Most download managers have it, µtorrent has it and they are perfect for my need. There has always been a great void in this setup due to Firefox. Many a time, I have files downloading in Firefox but no way to auto-shutdown the computer. Some time back, I hacked together an auto script that would sit there and wait for the Firefox’s ‘Downloads finished’ notification to appear, it would then close Firefox and shutdown the computer. Lame I know, but it did the trick.

Recently, however, I found an excellent addon that lets you do schedule auto shutdowns in Firefox and a whole lot more, its (aptly) called Auto-Shutdown. The addon is auto shutdown software that provides you with a number of options to perform precisely the action you want once the downloads have completed. You can play sounds, clear downloads, shutdown, logoff, restart your computer or run any command or multiple commands through a script.

Auto Shutdown is available at AMO, it works with Firefox version 3 and upwards. Once installed, the auto shutdown software will add a power icon to the status bar. You can remove the icon if you desire, however it provides quick access to its options and can be used to enable auto-shutdown in a flash.

You can use the built-in commands for basic needs like shutdown, hibernate, stand by, etc. There are different versions of these commands for different version of Windows and Linux and Mac.

Apart from the built-in commands you can do almost anything with Auto Shutdown. You can run any JavaScript code or any external application when the downloads finish or when the computer is idle while Firefox is downloading the files. To run custom commands or JavaScript code:

• Go to the Customize tab within Auto Shutdown settings.
• Type in your code in the lower text area surrounded by <javaScript> </javaScript> tags or <shell> </shell> tags depending on what you are planning to achieve.

• Click Save As and assign the script to User Command 1 or User Command 2

• Choose User Command 1 or User Command 2 from Adjust shutdown Command drop down list towards the top.

You can easily pass arguments to external applications and Auto Shutdown also provides you with certain reserved words that can be used in your scripts to refer to special locations and files. %sysRoot%, for example, refers to the Windows/system32 directory and %WinD refers to the Windows directory. The complete list is available here.

You can also choose the amount of time Auto Shutdown waits before executing the commands after the downloads have finished. Auto Shutdown will display a countdown for that specified time, allowing you to save any work if you have been working along or cancel the download altogether. You can force Firefox to exit when the command is eventually triggered and choose to restore the session, the next time Firefox is started. If you use DownThemAll, Auto Shutdown has you covered and can monitor DownThemAll as well.

Auto Shutdown is a dream come true if you ever leave the computer running only to let the downloads complete. With Auto Shutdown, you can now automatically close the browser or shutdown the system when downloads complete. Give it a spin and let us know what you like or dislike.

Do you have some clever ways of your own to automatically shutdown the computer after downloads complete? Let us know in the comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• Three Firefox Security & Privacy Add-ons that can Co-exist (23)
• Lazarus – Bring Your Form & Browser Data Back From The Dead (3)
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However, there are circumstances when connecting to a PC isn’t easy or even possible, yet you still need the ability to reboot your web server or file-sharing server at home because an application is locked up or the server isn’t responding. These days, doing a remote computer restart is fast and easy – and it’s now even possible to do so from any web browser or by using the popular micro-blogging tool known as Twitter.

1. How To Perform a Basic Remote Computer Restart – Shutdown.exe

For those of you who don’t already know how to remotely reboot a computer, the simplest approach if you’re sitting on the same network as the target PC is to make use of the Windows shutdown.exe tool. The Microsoft support page makes the command a bit more complicated than it really needs to be, because there are a number of “switches” available so that you can tailor the shutdown command.

Essentially, from a command prompt or an application, you can issue the shutdown command using the syntax: shutdown -r -f -m \remotecomputerIP -t 00

• -m \remotecomputerIP – substitute remotecomputerIP with either the network name or IP address of the computer
• -r forces a restart
• -f forces all running applications to close
• -t 00 tells the command to restart without any time delay (zero seconds)

Depending on your reason for remotely restarting, you’ll want to use these commands carefully. For example, if you just want to set up an application that does a regular reboot every two or three days, you may want to consider allowing a user who’s currently on the computer to cancel the reboot, or at least allow them the option to save whatever they’re currently working on. 

However, for the purpose of this article, all we really want to do is remotely force a reboot if you’re away from home and you’re in a situation where your web server isn’t responding. To do this, the command above will work. The one drawback with the “shutdown.exe” approach is that you need to be sure you are connected to your remote computer as a user that has administrator privileges. When you prefer to keep tight security on your PC or server, this isn’t always easy to accomplish.

