Do NOT use your ATX power switch to switch your system off,

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Sat Jan 31, 2004 7:43 pm

I have experienced some strange problems recently, they were truly bizarre and unusual.

I have a double boot system, lead by a marvellous program called BootMagic which I recommend blindly. I have used it for 6 years already with great results. I am convinced by experience that double boot systems make sense for people using internet, games, office programs, etc., to get their Audio System SFP and sequencer out of reach, keeping your system very fast and tweakable for Audio only apps.

The problem:
I would get stack when trying to load WinPX, this happened in both boot sides, it was impossible to get in whatever I did. BootMagic nevertheless, worded perfectly well, showing both partitions as usual with no error messages or anything incorrect. Nevertheless, every time I tried to get into any of the two partitions, the Office or the Studio one, the system would get stack showing a black screen after a couple of minutes. I checked absolutely everything. I was getting ready for the worst, but nothing happened… (I thought it was the MOBO) I changed my “C” drive to another machine, to see if the problem was the HD, but the HD was in perfect condition, when I put it back, the system started working again, as usual. The only thing I had to do, was to enable the double boot in BootMagic and my system was back to life... i.e. stopped working and got back to work for no apparent reason…

I had wondered much about this… searching possible causes, I cannot afford to have my system dawn just like that, at any time… I needed to know what had created this strange problem so I can prevent this happening again.

The reason for it:
I lately got used to switch the system off by using my ATX power switch, because it can do it in no time, it takes exactly 4 seconds and is off which came to be very handy… otherwise I had to wait for about one and a half minute for it to switch off.

The first time I switched it off in 4 seconds, when switching it on again, WinXP did a HD check and found an error *130. This is not a serious error, and it may happen for a bunch of reasons, so I paid not much attention to it. Anyway, it did happened quite a few times after switching abruptly via hardware (4 seconds), instead of doing it through software as we all are used to. What happened so for WinXP not to load anymore? There was a small omission in the MBR, enough for it not starting WinXP.

If you have a double boot system, DO NOT switch it off using your ATX power switch, you may get in trouble. I would not recommend using this option not even if you have a single system with no double boot. Play save, and be patient… you’ll save a few hours and keep yourself in better health…

kensuguro · Post by **kensuguro** » Sat Jan 31, 2004 10:40 pm

well, you shouldn't just "switch off" your PC no matter what system you have. It used to be okay back in the DOS days, but ever since windows started to use disk caches, you just can't turn it off when you feel like it. It leaves disk write cache behind, wrecks systems files, and wrecks MBR. Unless it's a system hang or crash, make sure you do "shutdown" from the windows menu. I thought everyone knew about this.

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Sat Jan 31, 2004 11:31 pm

This is, for sure, the most stupid tip of all to come in the history of the forum…

Of course Ken, you should never switch a computer off directly, you’re absolutely right! I thought the ASUS P4PE allowed you to switch your computer off by pushing the ATX power bottom for 4 seconds, as a special feature of the board, but I had totally misunderstood the manual when I first read it. I had read the whole manual late at night and got this idea in my mind, as what you could switch off this way; my mind betrayed me I guess.

Here you have what the P4PE manual tells you exactly about it:

***
POWERING OFF THE COMPUTER
You must first exit the operating system and shut down the system before switching off the power. For ATX power supplies, you can press the ATX power switch after exiting or shutting down the operating system. If you use Windows ME/2000/XP, click the Start button, click Shut Down, then click the OK button to shut down the computer. The power supply should turn off after Windows shuts down.

The message “You can now safely turn off your computer” does not appear when shutting down with ATX power supplies.
***

I have learned to solve all sort of problems, learned to building systems, etc., but still am learning to switch it off… There is a humility teaching in here… and I accept it!

I understand we can mistake in the simplest of things, at any time...

dehuszar · Post by **dehuszar** » Mon Feb 02, 2004 9:27 pm

All modern motherboards have the option for a 4 second-off in case of a system lock. The power switches have a different relationship to the mobo than say old 286's and sometimes even hitting the power or restart switch wouldn't restart it, so they came up with some system where if the power circuit was activated for more than 4 seconds, and it can't talk to the OS, it just pops off.

Not for daily usage of course.

Sam

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Tue Feb 03, 2004 1:11 pm

No I understand... Cheers. Fortunately, it did happend something before I kept believing this was a "real" option, till puting the system in real danger...

zezappa · Post by **zezappa** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 5:44 pm

as an aid... on XP
1st: the 3rd key couting from right to left on the top row of my keyboard switch the system off in 10 sec.

2nd: Alt+F4 + arrow right + enter and system off in 10 sec. too.

Before any of above I shut off all the applications in use, obviously, but Alt+F4 (and confirm or not if asked) + enter also applies for these.

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 3:25 pm

Well, now I realise I was finally not so wrong... I have discoverd that in fact, I can switch the system off pressing the power bottom, but just one time, without holding it, and then it does exactly what you would do manualy, and the system shuts donw via software.

H-Rave · Post by **H-Rave** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 5:09 am

Just to add,when you hold the power switch for 4 seconds you're not actually using the ATX command It's exactly the same as a reset.ATX sends a command to windows,and windows switches off the computer.To use ATX,you push the power button once,without holding it for 4 seconds.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: H-Rave on 2006-02-19 04:08 ]</font>

voidar · Post by **voidar** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 6:27 am

Doesn't a lot of these ATX features go away with a "Standard PC" setup?.

H-Rave · Post by **H-Rave** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 10:14 am

Yes I it does,alot of people think that in order to install Scope,you need to be in Standard Non Acpi Mode,but I read somewhere that it's only under Windows 2000.I work under Xp in Acpi Mode and have no problems.Maybe It's on a Professional Daw that you need that?

Post by **garyb** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:22 pm

xp in acpi works very well on most modern mobos...