Timer

It is possible to use TPC Timer to run power tasks after a certain period of time. For example, if you like to listen to the music before going to sleep, you can set the timer to shutdown the PC at midnight so you won't need to stand up and turn it off manually. Timer is also useful when you run a backup task and leave the place - in most cases it will be reasonable to shutdown the computer automatically when the backup task is finished. To set up the timer, click on the alarm clock image in the right-bottom part of the main screen:

Timer Configuration

Command line - any application or command file that will be executed when the timer is done. The dropdown list allows you to select TPC power tasks, but you can also select any Windows application (*.exe) or command file (*.cmd) using the first button. Command files are simply text files with listed applications or commands that will be executed one after another. Here goes a simple example of a command file, save it as test.cmd and run it as an ordinary Windows application to see how it works:

@echo This command file executes Notepad, Calculator and Paint one after another.

@echo Press CTRL-C to cancel!

@pause

notepad

calc

mspaint

The second (green) button allows you to test the application immediately if you are not sure that it will work properly. Be careful with shutdown/restart tasks, there will be no confirmation!

Show warning - use this value to specify warning time. When the timer is done, you will see a red window with countdown that will allow you to cancel the task if you changed your mind and don't need this task anymore. If you don't make any action, the task will be executed after countdown. The value is specified in seconds, 0 means that the warning will not be shown at all.

Countdown calculation - this set of fields allows you to calculate execution date and time. When you change these values, you can see that the execution date and time are also changing. Please note that these values may change automatically after the timer is enabled, so these fields are only helpers to calculate the execution date and time, but not actual countdown values.

Execution date and time - the real date and time when the task should be executed. You can set the time directly in these fields or use the Countdown calculation fields to calculate the execution date and time automatically. When you edit date  and time fields, the Countdown fields are also recalculated. "Now" button allows you to set current date and time to these fields.

Execute only when computer is idle - when the timer is done, TPC will start to measure CPU load and the scheduled task will not be executed while the computer is busy with CPU-consuming work. As soon as the CPU load reduces to the specified minimum (threshold), TPC will execute the scheduled task. This feature is generally used to turn the PC off when a certain application finishes its work. For example, if you back up a lot of data and don't know when exactly the backup process will be finished, you can set TPC Timer to the estimated date and time and ask it to watch CPU load just in case the backup task is not complete by that time. As soon as the backup task is complete, TPC will turn the power off. Please note that CPU idle value differs on different systems and you should find out beforehand what the CPU load is when your system is completely idle - use TPC CPU Meter to do it. Find out CPU idle value on your system and set it in TPC configuration window.

If computer was not running at specified time, execute task at first restart after - if you turn off the computer or put it into sleep/hibernation, and then wake it up, the execution time may become in past. If this checkbox is checked, TPC will run it as soon as the computer is powered on again. If the checkbox is unchecked, TPC will cancel this task. This checkbox overrides the maxaway parameter in the TPC configuration window unless maxaway=0.

Using the timer
 

Configuration.

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