2. Remotely Reboot Your Computer Through a Web Browser with Shutter

One of the easiest ways to get around this security quagmire is by installing a free application created by Denis Kozlov called Shutter. The cool thing about Shutter is that once you’ve got it set up on your target PC, you can perform various functions on your computer through any web browser on the Internet. First, install Shutter to your target PC or server and the initial screen that comes up will look like this.

First of all, don’t worry about the settings on this screen because these are for when you use the application locally. However, your interest is in using the application as a sort of “web server” that gives you access to your PC from any browser. To set it up, click on the Options button and choose the “Web Interface” tab.

On this screen, select “Enable,” choose a “Listen IP” from the list and enter whatever port you’d like to use. Most folks just use port 80 since it’s default, however if you want added security you can use some obscure port. Finally, choose your Username and Password (required), click save and the application is set up – it’s as easy as that! The only last step is to make sure that if you’re using a router, you open up a “hole” so that you can connect to your Shutter server through the router. 

To do this, just go to your router administration control panel (usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1, depending on your router’s brand) and configure port forwarding as shown here.

Just make sure the IP and port you defined in Shutter is defined here and that it’s enabled. Once you save, setup is complete. Now you can go to any web browser and send not only a “restart” command to your computer, but also a whole list of other commands.

To access the Shutter service, you can just type in the IP on your local network. In my case, I’d open a browser and type “192.168.1.103:1087″ to access the web interface. From an external Internet location, like a library or from work, I simply type in my external IP assigned by the ISP followed by the port, such as “65.xxx.xxx.122:1087″ and the web interface will come up after you log in with the ID and password you defined.

Editor’s note: If you don’t know what your external IP is, just visit whatismyip.com

As you can see, the Shutter web interface lets you perform a whole list of tasks on your remote computer, including muting the volume, turning off the monitor or running a specific program. The great thing about this approach is that all of these commands are issued from the application running on your target computer, so you don’t need to perform any special security configurations to remotely trigger these commands.

3. Remotely Reboot Your Computer Through Twitter With TweetMyPC

Easily one of the coolest applications I’ve seen in a very long time, TweetMyPC is an application you can install on your target PC, just like Shutter. The difference is that in this case, the application “listens” intently to all of the “tweet” messages that you send out from your Twitter account. Whenever you issue a command such as Shutdown, Restart, or Logoff – the computer does exactly as it’s told.

Just install the application, go into settings and enter your Twitter credentials.

Click “Save and Close,” and you’re done! No complicated security configuration, no tweaking your router’s internet settings – just install the app, insert your Twitter credentials and you’re golden. Finally, go into your Twitter account and just issue your command.

The convenience of this restart technique are the awesome possibilities. Just imagine, now you can pull out your cellphone and text a Twitter “Restart” update to reboot your computer. Any place where you can access your Twitter account, you can issue one of these three commands to your remote computer. The good news is that the author of this application is in the process of developing a Mac version.

Do you know of any other cool ways to remotely reboot your PC? Share your own tips in the comments section below.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• Want WebEx-like Control Over A Remote Computer For Free? (21)
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• Make Microsoft Remote Desktop A Portable App (18)
• WinHack – Speed Up Your Windows Computer (Part 2) (14)
• The Top 5 Tips and Tricks To Unlock Vista’s Potential (6)

Today, we will be looking at some of the top Vista tricks to increase productivity and unlock Vista’s potential. Here they are (in no particular order):

Access Vista’s Super User Mode

Vista is riddled with an extremely large amount of “security” measures that may, or may not, be helpful. Running Vista as an Administrator may help, but did you know there is an even higher Administrator? Well, there is! All you need to do to unlock it is the following:

Step One: Go to “Start” and type cmd.

Step Two: When the command prompt loads, type the following:

Net user Administrator /active:yes

Step Three: When you switch user, you should now be able to see an Administrator account.

(Note: If you would like to hide the Administrator account, you can, again, go to “Start” and type cmd, then type: Net user administrator /active:no)

Save Battery Life on Laptops

Vista is quite a resource hog. If you have a laptop, this could present a problem. To maximize battery life and still run Vista on a viable amount of memory, simply do the following:

Step One: Hit the Windows Key and X at the same time.

Step Two: When “Windows Mobility Center” loads, you should be able to adjust settings, such as Display Brightness, Power Consumption, etc.

