1. Who is the author of the software available to download on this web site?
  2. What is the experience of the authors of the software?
  3. Can I open the source code files if I don't have Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2002 or later?
  4. I'm Win32 C programmer and I need to use WakeupOnStandBy code to write a program that wakes up my computer. How can I do it without MFC classes?
  5. I'm experimenting with WakeupOnStandBy app. It works great, except that on my Windows XP Home machine, the PC goes back to sleep again after 2 minutes...
  6. I want to wake up my computer every day at the same time and then close it at the same time also. Can I use WakeupOnStandBy for that?
  7. What if I want my computer on for only 30 min (example: wake 5:45am / sleep 6:15am)?
  8. WOSB loads up every time I restart my computer. How do I stop this?
  9. Is it possible to open multiple files at once?
  10. Do you have a source code available for Delphi programmers?
  11. How to force the scheduled event to happen right away?
  12. I'm using it for a media laptop to display a photo album. However, when the computer wakes up from Stand-by, the screen is not active. Is there any way to automatically activate it?
  13. When [WakeupOnStandBy is] already running I need to change some parameters using command line. How can I do that?
  14. I have a PC in my car that is mini ATX (M2-ATX) ... How to customize WOSB for that?
  15. How to customize for a schedule: Monday through Friday: wake up at 7am, suspend at 9am, then wake up at 5pm and suspend at 11pm; Sunday: wake up at 7am and suspend at 11pm.
  16. Is it possible to schedule multiple events? (Special schedule example)
  17. I did not see any mentioning that WOSB can run on computers with Windows Vista?
  18. Is it possible to translate your software [to any foreign language]?
  19. WOSB cannot wake up my computer from hibernation. Why?
  20. I'd like to wait a little before I run a program after WOSB wakes computer up from a suspended mode. How can I do that?
  21. Is this software compatible with Microsoft Windows Vista?
  22. I use WOSB to wake up computer to record TV. The problem is that when recording stops the PVR program continues to stream video. How can I close it?
  23. Can I start several schedules with WOSB at the same time?
  24. How do I check that I have the latest update to your software?
  25. I wrote my own code (as described in the Q4 above) and it can wake my system up from a stand-by mode, but not from hibernation. What am I doing wrong?
  26. Do you do custom programming/modifications of the WakeupOnStandBy routine for our specific needs?
  27. Can you explain how does WakeupOnStandBy wake screen up?
  28. I was wondering if it's possible to combine WOSB with one of your other programs, TOff?
  29. I don't need most of the WakeupOnStandBy's features. Is it possible to use it to do a task when computer wakes up from a stand-by/sleep mode (or hibernation) only?
  30. How do I completely remove WakeupOnStandBy from my machine?
  31. What is the correct way to submit a glitch/bug report?
  32. WakeupOnStandBy worked before but now it doesn't. I didn't do anything with it. What is going on?
  33. How can I become a beta-tester, or contribute to the development of this software?
  34. When I use hibernation repeatedly as the power saving mode my system becomes much slower. Why is that?
  35. How do I set up WakeupOnStandBy (WOSB) to work under Windows 7?
  36. I put my computer into a stand-by (sleep, or hibernation) using RUNDLL32.EXE PowrProf.dll,SetSuspendState and then set WakeupOnStandBy to wake it up, but my computer doesn't wake up. Why?
  37. I keep seeing "Wosb1.7.9.exe Error" references on the web. Is WakeupOnStandBy a virus or a malware?
  38. How can I translate the WakeupOnStandBy program to my language?
  39. What are the limitations of your free WakeupOnStandBy utility?
  40. I sent you a question via your contact page but didn't receive your response. Do you answer those at all?
 

1. Create waitable timer when your app starts up like this:

   hTimer = CreateWaitableTimer(NULL, TRUE, NULL);    //[more info]

2. Then set waitable timer to the time to wake up your PC:
   (NOTE: The timer time units are measured in 100 nanosecond intervals, that is a second times 10 raised to the power of minus seven.)

