Hi All,
I am trying to find discrete on AND off IR codes for Windows Media Center on a Silverstone MCPC with iMon software. Any help will be gratefully received.
Thanks, Boggie

I have been working on this myself. I have come up with a work around for a discrete off code. You can create a batch file with this command in it "rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,SetSuspendState Sleep", then assign a shortcut to it. In that shortcut you can set a keyboard command shortcut to it, (i.e. windows+S or something) to it. Then get the keyboard code (from the MS MCE keyboard) for that and use that as discrete off. This will work since if the system is already off, it will stay off.
I am still trying to figure out something for discrete on.


W

I'm also looking for the power on.
System will go in standby in 30 min...no need for the poweroff.

What I'm going to build is WOL event from my Homeseer server.

When Homseer is receiving the event trigger code it will send WOL (wake on lan) to the MCE.
If the system is in standby/turned off it will wake up.
IF the system is running nothing will happen.

Setting up discrete ON and discrete OFF IR Codes for an MCE2005 Home Theater PC (HTPC).

++++++++++++++

Dear all, I have updated these instructions as some MCE2005 stop recording using the original approach.

Version 1.5 Update: March 16th.
Problem: For some reason I don’t have the interest to find out, when you use the procedure originally specified in step three to put a HTPC into Standby (for the curious that was: "Windows\System32\rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,SetSuspendState") some HTPC’s then fail to wake up to record scheduled shows. Fortunately those nice people at Sysinternals have come to the rescue with a utility called PSSHUTDOWN.EXE . Its available for download for free via [Link: technet.microsoft.com] as part of PSTOOLS. See the revised step three for more details.

+++++++++++++++



For those struggling as I have been to control a Microsoft Media Center Home Theater PC using macros built into a programmable remote (I used a Pronto TSU7000 for this solution), below you will find instructions on how I made it work:

** Starting with one fully functioning MCE2005 HTPC set up to go into S3 standby (Which is normally how MCE2005 installs itself. See [Link: thegreenbutton.com] for more details on standby modes)

1. Fit a Microsoft IR receiver

Although there are many IR receivers on the market, the Microsoft (MS) Remote Control Receiver sold with the MS MCE v2 (and later) Remote has a very useful feature not present in some alternatives: when connected to an MCE2005 HTPC in S3 Standby mode, the receiver wakes the PC via a special signal sent along its USB connection rather than by just forwarding the received IR command.

The Standby command is the only command the receiver does this for – and only works when the PC is in S3 Standby.

This means that, whether the PC recognizes the Standby command or not, the receiver will and will bring the PC out of Standby -- a useful feature as we will see.

** You now have an MCE2005 HTPC with a MS IR receiver attached

2. Set up Power Management to ignore Standby commands

On the PC, in control panel> power options> advanced, change the option “When I push the sleep button on my computer” to “Do nothing”. Click Apply, then OK to exit.

The PC is now deaf to Standby commands.

** You now have an MCE2005 HTPC that you can wake up from S3 standby (by using the remote) but you can’t send into standby

3. Create a batch file to send your MCE2005 HTPC into Standby

With thanks to Jason1971 at [Link: pcguide.com] for these instructions and Smileyw at [Link: remotecentral.com] for the inspiration:

3.1. Right click on an empty area on your desktop.

3.2. Select New>Shortcut.

3.3. In the first box of the Create Shortcut Wizard, type "Windows\System32\rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,SetSuspendState" (without quotes).

+++ UPDATE
Using "Windows\System32\rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,SetSuspendState" to get a HTPC into standby may prevent it from waking up to record shows. Use PSSHUTDOWN instead:

Go so [Link: technet.microsoft.com]. Download PSTOOLS. Create a new directory on your MCE2005 HTPC at C:\Program Files\PS tools. Review end user license and extract PSSHUTDOWN into that directory.

Now set up your short cut as above, but this time use the browse feature to point to PSSHUTDOWN, and then add two parameters in the command line –d –t 0 to tell PSSHUTDOWN you and to put your PC into standby and you want to do so without waiting (a default timeout of 20 seconds is built in).

Your command line should look like this: C:\Programe Files\PStools\PSSHUTDOWN –d -t 0

Note, the first time you use PSSHUTDOWN the application will ask you to accept its license conditions. Assuming that you do check “I accept”. You will not be asked again.

END OF UPDATE +++


3.4 Click on the “Shortcut key” text box: hold down the Ctrl key, hold down the Alt key, then press the S key. The Shortcut key text box should now read: “Ctrl+Alt+S”. (The S does not seem to be case sensitive; however you type it, it appears upper case).

