# Display Special Message at Shutdown



## snapfade (Dec 28, 2006)

I keep forgetting to put my cordless mouse in the charge cradle when shutting down my system. I am looking for a way to have the computer remind me about my mouse when i click Start/Turn Off Computer.

Note, there is a terrific solution posted on this forum with the help of Fabez but it does not quite fill the need for which i am searching. It requires that i use a batch file to start the shutdown process but my problem with that solution is that if i can remember to shut down that way i will also remember to plug in my mouse.

So i am back to square one. Need a means to have my XP computer tell me to plug in my mouse when i am in the process of shutting down the system.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Do it in a shutdown script, you can configure these in Group Policy for XP-Pro. Is this XP-Pro or XP-Home?


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## snapfade (Dec 28, 2006)

I have XP-Pro and am familiar with the group policy editor, gpedit.mcs. What i do not know is how to write such a script. I tried a batch file but it did not display the message and hung the computer as it was trying to run the script.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Put the following in a batch as the script.

cls
echo.
echo Time to plug in the mouse!
echo.
pause

This will open a command window and display the message, then pause for you to hit Enter to continue.


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## snapfade (Dec 28, 2006)

The batch file did not work. I create exactly the file indicated. The computer hangs and needs to be manually powered off. Here's what happens:

1. Click Start/Turn Off Computer
2. Prompted to Stand By/Turn Off/Restart
3. Windows shutdown screen with message: Shutting down...
4. Windows shutdown screen with message: Saving settings...
5. Windows shutdown screen with message: Running Shutdown Scripts...

This is where it hangs. It did so with other batch files too.

Ideally, the message I would like to see would appear either immediately after i click start/turn off computer or immediately on the window where you click to stand by, turn off or restart.

It would be perfect if i could modify that message you click to Turn Off. LIke a big message below the buttons that read "Cradle Your Mouse, Stupid."


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

You have to hit Enter after the message displays to acknowledge it. There are any number of 3rd party batch utilities that should allow you to put a big message up.

I'm not sure why it hangs there, since I have a batch file in my shutdown here to clean up some files, and it's never been an issue.


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## snapfade (Dec 28, 2006)

Perhaps I did not describe the results properly. The message to charge the mouse is NOT displayed at all. Windows says it is running shutdown scripts but nothing ever shows and clicking any keys including space bar, enter key and Ctrl-Alt-Del do nothing.

I suspect that batch files running at shutdown work just fine for file operations but fail when trying to post something to the screen. Have you tried posting a message? that is, does my system behave differently?

As for other utilities, i would be appreciative if you could point me in the right direction.


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## Davec (Jan 27, 2001)

snapfade said:


> It would be perfect if i could modify that message you click to Turn Off. LIke a big message below the buttons that read "Cradle Your Mouse, Stupid."


Check these outChange  Tool

Note: I haven't tried this.


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