hi,

So I finish waching tv, and I then execute a batch file from my laptop that turns the mce pc off using the shutdown command.

I would like to do this via a button in mce, so I can just click on it with my remote, just like I can use transcode 360 to watch divx, but to switch the pc off remotely. Can this be done and how.

TIA

Ump.

No, sir.

So your telling me that its possibe to re-encode a DVD ISO and a DIVX to wmv on the fly to watch on a 360, but cant tell the PC to shutdown ?

 

Anyone else ?

You could probably knock up an MCL file that would live in the More Programs menu, and have it call your batch file to shut the PC down.

I've only used MCL files to open web pages, but I think they can be used to call outside programs as well.

 

Thanks for the reply, I'm not sure what a MCL is, I'll do a search on google.  Could you point me in the direction for some good rescorces on the subject.

 

Thanks

 

Ump

Edit :-

Just looked on Microsofts site, and I think it may be a little beyond me, is there anyone that can help me with this ?..

Actually it's even easier than I thought. No need to create an MCL file, just drop a shortcut to your batch file in the right directory and MCE will pick it up.

Note: I've not tested this myself, I'm just going off the following entry from the MCE2005 SDK:

 

Adding Windows-based Applications

You can add any Windows-based application to the Media Center More Programs page by placing a shortcut to it in the following folder:

C:\Documents and Settings\User folder\Start Menu\Programs
    \Accessories\Media Center\Media Center Programs

In this path, "User folder" can be either the All Users folder or the folder of the current user, whichever is appropriate. The name of the shortcut should be the name of your application, with no "shortcut_to_" prefix, and with the extension .lnk; for example, MyApplication.lnk. The name of the shortcut, minus the .lnk extension, is displayed as the button label on the Media Center More Programs page.

Adding an application to the Media Center More Programs page also causes it to be added to the Media Center Start page menu.

 

This is just thinking out-loud...not tested or anything....

 

You can run a logon script by using gpedit.msc.  I use it to map some drives to a home server for the extender.  In the gpedit it also shows a logoff script.  You should be able to setup a batch script to do the shutdown and call it using the gp loggoff.  What I dont know is if a logoff is called for when the extender is shutdown.

Something to try.....good luck.

 

-Dan

I haven't been able to get batch files to work in MCE and I don't think it's possible.

MitchSchaft:

I haven't been able to get batch files to work in MCE and I don't think it's possible.

Well, that was too good a challenge to pass up!

A quick test this morning and it works fine directly on the MCE PC, but the icon doesn't even show up on an extender (yes, I had the shortcut in the right directory). This is probably because the extender doesn't have a full console display, just the MCE software.

You might be able to get a HTML page to call the shutdown executable via VB/Jscript, but you have to get into messing around in the registry to overcome IE security restrictions, and I didn't fancy doing that.