Remove Personal Information from Files

Nearly every single file on your computer contains some type of personal information – either information about the user, information on setting e.g. time, date, etc. In any case, it may be good to remove some of this information before making it available to the public, such as uploading a video or image online.

To do this, all you need to do is:

Step One: Select one or multiple file(s)

Step Two: Right-Click and select “Properties”

Step Three: Click “Details” and then click “Remove Properties and Personal Information.”

You can now have Vista create copies of the selected file(s) before changing/removing any of the information.

Tweaking Windows Power Button

Unlike Windows XP, the Vista power off button simply puts your computer to sleep when you were actually intending to turn it off. Fortunately, this can be easily changed with a simple tweak.

Step One: Click “Start,” then click “Control Panel.”

Step Two: Select “Hardware and Sound,” then click “Power Options.”

Step Three: Click “Change Plan Settings” under your current power plan.

Step Four: Click “Change Advanced Settings,” and then navigate to:

Power Buttons and Lid / Start Menu Power Button

Step Five: Select “Shut Down”

Disable UAC Notification Messages

One of the most ridiculous features of Vista are the continuous “confirmation” messages. Messages that pop up nearly every time you attempt to run any unknown application. Almost all of which are completely unnecessary, and waste time. Here is how you can disable these annoying uac notifications, quickly and easily:

Step One: Go to “Start” and click “Control Panel.”

Step Two: Click “User Accounts and Family Safety,” then click “Turn User Account Control On and Off.”

Step Three: Un-Select the box labeled User User Account Control (UAC) to help protect my computer.

Step Four: Click “OK,” and you’re done!

Alternatively, you can check out Norton’s UAC Tool (previously covered by MakeUseOf author Karl Gechlik) that can hlp you deal with those warning in a more manageable way.

Hope this helps some of you get that much closer to a nearly perfectly tweaked computer.

Stay tuned for more WinHack!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• Tweak Windows XP/Vista/7 to Your Taste with XdN Tweaker (10)
• Modify Vista’s Horrible Prompts With Norton’s UAC Tool (8)
• How To Speed Up The Shutdown Of Your Windows (14)
• WinHack – Speed Up Your Windows Computer (Part 2) (14)
• Vista Utilities Makes Configuring Windows Vista Easier (19)

(There have been previous articles – in the WinHack column – on how to Speed Up Windows twice, here and here.)

WARNING : BEFORE making any changes to the Windows registry, it is highly recommended to make a backup in case anything goes wrong. To backup your Windows registry, tap your Windows key on the keyboard and “R”. When the Run box comes up, type regedit. When the Registry box comes up, go to ‘File’ then ‘Export’. Save the resulting file to your hard drive.

Ready for some more tweaking? Let’s go!

Auto-Kill All Programs at Shutdown

This tweak can speed up the process a lot by killing tasks quickly and not requiring user input for closing them, e.g. the repetitive Firefox pop-up asking if you really want to quit. Here it is:

Step 1: Go to “Start,” “Run,” and type regedit.

Step 2: Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

Step 3: Find the Registry Key called AutoEndTasks and right-click then select Modify. Change the value to 1.

Change Application Hang Time

There are a few Registry Keys that are, by default, set to a ridiculous setting. There are three of them that we are going to cover today called WaitToKillApp, HangAppTime, and WaitToKillServiceTimeout.

WaitToKillApp sets the time for Windows to wait before killing the application you are attempting to close, while HangAppTime sets the hang time for the app before closing, and WaitToKillServiceTimeout sets the time for Windows to wait before killing Microsoft Services.

By shortening these you will, obviously, have a faster application response.

Ready? Let’s do it!

Step 1: Go to “Start,” “Run,” and type regedit.

Step 2: Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

Step 3: Find the Registry Key labeled WaitToKillApp, HangAppTime, and WaitToKillServiceTimeout and right-click them, then select Modify. Change the value to 1000.

Disable Clearing of Paging File

We previously talked about the paging article in another article on speeding up Windows, but today we are talking about how to speed up the use of the Paging File even more.

On shutdown, Windows automatically removes the contents of the Paging File for security, because it may run as a temporary file, holding information such as unencrypted passwords, etc. (If you believe the security of your system will be too far out of control due to the absence of removal of such information, then it is not necessary that you use this hack.)

Let’s do it!

Step 1: Go to “Start,” “Run,” and type regedit.

Step 2: Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management.

Step 3: Find the Registry Key labeled ClearPageFileOnShutdown and right-click it, then select Modify. Change the value to 0.