   //'st' is of SYSTEMTIME type, contains date & time to wake-up from Stand-by
   FILETIME ft;
   if(SystemTimeToFileTime(&st, &ft))    //[more info]
   {
   	//Set large integer used by SetWaitableTimer
   	//(Will use absolute time in 100 nanosecond intervals)
   	LARGE_INTEGER li;    //[more info]
   	li.LowPart = ft.dwLowDateTime;
   	li.HighPart = ft.dwHighDateTime;
   
   	//See difference between system time and local time
   	SYSTEMTIME st_sys, st_loc;
   	FILETIME ft_sys, ft_loc;
   	GetSystemTime(&st_sys);    //[more info]
   	GetLocalTime(&st_loc);     //[more info]
   	if(SystemTimeToFileTime(&st_sys, &ft_sys) &&
   		SystemTimeToFileTime(&st_loc, &ft_loc))
   	{
   		//Calculate difference
   		LONGLONG lg_sys = ((LONGLONG)ft_sys.dwHighDateTime << 32) |
   					ft_sys.dwLowDateTime;
   		LONGLONG lg_loc = ((LONGLONG)ft_loc.dwHighDateTime << 32) | 
   					ft_loc.dwLowDateTime;
   
   		//Convert local time into UTC-based time
   		li.QuadPart += lg_sys - lg_loc;
   
   		//Set waitable timer
   		bRes = SetWaitableTimer(hTimer, &li, 0, NULL, NULL, TRUE); //[more info]
   		
   		//May still fail even if returns TRUE
   		if(bRes && GetLastError() == ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED)    //[more info]
   		{
   			//Wake-up timer is not supported
   		}
   	}
   }		

3. Create a waiting thread that will wait for the timer to go off:
   (INFO: This thread is required only if one plans to provide a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for a user to cancel the program or to somehow interact with it when it was set. If this method is applied to a simpler, service-type application, the second waiting thread may not be necessary and the WaitForSingleObject() API could be called right after the SetWaitableTimer() without starting a second thread.)

   //hThreadWaiting is Waiting Thread handle
   hThreadWaiting = CreateThread(NULL, 0, MyWaitingThread, NULL, NULL, NULL); //[more info]

4. Leave your program running. Now you can send your system into stand-by mode (or hibernation, if supported by the hardware and ACPI settings);
    
5. When timer is triggered it will wake up a waiting thread that can do whatever you want. In case you want to run a program use the code like this:

   DWORD WINAPI MyWaitingThread(LPVOID lpParameter)
   {
   	//Thread to be signaled when timer fires
   
   	//Wait for timer to signal, do nothing
   	WaitForSingleObject(hTimer, INFINITE);    //[more info]
   
   	//Run file specified in PathToFile path
   	int nRes = (int)ShellExecute(NULL, "open",
   		PathToFile, NULL, NULL, SW_SHOWNORMAL);    //[more info]
   
   	if(nRes <= 32)
   	{
   		//Error running program
   	}
   
   	//Do other things
   	...
   
   	return 0;
   }

6. Another way to intercept the moment when PC wakes up from suspension is to process the WM_POWERBROADCAST notification:

   //From within a message handler for the main window
   case WM_POWERBROADCAST:    //[more info]
   {
   	if(wParam == PBT_APMRESUMEAUTOMATIC)    //[more info]
   	{
   		//Called when the system is resumed from a suspended power mode
   		//i.e., Stand-by mode, or hibernation if supported
   		//(As a result of a "user-less" trigger, such as a power button click,
   		//an event fired by a waitable timer; or user interaction with a
   		//keyboard or a mouse)
   	}
   	else if(wParam == PBT_APMRESUMESUSPEND)    //[more info]
   	{
   		//Called when the system is resumed from a suspended power mode
   		//i.e., Stand-by mode, or hibernation if supported
   		//(As a result of a user interaction with a keyboard or a mouse)
   	}
   	else if(wParam == PBT_APMRESUMECRITICAL)    //[more info]
   	{
   		//Called when the system is resumed from a suspended power state
   		//after it was sent there by a critical condition, such as
   		//battery failure on a laptop computer. This notification also
   		//signifies that the PBT_APMSUSPEND event was not broadcast.
   
