

As often the case - This may be a very long winded way of doing something much simpler though...

[CyberCitizen]

Could you disable it at the start of the script & re-enable it once completed?

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2540 ... mmand-line

[Me_again]

To keep it as universal as possible I would look for some benign way of generating "activity" besides moving the cursor, I'm thinking of something trivial like pinging localhost.

[JRL]

Thanks for the responses. what a great forum.

You can make an entry into Task Scheduler that re-runs the script

Thanks for the idea, I can see how this could be useful in many cases but it isn't going to work for this particular script. I can't have the script running while in sleep or hibernation and the compiled script is initiated by the user rather than being scheduled.

Could you disable it at the start of the script & re-enable it once completed?

Possibly, I'll look into that to see if it will work. Won't be back at work until Tuesday though so its going to be a few days before I can try this.

I'm thinking of something trivial like pinging localhost

Have you tried this? does it work? I guess its easy enough to test, I'll see if that works. the problem with the "stackoverflow" command line method is that I'd still need to figure out a way to determine if power saving is turned on. I don't want to turn it on in computers that didn't previously have it set.

Another possible solution/tact for me would be to simply have a way to kill the script if sleep or hibernation is initiated. Funny how "simply" slipped in there so easily considering I don't know how to do that either.

[armsys]

The power detection function is definitely a wonderful idea.
When System Idle Process declines below 50%, most MS macros will run slowly and, even worse, all PRESS keys wil be missing by Windows.

[CyberCitizen]

You could try sending this, however I would export the existing power plan / settings first so they can be imported once completed.

Code: Select all

Setting a value to never can be done by passing a value of 0 to the -change option, i.e.:

powercfg.exe -change -monitor-timeout-ac 0

means the monitor timeout will be set to "Never". So the presentation plan can be achieved via:

powercfg.exe -change -monitor-timeout-ac 0
powercfg.exe -change -disk-timeout-ac 0
powercfg.exe -change -standby-timeout-ac 0
powercfg.exe -change -hibernate-timeout-ac 0

[armsys]

CyberCitizen,
Thanks for your feedback.
I still prefer the suggested power defection feature function to vary my wait time settings dynamically:
WW_TIMEOUT
WSI_TIMEOUT
WST_TIMEOUT