Forcing the users to shutdown when their time is up!

If you have many users who uses your PC or even your home office/small office PC, you find it difficult to control the time they use the PCs, sometimes you have a hard time in explaining why you need the Pc to be shutdown after sometimes or why you need that “some one” to leave you PC for a particular time span. So here comes a handy solution for that, which will even be very useful to system administrators of enterprise level networks.

In order to do this, you need a third party utility application, because Microsoft hasn’t included this feature in their OS versions.

First thing first,

Click the link to download the UtilityBeyound Logic Shutdown for Windows NT/2000/XP!

UtilityBeyond Logic Shutdown for NT/2000/XP is a simple freeware utility that you can schedule to run, and it will do the job every time without modifying user rights. Download the utility, and extract it into a directory.

Then, follow these steps:

Go to Start Run, type cmd, and press [Enter].

Navigate to the directory where the extracted file resides.

To view the different command parameters available, type shutdown /?.

Create a batch fileUsing this utility, we’ll create a batch file to run that enforces our time restrictions. Follow these steps:

Go to Start Run, type notepad, and press [Enter].

Type shutdown -s -f -c -l 30 -m “Time restrictions are now forcing you to logoff; please save all your work.”

Go to File Save, and name the file Shutpc.bat, and save it in the same directory as the utility.

With this command, we’re forcing the machine to shut down, forcing applications to terminate at shutdown, preventing the user from cancelling the command, displaying a message box to inform the user what’s happening, and giving the user 30 seconds to save all work.

Next, we’ll schedule the batch file to run using the built-in scheduler.

Follow these steps:

Go to Start Control Panel, and double-click the Schedule Tasks applet.

Double-click Add Scheduled Task, and click Next.

Click Browse, navigate to the Shutpc.bat file you just created, and double-click the file.

You can change the name of the task or leave it; then, select Daily, and click Next.

Configure the time you want to force logoff, and click Next.

Enter the password for the account that’s going to run this task (it should be an administrator account), and click Next.

Select the Open Advanced Properties For This Task When I Click Finish check box, and click Finish.

On the Settings tab, deselect the Power Management check box.

Click OK, and you’re finished!

This Utility can be very handy depending your job role, but even for the home users, this can be a veryt usefull one! Click here to visit TehcRepublic for the complete article!

Comments

Dhivehi to English translation with Microsoft translator

The Dhivehi language translation feature included in Microsoft translator and Microsoft 365 lets you press a button and translate written Dhivehi into English. Though there are a few hiccups here and there, the service is great and provides an understanding of the overall document. This is more than what we see from any existing models. I was amazed to see a link in one of my outlook web emails, it says “translate message to: English” which could mean nothing usually, however, when I saw the next sentence which said “Never translate from: Divehi”, I thought why would it says Divehi specifically if it doesn’t understand that the entire email was written in Dhivehi? Out of curiosity, I pressed the button, and to my surprise, it was quite good. The essence of the message was retained very well. For example, something like އިޙްތިރާމް ޤަބޫލުކުރެއްވުން އެދެން could be translated as “ I would like to respect you ”, which is ok in terms of translation, but what it meant was greeti...

Fortifying Cybersecurity: A NIST CSF Perspective on Zero Trust and Passkeys

Cybersecurity is like protecting a fortress from invaders. Traditionally, we built strong walls around our castle, trusting those inside and keeping potential threats outside. But in today's digital world, threats can come from within and outside, making traditional defences inadequate. This is where the concept of zero trust comes in. What is Zero Trust? Imagine your home. You don't blindly trust everyone who walks in, right? You might ask for identification or make sure they have a reason to be there. Zero trust is similar. It means not automatically trusting anyone or anything trying to access your digital "home" (like your network or data). Instead, it's about constantly verifying and monitoring every access attempt, regardless of where it comes from. Why Zero Trust Matters: Zero trust addresses three key goals in cybersecurity, often called the CIA triad: Confidentiality : Just like you wouldn't want strangers snooping through your person...

Why Understanding Your Risks is Your Best Cyber Defence

In today's digital age, headlines blare about "unprecedented data breaches" and "nation-state cyberattacks." It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape, where sophisticated zero-day exploits can bypass even the most fortified defences. But amidst this complexity, a fundamental truth remains: effective cybersecurity starts with understanding your risks. As Bruce Schneier stated, "Security is not a product, but a process." Just as a military commander wouldn't enter battle without understanding the terrain and potential threats, organizations must grasp the digital landscape in which they operate. Imagine a battlefield shrouded in thick fog. You wouldn't blindly charge ahead, would you? Risk assessment is akin to possessing a high-powered thermal sight, piercing the fog to reveal the hidden dangers lurking in the digital landscape. It's a systematic process of identifying your organization's critical a...

Windhu - "Pulse"

Search This Blog