   		//This notification is supported only by Windows 2000, XP and Server 2003!
   		//In case of Windows Vista, the PBT_APMRESUMEAUTOMATIC is sent instead.
   	}
   }
   break;

7. If you need to send your PC back to stand-by mode use the following code snippet:

   //Send system to Stand-by mode here
   //SetSuspendState is available only in Windows 98 and later, thus
   //you might want to load it dynamically using LoadLibrary and GetProcAddress
   if(!SetSuspendState(FALSE, TRUE, FALSE))    //[more info]
   {
   	//Error sending into Stand-by Mode
   }

8. Of course, do not forget to release all objects you opened when the program closes, and to provide a mechanism to stop the waiting thread in item 5 if a user decides to terminate the program (for more info on that refer to the principles of multithreading [more info]).

To accomplish this using MS DOS command batch files do the following:
 
Sample 1:
(You want to wake up PC every day at 7:00 a.m. and send it into stand-by at 1 a.m.)

1. Download WakeupOnStandBy and unzip the "wosb.EXE" file into a designated location. For example, let's assume it is My Documents folder;
2. Open the Notepad and put the following line into it. Change the time that you want your system to be sent into stand-by mode. Click "Save As" and save it as "wosb_run1.bat" into a designated folder ("My Documents" in our sample here):
      start wosb /run /systray /ami date=+1 time="1:00 am" standbywait=2 file="wosb_run2.bat"
3. Open the Notepad again and put the following line into it. Change the time to wake system up. Then save it as "wosb_run2.bat" into the same designated folder:
      start wosb /run /systray /ami time="7:00 am" file="wosb_run1.bat"
4. Now you can activate the whole sequence by running the first batch file "wosb_run1.bat", provided you do it before midnight.

1. Download WakeupOnStandBy and unzip the "wosb.EXE" file into a designated location. For example, let's assume it is My Documents folder;
2. Open the Notepad and put the following line into it. Change the time that you want your system to be hibernated. Click "Save As" and save it as "wosb_run1.bat" into a designated folder ("My Documents" in our sample here):
      start wosb /run /systray /ami time="11:00 pm" hibernatewait=2 file="wosb_run2.bat"
3. Open the Notepad again and put the following line into it. Change the time to wake system up. Then save it as "wosb_run2.bat" into the same designated folder:
      start wosb /run /systray /ami date=+1 time="6:00 am" file="wosb_run1.bat"
4. Now you can activate the whole sequence by running the first batch file "wosb_run1.bat".

Please note that this method will cycle your PC until it is rebooted. Once rebooted you will have to run "wosb_run1.bat" file again to activate it. To avoid this you can add its link to the Startup folder of the Windows so that "wosb_run1.bat" file is run each time your computer starts up. To do that simply drag icon of the "wosb_run1.bat" file into Startup folder (Start -> Programs -> Startup).

To uninstall WakeupOnStandBy from the Windows autostart, go to Start -> Programs -> Startup, then locate the link to the "wosb_run1.bat" and right-click it. Click Delete and confirm by selecting Yes. Now WakeupOnStandbBy is removed from the Start-up folder. Then you can delete both batch files as well as wosb.EXE file.

Provided you want to do it only once, simply run WakeupOnStandBy with the following command line:
 
wosb.exe /run /systray time="5:45 am" standbywait="30:0"
 
After WakeupOnStandBy switches into system tray (next to the Windows system clock), you can send your computer into Stand-by. WakeupOnStandBy will wake it up at 5:45 a.m. and send it back into Stand-by again after 30 minutes.

In case you want to wake up computer each day at 5:45 a.m. and send it back into stand-by at 6:15 a.m., do the following:

wosb.exe /run /systray time="5:45 am" standbywait="30:0" weekdays=everyday

Or, you can perform these tasks manually. For that do the following:

1. Put WakeupOnStandBy file (i.e., "wosb.EXE") into a designated folder. Let's assume it is "C:\Wake Up Routine\";
2. In that folder create first command batch file. Let's assume you named it "wosb_run1.bat". You can do it in Notepad, just make sure that you change file extension to .BAT during saving. Put the following command line into that file and save it:
      start wosb.exe /run /systray time="5:45:00 am" standbywait=30:0 file="wosb_run2.bat"
3. In the same folder create second command batch file. Let's assume you named it "wosb_run2.bat". Put the following command line into it and save it:
      start wosb.exe /run /systray /ami date=+1 time="5:45:00 am" standbywait=30:0 file="wosb_run2.bat"
4. Now you can activate the whole sequence by running the batch file "wosb_run1.bat", and send computer into Stand-by to be woken up at 5:45 a.m. and start the cycle.
    
