Activation Switch / Power Termination Response
Activation Switch / Power Termination Response
All PCs in the house can be controlled remotely. Different approaches have been tried—HTPCs use PCS-2 and respond to a remote or IR signal, which works reliably regardless of whether the screen is on. Standard PCs rely on a Zen16 (ZWave relay) to activate the power button, but I've observed that if the display turns off (not a sleep setting), hitting the button only briefly "wakes" the system. Repeating the action restores normal shutdown. This behavior occurs across multiple devices and seems inconsistent with the expected shutdown when the power button is pressed.
Power and sleep controls are adjustable in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Windows 11 offers comparable options.
All devices run on Windows 11 and Linux, shutting down upon pressing the power button. The sleep function is disabled, leaving only the power and reset options. I’m not sure what the sleep button actually does—I only have power and reset controls. Are there any machines with a specific sleep feature? All desktops are included, but no laptops are part of this setup.
If pressing the button doesn't start the expected function, a BIOS setting might be interfering or there could be an OS issue causing incorrect behavior. I don't recall a sleep button on desktop cases, though you might find them on some keyboards and many laptops.
Sleep mode essentially puts everything to sleep, cutting power consumption and keeping active apps in memory for a fast restart. Hibernate mode saves any open data to the storage and stops the system almost completely, around 98%. Sleep is meant for short pauses, like a quick break, while Hibernate is like shutting down for the night but preserving your progress. Both are mainly for laptops to extend battery life. As desktop systems improved in efficiency, the advantage of a "Sleep" mode has lessened. Laptops running on battery power are quite clear about this. Remember the days when PCs had a "Turbo" feature that actually reduced CPU speed?
I recall needing to disable it since it could cause games to run too quickly. Might it relate to how long the power button is held? The ZWave relay is configured as momentary, but it requires at least one second of pressure. It seems the button might stay engaged longer than a typical press.
We were discussing a sleep feature, not the power-down setting. Unless your system has a special motherboard, you should hold the power button for 4 to 5 seconds before it triggers a forced shutdown. A quick 1-second press should mimic a normal button click.
Have you noticed anything unusual with the computers? When have these problems started occurring? Were any changes made to your system around that time? Are your Windows updates current? I recall reading about a recent patch that supposedly resolved shutdown issues. Have you tested how your relays respond when you ask Alexa to power off the machines? For instance, a brief press followed by another pulse triggers shutdown. This behavior hasn’t been confirmed yet, but it’s worth double-checking. I have a few recommendations. If you disable the monitors from sleeping, do the shutdowns work as intended? That might be a simple fix, though it’s not the most elegant. In the past, you could select sleep options for monitors, but I couldn’t locate that feature. It’s possible it was removed. I’m struggling to find a reliable way to replicate your situation. When the monitor turns off, pressing the power button produces the expected result. I’m feeling stuck with your current configuration. Best of luck!