Auto shutdown after boot up when nothing is done

When I start a Dell computer I often wish to do something else while waiting for the
boot process to finish.
If I forget to come back within 2 minutes, the computer will shut down. Over again .....

How can you avoid this time-out feature?
There is nothing about it in the bios - neither in XP's control panel.

Suggestion: a small boot-up program repeatedly telling ' I am working' to the system-
thus avoiding this unwanted shutdown ???

On Fri, 6 Nov 2009 15:50:58 +0100, in alt.sys.pc-clone.dell, "Paul-J, Kbh"
<dion1@forum.dk.invalid> wrote:

>When I start a Dell computer I often wish to do something else while waiting for the
>boot process to finish.
>If I forget to come back within 2 minutes, the computer will shut down. Over again .....
>
>How can you avoid this time-out feature?
>There is nothing about it in the bios - neither in XP's control panel.
>
>Suggestion: a small boot-up program repeatedly telling ' I am working' to the system-
>thus avoiding this unwanted shutdown ???

In Control Panel, did you check the settings under 'Power Options'?

Sounds like you might have the system set to shut down/hibernate/whatever if
it's not used for a certain length of time.

--
Nick <mailto:tanstaafl@pobox.com>

"Natural laws have no pity." R.A.H.

> When I start a Dell computer I often wish to do something else while waiting for the
> boot process to finish.
> If I forget to come back within 2 minutes, the computer will shut down. Over again .....

"How" is it shutting down - is it doing it neatly, i.e. closing down
the system properly, or is it more of a "crashed" effect ?

If it's closing down properly but very quickly after startup, there
was a virus that would cause this effect a few years ago - but if you
can keep the machine running by using it, it won't be the virus
causing it...

Bit of an odd one :-)

>
> In Control Panel, did you check the settings under 'Power Options'?
>
> Sounds like you might have the system set to shut down/hibernate/whatever if
> it's not used for a certain length of time.
>
> --
> Nick <mailto:tanstaafl@pobox.com>
>
> "Natural laws have no pity." R.A.H.

In Power options, I had set it to Hibernate after 20 min.
But Xp was hibernating after much shorter time just after booting.
I have experienced this on several Dell Dimensions desktop.

Now I have set it to never hibernate . It seems to help .

"Paul-J, Kbh" <dion1@forum.dk.invalid> wrote in message
news:hd2l96$dqj$1@news.dansketelecom.com...
>>
>> In Control Panel, did you check the settings under 'Power Options'?
>>
>> Sounds like you might have the system set to shut
>> down/hibernate/whatever if
>> it's not used for a certain length of time.
>>
>> --
>> Nick <mailto:tanstaafl@pobox.com>
>>
>> "Natural laws have no pity." R.A.H.
>
> In Power options, I had set it to Hibernate after 20 min.
> But Xp was hibernating after much shorter time just after booting.
> I have experienced this on several Dell Dimensions desktop.
>
> Now I have set it to never hibernate . It seems to help .

I haven't seen this in more modern computers, but about 10 years ago
they had power options in the BIOS and it would bypass that Windows
Power Options. Did you check this just in case?

--
Bill
Windows7 Ultimate (build 7100)
Gateway MX6124 - 2G RAM

>
> I haven't seen this in more modern computers, but about 10 years ago they had power
> options in the BIOS and it would bypass that Windows Power Options. Did you check this
> just in case?
>
> --
> Bill
> Windows7 Ultimate (build 7100)
> Gateway MX6124 - 2G RAM

I have been through all options in the Bios. Nothing relating to a timeout shutdown.

For me, it seems like my system at boot time has some residual value in XP's countdown
timer.
Or may be the culpit is some of the many utilities insisting in installing a scheduler
autostarting their application.
I am not using any of those schedulers but they are tricky to get rid off.

Paul-J, Kbh wrote:
>> I haven't seen this in more modern computers, but about 10 years ago they had power
>> options in the BIOS and it would bypass that Windows Power Options. Did you check this
>> just in case?
>>
>> --
>> Bill
>> Windows7 Ultimate (build 7100)
>> Gateway MX6124 - 2G RAM
>
> I have been through all options in the Bios. Nothing relating to a timeout shutdown.
>
> For me, it seems like my system at boot time has some residual value in XP's countdown
> timer.
> Or may be the culpit is some of the many utilities insisting in installing a scheduler
> autostarting their application.
> I am not using any of those schedulers but they are tricky to get rid off.
>
>
I had this happen on one of my notebooks several years ago and found out
if I started the shutdown sequence then closed the lid before it
finished the computer would hibernate instead of shutting down. On the
next reboot it would resume from hibernation and promptly then finish
the shut down command. As long as I let each process finish, whichever
one I choose to go with, I don't have a repeat happening.
Charles

On Fri, 6 Nov 2009 15:50:58 +0100, "Paul-J, Kbh"
<dion1@forum.dk.invalid> wrote:

>When I start a Dell computer I often wish to do something else while waiting for the
>boot process to finish.
>If I forget to come back within 2 minutes, the computer will shut down. Over again .....
>
>How can you avoid this time-out feature?
>There is nothing about it in the bios - neither in XP's control panel.
>
>Suggestion: a small boot-up program repeatedly telling ' I am working' to the system-
>thus avoiding this unwanted shutdown ???


When you shut down your copmputer for the day, do you actively shut it
down or do you just walk away and let it turn itself off?

I think the behavior you're decscribing takes place when the computer
is restarted after a timeout and automatic shutdown.