   Here's what's going to happen: When you run the first file "wosb_run1.bat" it sets WakeupOnStandBy to wake up computer at 5:45 a.m. of the same day (note that if you run it after 5:45 a.m. WakeupOnStandBy will be triggered to wake up on the next day). After that you can send your PC into Stand-by mode. At 5:45 a.m. WakeupOnStandBy will wake up computer and run second file "wosb_run2.bat". At that time second instance of WakeupOnStandBy will appear, that will be set to wake up the next day again at 5:45 a.m. and run second batch file. The first instance of WakeupOnStandBy will wait for 30 minutes, send computer into Stand-by mode and terminate itself, leaving only second instance of WakeupOnStandBy running. Computer will remain in the Stand-by until 5:45 a.m. of the next day when the sequence in the second batch file "wosb_run2.bat" will repeat itself. (NOTE: To end this cycle simply exit one or both instances of WakeupOnStandBy.)
    
   Please note that this method will cycle your PC until it is rebooted. Once rebooted you will have to run "wosb_run1.bat" file again to activate it. To avoid it, you can add its link to the Startup folder for Windows so that "wosb_run1.bat" file is run each time your computer starts up. To do that simply drag icon of the "wosb_run1.bat" file into Startup folder (Start -> Programs -> Startup).

(This question came from a person who was able to solve this problem the following way).
Of course, the solution is hardware dependent. To be able to pull it off you need to have your hardware support the following:

1. Advanced Power Management (APM) in PC to be able to delay power-off for at least the time period required for system to stay in stand-by mode (20 minutes in this case). If this option is supported, set it to at least 30 minutes for this question;
2. Your hardware should support stand-by mode and hibernation;
3. You will also need an in-car software that will implement interface between computer and a car. (As an example, let's consider "RoadRunner" available from this web site);
4. Download WakeupOnStandBy archive file from our website and unzip wosb.exe file, say, into "C:\" folder;
5. After you install and tune up the in-car software to send system into Stand-by when car engine is turned off, prepare the following batch file, rename it into "sleep.bat" and place it into "c:\" folder. (You can use Notepad for that - just make sure that you give the resultant file the BAT extension.) The contents of such batch file could be like this (for explanation of command line parameters check WakeupOnStandBy manual):
    START c:\wosb.exe /systray /run time=+20:00 hibernatewait=0
6. Now you need to set up the in-car software to run our batch file when ignition is turned off. (For the RoadRunner you have to include the following line into the "ExecTBL.ini" file: "ONSUSPEND","RUN;c:\sleep.bat")

Now your system should be set up. To remove this functionality edit out the line added in item 6 above.
(INFORMATION: Please note this web site is not affiliated with any in-car software products, and we cannot answer questions regarding it.)

1. Check that you have the latest version of WOSB before you begin testing. (Check question 24 to learn how)
    
2. Well, the first thing you need to check is that you set the time correctly. Make sure that you specified the day and am/pm suffix correctly, if it applies. WOSB displays when it will wake-up your system in the "Schedule Info" section of its main window. Also make sure that WOSB does not issue any warning/error messages when you start it.
    
3. If you just test WOSB to see if it can wake your computer from hibernation, make sure that you set it to wake up at least 4 or 5 minutes ahead, since hibernation itself may take up to 2 minutes to complete.
    
4. Some older computers do not have required hardware for waking up from hibernation even though they may support it. In this case the solution is simple - upgrade! (INFO: By saying "older" I mean a desktop or laptop computers that were purchased before year 2005, or the ones that did not have Windows XP installed when you got them. I want to stress though that I'm not saying that 2005 is a cut-off year, as some systems of that age can still function fine in suspended power states. This info simply comes from our experience and should not be used as a reference. To be sure to check your system BIOS as described below to make sure that the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) is supported.)
    