Hope this helps you get into your tweaking mood! Have fun hacking tweaking! More next time on WinHack!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• WinHack – Speed Up Your Windows Computer (Part 2) (14)
• Tweak Your Windows Operating System With Xpy (10)
• Three Quick Registry Tweaks to Customize Windows Like a Pro (13)
• WinHack – Speed Up Your Windows XP Computer (Part 1) (21)
• Top 5 Vista Tweaks to Increase Internet Speed (94)

In the previous article on speeding up Windows, I talked about how to disable unnecessary Microsoft services that could easily slow down your system. Unfortunately yes, there are also non-Microsoft services!

The Other Unnecessary Windows Services to Disable

Sometimes, when installing applications, the software will automatically install a “useful” service to run in the background to make that application run better, only to slow down your computer because you don’t use that application!

To disable these unnecessary memory hogs, simply:

1- Go to “Start,” “Run,” and type msconfig.

2- Click on the “Services” tab and select “Hide All Microsoft Services.”

3- You should now see a bunch of services that have been created by different pieces of software you have on your computer, of course just using memory you really do need. All you need to do is unselect the services you do not want running and click “Apply.”

Disable Page File

Windows automatically uses paging files as somewhat of a seriously unnecessary “extension” of the RAM. In a much shorter tense (of the possibly extremely long explanation), if the paging file is disabled, your computer will likely run that much faster.

To disable the paging file (Note: disable paging file only if your have at least 1GB of RAM):

• Right-Click on “My Computer,” and select “Properties.”
• Click the “Advanced” tab, and then click “Settings” under the “Performance” section.
• Click the “Advanced” tab one more time, and then click “Change,” under the Virtual Memory section.
• Click “No Paging File,” and then click Apply button on all three windows. Done, the paging file should be disabled on the next startup.

If you do not have the suggested 1GB of RAM for disabling the paging file, you can still lower the consumption of the paging file for more memory.

It is not necessary for the paging file to be tampered with those under 1GB of RAM, but leaving the computer to automatically adjust the size of the paging file can be a really bad development.

One reason is that applications may take a much longer amount of time to load due to the automatic analysis and adjustment of the paging file size, and doing so may cause fragmentation errors. None of which are that helpful.

So, if you would like to increase the speed of your computer by limiting the paging file, you may do the following:

1- Right-Click on “My Computer,” and select “Properties.”

2- Click the “Advanced” tab, and then click “Settings” under the “Performance” section.

3- Click the “Advanced” tab, and then click “Change,” under the Virtual Memory section.

4- Find the system’s recommended paging file size as dictated on the line labeled “C:\” and multiply by 2.5. Simply enter those values into the Initial Size and the Maximum Size.

Automatically Remove Temporary Files On Shutdown

One thing Windows does great is creating temporary files for EVERYTHING! Nearly every single thing you do on the computer is logged somewhere in a temporary file that can be used for a bunch of different things, but it is quite unlikely that you will – for some reason – need to access your temporary files to load anything note-worthy, so it is probably OK to remove.

To automatically remove these files on shutdown, simply open Notepad and enter the following information in the file:

RD /S /q “C:\Documents and Settings\YOUR USERNAME\Local Settings\History”
RD /S /q “C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Local Settings\History” RD /S /q
“D:\Temp\”

Simply replace the place where your username is requested and the D:\Temp\ directory where you Temp folder is. (If you are not sure where you temporary folder is go to “Start,” “Run,” and type %temp% to load your temp folder.

Now, save the file as whatever you like and wherever you like, except when saving select “All Files,” instead of the default “Text Documents.” Make sure to include .bat at the end of the filename to save it as a batch file.

Now follow the following steps:

• Go to “Start,” “Run,” and type gpedit.msc.
• Click “Computer Configuration” and then “Windows Settings.”
• Click “Scripts,” and then “Shutdown.”
• Click “Add,” and select the file you just created.
• Temporary files should be automatically deleted everytime you shutdown.

You are now on your way to the fastest computer in the neighborhood!

Stay tuned for more Windows tweaks in the next WinHacks post!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• How To Speed Up The Shutdown Of Your Windows (14)
• WinHack – Speed Up Your Windows XP Computer (Part 1) (21)
• Three Quick Registry Tweaks to Customize Windows Like a Pro (13)
• Tweak Your Windows Operating System With Xpy (10)
• The Cut Out and Keep Guide to Essential Software Programs (25)