Windows 10: Can I start a computer remotely?

I have retired an old computer and placed it inside my home theater system. I have it networked, have installed Ethernet and use the TV as a monitor. Problem is that the TV is usually used by family in the evenings when I want to use it on the network. I suppose that I could turn the computer on and off blindly (without the monitor) but then would get the message " your computer was not shut down properly...." I have been leaving it on for days but it builds up quite a bit of heat in the enclosed space and I suspect that it is using quite a bit of unnecessary energy.

is there a way for me to put the computer to sleep and wake it from the remote, main, computer?

:)

 

I have a computer, I am locked out of, can I reformat and still keep files on the computer?

Please answer ALL of the following [admittedly tedious] diagnostic questions by number, preferably without quoting my post:

1. When (approx. date) did you or your son purchase the computer?

2. Assuming it was your son's computer before he moved out, when (approx. date) did he give you the computer?

3. Did the computer come with Win10 preinstalled, did you or your son do a clean install of Win10, or did you upgrade a Win7 computer or a Win8.1 computer [<=PICK ONE!] to Win10?

4. Who manufactured the computer (e.g., Dell; HP; Acer; Lenovo; ASUS)?

5. Has a Norton application or a McAfee application EVER been installed on the computer since you bought it?

6. Have you or did your son ever run the Norton Removal Tool and/or the McAfee Consumer Products Removal Tool?

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Microsoft policy about lost or forgotten passwords

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/189126...

 

I have a computer, I am locked out of, can I reformat and still keep files on the computer?

I can't sign in when I boot up. My son put a password on it, and he has since moved out, I kept the computer, and need to get back into it.

 

Depending on how old that computer is, you may be able to use Wake on LAN. See this: http://www.howtogeek.com/70374/how-t...o-i-enable-it/

 

The computer that I want to waken is about 10 years old. The BIOS doesn't have a "Wake on LAN" but does have an option "Remote Wakeup" Is that the same thing?

 

From Wikipedia - Wake-on-LAN - Wikipedia

"Equivalent terms include wake on WAN, remote wake-up, power on by LAN, power up by LAN, resume by LAN, resume on LAN and wake up on LAN".

*Wink

 

So apparently my downstairs computer is available. Is there a good tutorial on how to configure it for WOL? Following the URL cited by strollin from howtogeek I was looking for the advanced option "Wake On Magic Packet" to enable. I don't have that option. But I do have a plethora of others as shown in the screen captures.

What should I enable and/or how do I proceed?

Thanks

 

A few things come to mind.....

1. In order for WOL to work, there must be an active link between the router and the network card. So, watch the link light on the router for the computer when the computer goes to sleep or powers off. If the link light goes out, WOL won't work.

2. In order to get WOL to work on my desktop computer with Windows 10 from a shutdown state, I had to revert back to the manufacturer's driver for my ethernet controller. This added an option to the advanced properties list for "Shutdown WOL" or something like that. Prior to rolling back to the manufacturer's driver, I did have WOL settings, but they would only work in standby and not from shutdown.

3. Might consider an updated add-on network card. Do you have a gigabit router? An updated add-on network card would also up your network speed to gigabit.

Also, what is the make/model of the computer and/or motherboard? WOL is just as much a function of the motherboard as it is the network controller.

 

The computer that I'm trying to start remotely is a Dell Inspiron that I bought in 2008 and upgraded to windows 7 professional 64 bit.

Yes, my Netgear WNDR3700 is a Gigabit router and it does maintain contact with the remote computer even when the computer is off. The light on the router showing a live connection only goes off if the cable is disconnected or the computer is unplugged. Also the Welcome To Depicus - Home of the Geek app referenced in the howtogeek URL doesn't work for me. I haven't looked into rolling back to the manufacturer's driver.

So I'm still working on this.

Any other suggestions?

 

Back in about 1996 to 2000 when I worked in a local computer shop we used an APC power unit to remotely reboot one of several computers, something like this:
APC Switched Rack PDU Power Control Unit - AP7922 - Rack Mount Surge Suppressors - CDW.com

Basically we set the BIOS to avoid halting on errors such as the keyboard, set the BIOS to not have a keyboard, etc. Then we used the Internet and a particular IP address to access it. A little pricey now but not too bad for a business.

 

You mean other than looking into rolling back to the manufacturer's driver? That would be my first suggestion.

 

Hello,
Here is an article How to Configure Wake-on-LAN in Windows 10
I followed all steps written there and now my wake-on-lan is working.
Hope it will help you too.

 

SysAdmHowto - Thanks. That's the step-by-step that I like and can follow w/o a great deal of preknowledge. Unfortunately it didn't work for me. The step 4 "wake on magic packet" isn't on my properties tab. I'm including a screen capture. My other settings are as recommended. I do have "wait for link" and have it enabled as auto-detect. See screen capture.

NavyLCDR - I tried rolling back my driver but apparently the driver that is installed is the oldest one. It is grayed out. But the date is 2010 and my computer was purchased in 2008 with Vista. I upgraded to Win 7 in 2013 and the Network adaptor was likely part of the windows install.


Still working on this.

 

It occurs to me that maybe I'm working on the wrong computer. Possibly the remote computer is configured properly and the problem is with the computer sending the wake-up call.

Can someone recommend a step-by-step protocol for pinging or sending a wake up command to the remote computer?

Thanks

 

I am using "mWOL" application in iPhone. There are many free WOL applications. You can use WakeMeOnLan - Turn on computers on your network with Wake-on-LAN packet or any other.

Your problem may also related to the driver. Try to use different drivers, and test again.
I had also some problems with WOL in Windows 10, then I realized NIC driver comes with MS update causes the problem.
Sometimes, Power Saving related settings may stop WOL working too.