5. If your computer has more than 4 Gigabytes of RAM, the hibernation may be disabled by the Operating System. There's an ambiguous Microsoft article KB888575 that deals with this issue [read here]. From our experiments, we were able to hibernate just fine many of the Windows systems that had more than 4GB of RAM, although some systems refused to hibernate. There's no clear indication why Microsoft decided to block hibernation on systems with more than 4 GB of RAM. Our guess is that flushing and then reading more than 4 GB of data to a conventional (spinning) hard drive (that's what happens during hibernation) may take a significant amount of time and thus not be very practical. Although doing so with a Solid State Drive may not be a problem altogether. It is also not known if the OS tests the boot drive's read/write speeds before disabling the hibernation. All-in-all, more research needs to be done before any conclusions are drawn on this topic...
    
6. Check the Power Options window in the Windows control panel (go to Start -> Control Panel, then click on "Switch to classic view" and double-click Power Options). For Windows XP: Inspect the Power Options window tabs regarding any mentioning of hibernation. It should be enabled and allowed. For Windows 7/8: Inspect power plan advanced settings and make sure that sleep and hibernation are allowed. You may also check FAQ #35 to see how to manually enable wake timers.
    
7. Many laptops and notebooks have the ACPI feature disabled when they are running on a battery power. (You may want to check your laptop's BIOS documentation for more info.) This is done by default to prevent a total discharge of the battery since small amount of electricity is used to power the wake-up timers.
    
8. Make sure that your anti-virus and firewall software/hardware does not block WOSB. If you have any of the anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-malware, or firewall software installed on your system you will most certainly have to configure it to "trust" or execute WOSB (or wosb.exe module) without restrictions. Refer to the documentation of your anti-virus software on how to give a program permission to run without restrictions:
   IMPORTANT: WakeupOnStandBy does not require internet connection to run, thus you may configure your firewall to block all network traffic for it. (The only time you may need the Internet connection is when you click the "Online Manual" menu command);
   IMPORTANT: WakeupOnStandBy may write to your hard-drive and System Registry to save its settings, or to perform a function in the Repetitive Mode. If you block any of these operations, WakeupOnStandBy will not be able to execute the tasks correctly;
   IMPORTANT: WakeupOnStandBy will require the Shut-down privilege. Without this privilege it will not be able to perform power operations on schedule.
    
9. Make sure that no other power-management software is installed or is currently running along with WakeupOnStandBy. If you have any of the power-management software running along with WakeupOnStandBy, uninstall or disable it for the time when you do the testing of WakeupOnStandBy. Do the same with the WakeupOnStandBy if you're testing the other power-management software (refer to the question #30 below on how to completely remove WakeupOnStandBy).
   INFORMATION: Keep in mind that a program may still be running even if you don't see it on the screen. Your best bet would be to uninstall the software for the time of testing & reboot your computer.
    
10. If the above options did not help, you will need to check your BIOS settings. To enter into BIOS editing mode check with your hardware documentation. For many systems you will have to restart computer. Right when it begins booting up you should see a quick prompt for a keyboard sequence needed to enter BIOS. In most cases you will have to hit Del or F2 key repeatedly. While in BIOS go to Power Management Setup and check that ACPI Function is enabled. Also check that programmatic waking up from power state S4 (or hibernation) is supported and enabled. This could be labeled as "Alarm Resume" as well.
    WARNING: Changing BIOS settings may render your system inoperative and prevent Windows from loading correctly. If that occurs always memorize previous BIOS settings to be able to revert to them in case of a fault!
     
11. In some cases a BIOS update could be recommended.
    IMPORTANT: Make sure to download a BIOS update and a flashing utility only from the web site of the manufacturer of the computer system! Most often computer makers issue BIOS updates with the better power-saving capabilities, thus an update can improve your system's performance.
    WARNING: BIOS flashing operation should be performed only by a knowledgeable person. If done incorrectly it may render your computer inoperable!
    WARNING: In case of a "bad BIOS flash" your computer may become inoperable! Always follow instructions supplied by the manufacturer.
     
