Shutdown software for PCs on network?

[Darren S]

Chaps,

I've come across many different types of shutdown software for work PCs in my time - but I've never used any. Does anyone know if they are good/average/crap?

We've got around 35 PCs in our call centre, which I appreciate isn't massive compared to larger businesses. But with each PC having two monitors as well, they will use a fair amount of power, even after the staff have left for the night.

The MD ideally wanted a power switch near the exit door so that the last one out flicked that and killed the power to the room. Erm, that might work for a week or two, but its far from an ideal long term solution!

I believe you can set by policy the power options as well, but I'd prefer the additional flexibility of third party software.

Any thoughts or suggestion would be great.

Cheers,
D.

 

[Dafthead]

We got a good deal on this, works a treat

http://www.visionsoft.com/product.asp?prod=PO

 

[Andy.]

Free solution: nircmd.

We have used it for years. Can be used for some amusing pranks too.

 

[@Spoonie]

Remote shutdown is built into Windows with the SHUTDOWN (/i switch) command.
PSEXEC.EXE plus http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555569 could give you remote hibernate.

All depends on exactly what you want regarding cost/flexibility/function etc

 

[Adam.]

You can use the shutdown command on a machine and it will bring up the gui from which you can add computers into the pool to shut down.

No need for 3rd party software!

 

[PinkoCommie]

Remote shutdown is built into Windows with the SHUTDOWN (/i switch) command.
PSEXEC.EXE plus http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555569 could give you remote hibernate.

All depends on exactly what you want regarding cost/flexibility/function etc

Even easier. The PSTools kit has PSShutdown.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897541.aspx

You can shutdown any machine that you have admin rights for from the command line.

psshutdown \\* -c -k

that will shutdown all machines on your domain with the option for a user to abort it (i.e. if they are still using it)

 

[martynh]

We use Nightw*tchmen I think, approx 700 users across 4 buildings.

PCs shutdown approx 10:30pm wakeup approx 4:30am.

 

[ChrisR]

Another nightw*tchman user here, good enough product but costs.

Other options, scheduled task set by policy to just run shutdown on the machines, or if you have something like SCCM installed send out an advert every night that runs shutdown.

 

[The Hoff]

Nightw@tchman here also.