I would like to create a macro to turn on the TV, amp, and log in to the Windows Media Center PC.  The opposite action would be to turn off the TV, AMP, and log out of Windows 7.

How can I implement the logout action in Windows using a remote control?  It can be done by navigating through the menus in Windows Media Center, but that is dependent on where you came from in the menu, and not possible to make into a macro.

Asked and answered his own question.

you can use other pieces of software to make it work.

look into eventghost.  www.eventghost.org

it can take any ir command you send it, and turn it into any system command, such as restart, shutdown, log off, hibernate, etc.

Thanks, I'll look into this.  Sounds like what I need.  One softkey to log out, turn off the TV and power down the amps.

It turns out this feature is available from iMON software (I have a Windows Media Center IR receiver, IR310, using Soundgraph iMON drivers).  Under windows commands, power tab, one can simply assign a button to log off.  I assigned the red WMC remote button.  Now, I am using an MX-880 and it's pre-programmed support for WMC, while good, did not include the red, green, yellow and blue buttons.  So I had the MX-880 learn these using a WMC remote.

The result is a very nice solution.  By assigning a macro I can press one button to turn on the TV, amplifiers, and log in as well as do the reverse, logging out when I am done using the HTPC.  And because it is RF (repeating to blasters stuck to the components) there are no "misses" with line-of-sight IR signals.