Click Next.

3.5. Call the shortcut "Standby" (without quotes) and click Finish

** You now have a batch file and a keyboard short cut that will send your MCE2005 HTPC into standby. Try it: on a keyboard connected to the MCE2005 HTPC hold down Ctrl, and Alt and push the S key. Hopefully your PC will go into standby. Use the MS IR remote to wake it up by pushing the "PC Power" key

4. Set up your programmable remote to transmit discrete ON and discrete OFF IR codes

4.1 Set up your programmable remote to transmit an ON code to the MCE2005 HTPC when the ON button is pushed (the IR code is the same as the old PC Power toggle code).

Below is the Hex code from a Pronto TSU7000 you may care to use:

PC Power (toggle)

616A 0000 0000 0001 0004 000C

4.2 Set up your programmable remote to transmit an OFF code to the MCE2005 HTPC when the OFF button is pushed.

Below I give a couple of learned codes. Learning these so they worked reliably proved challenging. I give you two options from a Pronto TSU7000. Both work for me, I hope at least one works for you.

Ctl+Alt+S Learned code first working version

0000 006C 0023 001F 006B 000C 000C 000C 0017 0017 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 0017 000C 000C 0017 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 0017 0017 000C 000C 000C 019A 006B 000C 000C 000C 0017 0017 000C 000C 000C 000D 000C 000C 000C 000C 0017 0017 0017 000C 000C 0017 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 0017 0017 0017 000C 000C 0017 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 0017 0017 0017 0B74


Ctl+Alt+S Learned code second working version

0000 006B 0020 001F 006C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 0018 0018 000C 000C 0018 000C 000C 0018 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 0018 0018 0018 000C 000C 0018 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 019E 006C 000B 000C 000C 0018 0018 000C 000C 000D 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 0018 0018 0018 000C 000C 0018 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 0018 0018 0018 000C 000C 0018 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 0018 0018 0018 0B3C

** You now have a remote that transmits discrete ON and OFF codes to your MCE2005 HTPC.


5. Test it

Try bringing your MCE2005 HTPC out of Standby by pushing the ON button on the programmable remote you set up in step 4. Push the ON button again – once the PC is awake, nothing else should happen. (If it goes back into Standby you’ve forgotten to adjust the power settings – see 2 above)

Try putting your MCE2005 HTPC back into Standby by pushing the OFF button on your programmable remote. If this does not work, try entering Ctl+Alt+S from a keyboard attached to your MCE2005 HTPC. If this doesn’t work, check step 3 above.

If Ctl+Alt+S does work from a keyboard, but does not work from your remote, then sorry you have an IR code problem. The PC is not recognizing the Ctl+Alt+S code you are sending it via IR. This means the codes in section 4.2 don’t work with your remote.

Your only fix is to find a way of learning the IR Ctl+Alt+S from somewhere that is compatible with your programmable remote control. Or you could try redefining the shortcut in 3 above to something that you can transmit – but you are on your own here!

Good luck!

Andy

Has anyone tried this on Vista Media Centre ? It seems to work when Media Centre is not running but if MC is running and has focus / full screen the shortcut doesn't execute ( and hence doesn't go into standby).

Any ideas ?

You rock....... Thank you, it totaly works.

Regards

Per

And yes, it works on Vista.

Per

Svarre, Welchap,

Seems I must be unlucky, this fix doesn't work on all Vista machines I've tried it on. However there is an additional step that seems to make it work:

In step 4.2 above.

Instead of just sending Ctl+Alt+S from your Pronto, precede this command with a Windows Start command (equivalent to pressing the key to the left of the space bar between Ctrl and Alt on a Windows keyboard.) This tells Vista that a general command is about to be sent, not something for the Media Center shell. (I paste the learned code for Windows Start below.)

So to turn off your Vista HTPC using a Pronto:

Send: Windows Start
Send: Ctl+Alt+S

And your Vista HTPC will go into standby.

When it comes back on, it may still be in 'desk top' mode, not full media center mode. I suggest you send a green button (Media Center Start) code early in your start up sequence to make sure your Vista HTPC comes up in a recognizable state.

Regards

Andy


Learned code: Windows Start.

0000 006B 0000 0023 006C 000C 000C 000C 0018 0017 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 0018 000C 000C 000C 000C 0018 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 0018 0018 000C 000C 000C 000C 000C 0B3C

Learned code: Green Button (Media Center start)

616A 0000 0000 0001 0004 000D




rowsella

Thank you Rowsella !