12. Besides the BIOS update mentioned above, the update of the chipset and other motherboard-related drivers could solve the issue. The problem in this case may come from an outdated manufacturer's driver, or drivers. This may happen when one of the automatic Windows updates that are issued weekly by Microsoft could prevent the initial manufacturer's driver to function to its full capacity. To make matters worse, many people believe that automatic Windows updates will also install any updates to the manufacturer's drivers, which in many cases is not true!
    IMPORTANT: To download and install the manufacturer's drivers update check the make and model of your computer. Then go to the computer manufacturer's web site and use the make and model to look up any driver updates.
    WARNING: Download and install driver updates ONLY from the manufacturer's web site! If you're not sure where a certain driver comes from, DO NOT install it!
    WARNING: Driver updates should be performed only by a knowledgeable person. If done incorrectly it may render your Operating System inoperable! Make sure to follow exactly any instructions supplied on the manufacturer's web site!
     
13. In some cases the hibernation itself may fail because the Operating System (or Windows) system partition is not the active partition. This issue has been reported to us from users running WakeupOnStandBy program on Windows 7 computers (but it may also affect other Operating Systems.) This may happen especially often if you copied, or cloned your hard drive after the hard drive upgrade. The symptoms in this case are that the computer appears to begin entering the hibernation only to remain in a black-screen mode until a mouse is moved, or to bounce back into the logon screen. The resolution in this case seems to be to set the system partition as the active partition through the Disk Management tool in Windows. There's also this and this support threads that may address the same issue.
    
    WARNING: Changing any settings affecting your system partition is a potentially dangerous operation! Make sure to make a complete backup of the data on your computer before you proceed with it!
     
14. If you have a laptop computer or a portable system, you may have some additional settings that you'll have to look into since any system with a portable power supply will be more "power conscientious". Your BIOS settings might include additional power saving options.
     
15. It may also depend on how you hibernate your system. To make sure that you do it the way WOSB expects you to, hibernate it using the "Hibernate" option from its main screen's "..." button, then "Perform Now". Make sure that "Disable all wake-up events" is not checked.
     
16. Sometimes rebooting your system will help to clear up memory and system files that might have prevented hibernation.
    INFORMATION: Refer to question #34 for more details.

1. Using a plain text editor (like, Notepad, for example) create the following file, or download it from here:
   (If you want to run a different file or use another delay, change the appropriate fields in the data below)

   //First wait
   //Values specified in milliseconds, i.e. 1000th of a second
   pause(1000 * 3);	//3 seconds
   
   //Now specify path to a program to run
   //(Please note that you have to put an additional slash for
   //each existing one!)
   runProgram("%windir%\\system32\\calc", "");	//No command parameters
   
   //If you wanted to specify a file that was located in:
   //"C:\Documents and Settings\Me\My Documents\F1.doc"
   //you'd use the following command:
   //runProgram("C:\\Documents and Settings\\Me\\My Documents\\F1.doc", "");
   
   function pause(msPause) 
   {
   	//msPause = Time to wait in milliseconds
   	var date = new Date();
   	var curDate = null;
   
   	do
   	{
   		curDate = new Date();
   	} 
   	while(curDate - date < msPause);
   } 
   
   function runProgram(progPath, progParams)
   {
   	//Runs a program in 'progPath' with command line in 'progParams'
   	var fs = new ActiveXObject("WScript.Shell");
   	fs.Run("\"" + progPath + "\" " + progParams);
   }

2. Save this file to a disc, giving it the .JS extension;
3. Specify this file in the "Run the following file/program/web page" for the WOSB.

taskkill
Param: /IM "<IMAGE_NAME>.exe"
(Do not use word Param itself.)

where, <IMAGE_NAME> stands for the name of the executable file of the program. (Example: To close Notepad, use /IM "notepad.exe")

In some cases you may need to forcefully close a program. In that case add /F parameter to the end of the ones specified above. (Warning: The use of this parameter may lead to the loss of data in the program being closed!)

