Starting computer with power strip

[dist3allaround]

So our office just upgraded computers. We went from pentiumD machines running XP, all the way to solid state HD, Core i5's and windows 7. What a change! lol
I am helping to set each station up before we set the pc's at each station. On our old machines we could set them to boot up when we turned on the power strips that they were connected to. We achieved this feature through the BIOS settings. On the new machines I cannot seem to find anything in the new UEFI BIOS settings that would allow me to do this. I see where you can do the LAN boot, time boot, and after power outage boot. I thought the power outage boot would do the trick, but it did not work.
The nightly procedure is that everyone shutsdown there PC's and then turns the power off at the power strip for the night. Then in the morning we turn on the power strip and the PC's start to boot.
If anyone could help me find the feature I am looking for that would be great, or just a simple "That feature no longer exists" would be great too. That way I so not waste any more time looking for something that just isn't there.
Thanks.

 

[logicearth]

I don't believe this feature exists anymore. Computers (same with monitors) today are very energy efficient when they are turned off making it unnecessary for physically turning off the power on them. You could use time boot however to turn all the machines on at a set time.

 

[Dwarf]

Refer to the motherboard manual. Specifically, see Chapter 2, BIOS Information. Section 2.5.7 APM has the information you need. Simply select the option [Power On], which causes the system to turn on automatically after a power failure. Unfortunately, I don't know whether this will work if the system was shut down correctly, or if it only works if there is an unexpected shutdown caused by a loss of power. It's still worth a try, although there's no guarantee that this will work for your scenario.

 

[dist3allaround]

Refer to the motherboard manual. Specifically, see Chapter 2, BIOS Information. Section 2.5.7 APM has the information you need. Simply select the option [Power On], which causes the system to turn on automatically after a power failure. Unfortunately, I don't know whether this will work if the system was shut down correctly, or if it only works if there is an unexpected shutdown caused by a loss of power. It's still worth a try, although there's no guarantee that this will work for your scenario.

Yeah, no. As I stated it does not work. That must only work in a power failure scenario.

 

[Layback Bear]

I'm somewhat curious why one would want to do something like this.
I use surge protectors instead on power strips in this fashion.
1. Shut down computer
2. Turn off surge protector.
----------------
To start up the next time.
1. Push button on surge protector to on.
2. Push button on computer to boot.
--------------
Your method only removes one button pushing to boot.
I don't get it.

 

[dist3allaround]

Yes you are correct. They are surge protectors. I do not really get it either. It is just the way things were done when I got here, and was seeing if there was a way to keep it the same. You know how people are with change, and it is already going to be a big change already going from Office 03 to Office 13! lol
If it can't be done, then its not really an issue.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

dist3allaround,
Welcome to SF. In my opinion you would be best served shutting down through the computer and I would toss all those surge protectors and I would suggest going with properly sized UPS units which provide stable power voltages and back up power in outages to properly shut down in such events.

Smart-UPS - Product Information

 

[westom]

If anyone could help me find the feature I am looking for that would be great, or just a simple "That feature no longer exists" would be great too.

The feature is completely defined by a motherboard manufacturer. To say more, define that manufacturer and whose BIOS they have used/modified.

Completely irrelevant is the OS and any other hardware. A power controller decides whether to power on the PSU. And later decides when the CPU can execute. BIOS only programs that power controller. I don't know why reboot from power outage would not work. Obviously a motherboard manual would say more.

The original power off procedure is clean and simple. Especially when everything at a work station gets repowered by one simple switch. So why was it done? What must be uniquely accomplished by powering off a power strip? Just a 'fear of change'? Or also something else?

 

[dist3allaround]

I am not sure why the procedure was in place. The only reason I can think of is some kind of power saving view. The monitors, printer and 10-key are all plugged into the power strip/surge protector. So the unique accomplishment of the single power switch is/was shutdown the entire work station with one switch. Seems kinda silly I would agree! lol
Linneymeyer: The funny thing is that we do have UPS units at each station. lol The UPS is plugged into the wall, then the power strip/surge protector plugs into the USP unit, then everything plugs into the power strip/surge protector. haha
I think this all could be simplified for sure.
The mother boards are ASUS P8 H77-M

 

[westom]

The funny thing is that we do have UPS units at each station. lol The UPS is plugged into the wall, then the power strip/surge protector plugs into the USP unit, then everything plugs into the power strip/surge protector.

Power strip protector and UPS manufacturers quietly recommend not doing that. They prefer to not discuss why. A power strip protector should not be powered by the UPS. Same electrical problems do not exist when a power strip is the non-protector type.

Shutdown of an entire work station is often done to avert fire. In some locations, rooms are wired with a master power switch at the door. To cut power to all room workstations (while leaving power on to the fax and servers). Last one out turns off the lights and all workstation power.

Under an advanced tab, disable ErP to (maybe) discover additional options.

 

[Layback Bear]

The folks around here who do government installations, schools, police, fire department, ect. have found that using surge protection of any kind in a series connection has caused early power supply failure to increase. They have no idea why but they do keep track of such things. They no longer do such things.
Of course I didn't adhere to the good advice.

I use to do two surge protectors in series and blew up a Antec 500W power supply. When I say blew up I mean the top of every capacitor blew off and fire shot out the back of the computer. I use a single surge protector now. One for each computer.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

I use two non surge type power strips plugged into my UPS and the whole set up works great. I was unaware of the suggestion to not plug surge protected models in but it kind of makes sense that the redundant protection is unnecessary but didn't know it could be dangerous.

 

[Layback Bear]

I can't prove that the surge protectors in series caused the problem. I just don't want to take the chance again.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

The UPS does such a superior job of suppression along with smoothing out the under voltages, spikes and then battery back up in brown or black outs there's no reason for the surge strip.

 

[westom]

The UPS does such a superior job of suppression along with smoothing out the under voltages, spikes and then battery back up in brown or black outs there's no reason for the surge strip.

If it does that, then post the manufacture spec numbers (ie %THD) that define smoothing. Some of the 'dirtiest' power seen by computers comes from a UPS in battery backup mode. That 'dirty' power causes power strips to degrade. In rare cases, a fire resulted.

A computer must be so robust that ideal voltage is even when incandescent bulbs dim to 40% intensity. So what does smoothing accomplish? Nothing since better 'smoothing' is already inside every computer. A UPS is temporary and 'dirty' power during a blackout. If it does something else, then a manufacturer specification number defines it. Post that number.

Best strip is a non-protector strip that also costs multiple times less money. Critically important and rerely discussed are two features. A UL listing and a 15 amp circuit breaker.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Here's some features and benefits associated with quality UPS's:

Smart-UPS - Product Information

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Here's my spec's though my unit is old and I've replaced the battery twice it does a great job. Unsure why voltage stabilization with the added convenience of the battery power would ever be a liability, maybe you could educate me?

APC Smart-UPS C 1500VA LCD 120V

 

[dist3allaround]

LOL, well apparently I was wrong. We are not totally ridiculous. There is only two stations in the office that have battery backup. I would think this is the biggest problem with our current setup that needs to change.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

In the Insurance office I managed every single computer and especially the server had a properly sized UPC. When power went out from time to time we had at least 15-20 minutes to finish save and shut down without those UPC's I just wonder the amount of data that could have been lost.