Questions about power off.

I have a minor problem with a machine which I built a few years ago. I
would like to understand this problem whether or not I decide to fix
it.

The mainboard is an A-Open AX6BC with Award BIOS dated March 29, 2000.
The power switch on the case is a PushOn/PushOff button. I installed
removable hard drive recks on the case in order to ease swapping
harddrives and have the ability to boot the machine with different
operating systems completely independent of one another.

One of these hard drives contains good old DOS. Under DOS, up until
recently, pushing the power switch button would turn the machine on,
and pushing it again would turn the machine off. Under other operating
systems, such as Windows, I turn the machine off from the shut down
panel.

Recently, a bug in a DOS program messed up the CMOS RAM, hence I had
to set it up again. I corrected every functionality except one - under
DOS the power switch button turns the machine on, but pushing it again
only blanks the screen, leaving the machine on and not turning it off.
Under Windows the machine turns off, as usual, from the shut down
panel.

I cannot figure out what BIOS specifications thus control the power
switch. I hope someone here can help me find out.

Also, I have been thinking of writing a DOS program to shut down the
machine programatically. Does anybody here know how to request
shutdown from the BIOS?

Thanks in advance.

Quick guess,
to switch to off ( power down ) you must hold the button for 5 or 6 seconds.
JPS

"xby" wrote in message
om...
I have a minor problem with a machine which I built a few years ago. I
would like to understand this problem whether or not I decide to fix
it.

The mainboard is an A-Open AX6BC with Award BIOS dated March 29, 2000.
The power switch on the case is a PushOn/PushOff button. I installed
removable hard drive recks on the case in order to ease swapping
harddrives and have the ability to boot the machine with different
operating systems completely independent of one another.

One of these hard drives contains good old DOS. Under DOS, up until
recently, pushing the power switch button would turn the machine on,
and pushing it again would turn the machine off. Under other operating
systems, such as Windows, I turn the machine off from the shut down
panel.

Recently, a bug in a DOS program messed up the CMOS RAM, hence I had
to set it up again. I corrected every functionality except one - under
DOS the power switch button turns the machine on, but pushing it again
only blanks the screen, leaving the machine on and not turning it off.
Under Windows the machine turns off, as usual, from the shut down
panel.

I cannot figure out what BIOS specifications thus control the power
switch. I hope someone here can help me find out.

Also, I have been thinking of writing a DOS program to shut down the
machine programatically. Does anybody here know how to request
shutdown from the BIOS?

Thanks in advance.

xby wrote:
I have a minor problem with a machine which I built a few years ago. I
would like to understand this problem whether or not I decide to fix
it.

The mainboard is an A-Open AX6BC with Award BIOS dated March 29, 2000.
The power switch on the case is a PushOn/PushOff button. I installed
removable hard drive recks on the case in order to ease swapping
harddrives and have the ability to boot the machine with different
operating systems completely independent of one another.

One of these hard drives contains good old DOS. Under DOS, up until
recently, pushing the power switch button would turn the machine on,
and pushing it again would turn the machine off. Under other operating
systems, such as Windows, I turn the machine off from the shut down
panel.

Recently, a bug in a DOS program messed up the CMOS RAM, hence I had
to set it up again. I corrected every functionality except one - under
DOS the power switch button turns the machine on, but pushing it again
only blanks the screen, leaving the machine on and not turning it off.
Under Windows the machine turns off, as usual, from the shut down
panel.

I cannot figure out what BIOS specifications thus control the power
switch. I hope someone here can help me find out.

Also, I have been thinking of writing a DOS program to shut down the
machine programatically. Does anybody here know how to request
shutdown from the BIOS?

Thanks in advance.

there's normally a bios setting that asks "what do you want me to do when
you press the power button?" or words to that effect. set it to "shutdown"
rather than what it's currently set to.

ric h

Ric and jpsga,

Thank you both. You are both right. There is an entry in the BIOS
setup to control the power off button, but its description is so vague
that it took an effort to find and recognize. This entry provides the
option between immediate power off and a 4-second hold time.

Thanks again.