windows 7 unattended sleep and comskip

[jam_zhou]

So, I think I've finally figured out why comskip isn't working all the time. It's because of the windows unattended sleep function. When it wakes up to record NPVR keeps it awake for the duration of the recording but not for when the show is over and comskip is still running. As result, when I check it sometimes the comskip file is not complete and I think comskip is at fault when in fact it is Windows that's causing the problem.

I'm testing a solution that should work, but I would like to ask others how they've dealt with this issue.

I tell it to enter high performance power scheme so that it doesn't go to sleep, wait for comskip to finish, if there's a comskip task still running leave it in high performance but if there's no comskip then bring it back to balanced where it'll go to sleep in 25 minutes.

Here's my parallelprocessing.bat:

cd /d C:\Users\Public\NPVR\Scripts

echo high performance %Date% %TIME% %1 >>logtest.txt

REM high performance
powercfg -setactive 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c

echo start comskip %Date% %TIME% %1 >>logtest.txt

comskip %1

echo end comskip %Date% %TIME% %1 >>logtest.txt

tasklist /nh /fi "imagename eq comskip.exe" | find /i "comskip.exe"
if errorlevel 0 if not errorlevel 1 goto IsRunning

:exit
echo changing to balanced %Date% %TIME% %1 >>logtest.txt
REM Balanced
powercfg -setactive 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260df2e
exit

:IsRunning
echo comskip running %Date% %TIME% %1 >>logtest.txt

echo keeping high performance %Date% %TIME% %1 >>logtest.txt

REM high performance
powercfg -setactive 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c
exit

[jam_zhou]

update.

it does not work very well. The system still goes to sleep

Sub, how do you keep windows awake for recordings? I've noticed that there's an option in the config to keep windows awake, is there a way for you to make that a utility which has a command line to basically enable and disable keep awake?

Thanks.

[sub]

Sub, how do you keep windows awake for recordings?

While the system is doing stuff that needs the machine to stay awake, I'm regularly calling "SetThreadExecutionState(EXECUTION_STATE.ES_SYSTEM_REQUIRED)" to tell Windows to stay awake.

I've noticed that there's an option in the config to keep windows awake, is there a way for you to make that a utility which has a command line to basically enable and disable keep awake

Sorry, this isn't something I'd like to create for you. I don't think the method I'm using would suit what you're trying to do.

[jam_zhou]

Ok, so I got this program called caffeine that is supposed to press F15 every 59 seconds to keep windows awake. I've tested it and it looks like it's working and I've added it to my parallelprocessing.bat but for the life of me the batch file doesn't run caffeine.exe properly. It acts like the executable isn't even there because the icon does not toggle. I've attached caffeine.exe as well as my batch file. Any ideas on why it's not working? When I manually start the batch file it runs caffeine properly, but when I do a recording it does not.

I have caffeine start on windows startup...

caffeine.exe -startoff

source: http://www.zhornsoftware.co.uk/caffeine/

[martint123]

Sounds a bit like like the videoredo problem I'm currently playing with from postprocessing.bat
I bet it revolves round the fact that the scripts run under the SYSTEM account from services rather than a user account when manually run.
(sorry, I have no solution as yet).

[jam_zhou]

how is everyone else dealing with windows unattended wake up making the system going back to sleep before comskip is finished?

I'm really at a loss as to how to solve this problem.

[jam_zhou]

I found another program called insomnia.

http://dlaa.me/blog/post/9901642

It uses the code that Sub uses so it should work.

So far, it's being called from parallelprocessing.bat...hoping to see it work and I'll report back in a few days.

[martint123]

I found another program called insomnia.

But doesn't it need it's window closing manually when our task is finished to revert to going to sleep mode?

[jam_zhou]

I just use taskkill /im /f insomia.exe once all comskip instances have finished.

[jam_zhou]

Ok, I think I've finally got it working...it's been running for about a week now...onto the next problem WoL.


Here's my parallelprocessing.bat which calls checkprocesses.bat.

I used a program called insomnia (link above)

parallelprocessing.bat:

cd /d C:\Users\Public\NPVR\Scripts

echo ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++>>logtest.txt

echo %Date% %TIME% start insomnia %1 >>logtest.txt

start /MIN Insomnia.exe

echo %Date% %TIME% start comskip %1 >>logtest.txt

comskip %1

echo %Date% %TIME% check for %~dpn1.edl >>logtest.txt

if exist "%~dpn1.edl" goto cont

:redo
echo %Date% %TIME% ERROR EDL does not exist redo comskip %~dpn1.edl >>logtest.txt
echo %Date% %TIME% ERROR EDL does not exist redo comskip %~dpn1.edl >>logtest_comskip_ERROR.txt
waitfor skytofall /t %2
comskip %1

if exist "%~dpn1.edl" goto cont
echo %Date% %TIME% ERROR could not create EDL %~dpn1.edl >>logtest.txt

:cont
echo %Date% %TIME% end comskip %1 >>logtest.txt

REM get rid of excess comskip files... we only need the .edl
del "%~dpn1.log"
del "%~dpn1.txt"
del "%~dpn1.logo.txt"

"C:\Program Files (x86)\NPVR\ImageGrabLite.exe" --nfo --rename --zap2it --oid %3

echo %Date% %TIME% renamed %1 >>logtest.txt


checkprocesses.bat

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Checkprocesses.bat:

cd /d C:\Users\Public\NPVR\Scripts

echo ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ >>logtest.txt

echo %Date% %TIME% check comskip %1>>logtest.txt

tasklist /nh /fi "imagename eq comskip.exe" | find /i "comskip.exe"
if errorlevel 0 if not errorlevel 1 goto IsRunning

echo %Date% %TIME% %1 check handbrake %1 >>logtest.txt

tasklist /nh /fi "imagename eq handbrakecli.exe" | find /i "handbrakecli.exe"
if errorlevel 0 if not errorlevel 1 goto IsRunning

:exit
echo %Date% %TIME% no processes kill insomnia %1 >>logtest.txt
taskkill /f /im "insomnia.exe"
tasklist /nh /fi "imagename eq insomnia.exe" | find /i "insomnia.exe"
if errorlevel 0 if not errorlevel 1 goto InsomniaStillRunning
echo %Date% %TIME% SUCCESS kill insomnia %1 >>logtest.txt
exit

:IsRunning
tasklist /nh /fi "imagename eq insomnia.exe" | find /i "insomnia.exe"
if errorlevel 0 if not errorlevel 1 goto InsomniaRunning
echo %Date% %TIME% process is running start insomnia %1 >>logtest.txt
start /MIN Insomnia.exe
exit

:InsomniaRunning
echo %Date% %TIME% process is running stay awake %1 >>logtest.txt
exit

:InsomniaStillRunning
echo %Date% %TIME% ERROR could not kill insomnia %1 >>logtest.txt
exit