Can you use your PC as an alarm clock?

white_falcon

Hi guys,
I was wondering the other day, can you use your PC as an alarm. What i mean is, can you get a program that will turn on your PC, open Windows media player and put on some music at a certain time in the morning to wake you up, or anything similar?

degsie

ehhhhhh..... get a radio alarm clock

white_falcon

degsie wrote:

ehhhhhh..... get a radio alarm clock

fantastic idea! I heard they have those things nowadays. Maybe I shall purchase one.

Say for instance one already had an alarm clock, but it didnt play the music he wants in the morning, so he wants his computer to turn on play the music he likes to wake him up instead, would that be possible?

Idgeitman

Have a look at this,

http://www.download.com/Easy-MP3-Alarm-Clock/3000-2350_4-10388954.html?tag=lst-0-4

Del2005

You can pick up a CD/MP3player alarm clocks in Argos and other shops. Just burn the music onto a CD and there you are. Seems like a bit of overkill to power up a PC to wake you up.


The software posted by Idgeitman doesn't appear to turn the PC on.

Kintarō Hattori

G'ssss give the guy a break. He's asking a fair question, I don't see what the problem is. Why should he have to pay out for a new clock/radio if he can get his PC to do what he wants.

uberpixie

white_falcon wrote:

Hi guys,
I was wondering the other day, can you use your PC as an alarm. What i mean is, can you get a program that will turn on your PC, open Windows media player and put on some music at a certain time in the morning to wake you up, or anything similar?

I did exactly that on an old machine: I had a setting in the bios that would power up the PC at the same time every day.

So that would get the pc powered on, I had windows set to auto login and I had an MP3 playlist saved in the Startup folder in windows that would start playing as soon as windows started.

So yes it is possible if your bios has a setting to turn the PC at a set time.
(after that tweak UI and an MP3 playlist saved in the startup folder on the Start menu will do the trick no special programs needed)

white_falcon

Idgeitman wrote:

Have a look at this,

http://www.download.com/Easy-MP3-Alarm-Clock/3000-2350_4-10388954.html?tag=lst-0-4

yea cool, that looks great thanks!

I'l probably have my PC on all the time anyway once i get my new one, so i wudnt need to get software to turn the PC on

And by the way everyone, I have a freakin alarm clock already - just not one that can play CD's - a normal old style alarm clock got about 3years ago. So no, I dont want to buy another, when I have a piece of hardware that can do the exact same thing that is sitting in my bedroom all day (My PC) I just wanted to know if you could use a PC to wake you up.

I know some people on boards just come on to give out and ask why you asked your question in the first place as it is a stupid question, so to those people I say "thank you", you make my day everytime you come out with your great answers such as "ehhh get an alarm clock" when the question asked was, "can a PC be used as an alarm clock"

Thanks for the help those who actually gave it

white_falcon

uberpixie wrote:

I did exactly that on an old machine: I had a setting in the bios that would power up the PC at the same time every day.

So that would get the pc powered on, I had windows set to auto login and I had an MP3 playlist saved in the Startup folder in windows that would start playing as soon as windows started.

So yes it is possible if your bios has a setting to turn the PC at a set time.
(after that tweak UI and an MP3 playlist saved in the startup folder on the Start menu will do the trick no special programs needed)

class thanks!

excellent

degsie

white_falcon wrote:

I'l probably have my PC on all the time anyway once i get my new one, so i wudnt need to get software to turn the PC on

Ahem, wot about this

white_falcon

degsie wrote:

Ahem, wot about this

well this is more than likely

http://sightsonics.cf.huffingtonpost.com/nuclear-explosion.jpg

but seeing as how my computer is kind of part of my career, yes it will be on a lot. like taxi drivers who drive everywhere arent expected to give up something that is part of their career

And I cycle to work, we recycle, we reuse...so i dont really have a guilty conscience leaving it on a lot. Altho, yes, I will turn it off for as long as I can all the time - I never leave it on un-necessarily

Tom Dunne

You have all you need in front of you.

Set up a scheduled task for whatever time and have it fire up Windows Media player. Here are the commands to have Media Player play some music.

Very straight forward.

wardie

I use Atomic Alarm clock for just this.

Works really well

PM and I'll send it across.

Duffman

tom dunne wrote:

You have all you need in front of you.

Set up a scheduled task for whatever time and have it fire up Windows Media player. Here are the commands to have Media Player play some music.

Very straight forward.

Also if you tick the "allow this task to bring the computer out of standby" or "wake the computer" (or something like that) box in the task scheduler dialogue, you can put the machine into standby mode while you're asleep and it will power itself on again to play the music at the specified time.

This is much better than messing around in the BIOS.