• Start WOSB and click its context menu button ("..." button on the right off of the Start button)
• Click "Create Multi-Session Link" and specify location to create the link that you will use later to start more than one instance of WOSB
• Close current instance of WOSB and use the link created above to start it again
• Set the first schedule and hit Start
• To add another schedule, start another instance of WOSB using the multi-session link created above, set the schedule and start WOSB
• You can run up to 256 simultaneously running schedules with WOSB in this mode.

WARNING: The "Keep screen on afterwards" feature will have no effect if used in the instance of WOSB that is run in the Multi-Session Mode! It is recommended not to use this option in this case.
WARNING: Overlapping schedules may adversely affect and in some circumstances even deadlock your computer! Use caution when running WOSB in the Multi-Session Mode!

1. When computer automatically wakes up from a suspended power state (such as Stand-by/Sleep Mode, Hibernation or Away Mode):
   
   Implementation of this method should be performed in the handler of the PBT_APMRESUMEAUTOMATIC notification (see more info in Q4 above). It seems like the easiest way to wake up screen is using the SetThreadExecutionState API:
   

   //From the handler of messages for the main window
   if(uMsg == WM_POWERBROADCAST)
   {
   	if(wParam == PBT_APMRESUMEAUTOMATIC)    //[more info]
   	{
   		if(bWindows2000_XP_Vista)
   		{
   			//Works under Windows 2000/XP/Server 2003/Vista
   			SetThreadExecutionState(ES_DISPLAY_REQUIRED); //[more info]
   		}
   		else
   		{
   			//In case of earlier OS (i.e. Windows 95/98/ME) use 
   			//any of the appropriate methods described below
   		}
   	}
   }

2. Wake screen up on timer set by user:
   
   The simplest way to implement this on older systems was to send the WM_SYSCOMMAND message with the SC_MONITORPOWER notification:
   (NOTE: This method is not documented by Microsoft anymore and should be used only on older systems.)
   

   if(bWindows9x)
   {
   	//In case of Windows 95/98/ME
   	//If our app has a window, send this message to our own main window
   	SendMessage(m_hMainWnd, WM_SYSCOMMAND, SC_MONITORPOWER, -1); //[more info]
   
   	//If our app does not have a window, send this message to the desktop	
   	SendMessage(GetDesktopWindow(), WM_SYSCOMMAND, SC_MONITORPOWER, -1); //[more info]
   }
   else if(bWindows2000_XP_Server2003)
   {
   	//In case of Windows 2000/XP/Server 2003
   	//Broadcast this message to all top-level windows
   	SendMessage(HWND_BROADCAST, WM_SYSCOMMAND, SC_MONITORPOWER, -1);
   
   	//You can also invoke the default implementation mechanism,
   	//in case our app has a window
   	DefWindowProc(m_hMainWnd, WM_SYSCOMMAND, SC_MONITORPOWER, -1); //[more info]
   }

   It also may be important to know if a screen saver is currently running (Luckily this is easy to accomplish):
   

   //Works under any OS, except Windows 95
   BOOL bScreenSaverIsOn = FALSE;
   SystemParametersInfo(SPI_GETSCREENSAVERRUNNING, 0, &bScreenSaverIsOn, NULL); //[more info]
   
   //If 'bScreenSaverIsOn' is TRUE, then the screen saver is currently running on the
   //windows station of the calling process

   We may also need to know if a main monitor is currently in the power saving mode (i.e. if it's off or on):
   (NOTE: Unfortunately there's no direct way to establish that for the system other than Windows Vista.)
   

   BOOL bMonitorIsOn = TRUE;
   if(!bWindowsVista)
   {
   	//In case of any OS earlier than Windows Vista
   
   	//The method we'll use here is a deduction of whether the monitor 
   	//is in the power saving mode (i.e. off), or not (i.e. on).
   	//We check that there was no user input for the amount of time 
   	//more than the value for the monitor power-off timer.
   
   	//First check if monitor power-off energy saving is activated
   	BOOL bPowerOffActiv = FALSE;
   	if(SystemParametersInfo(SPI_GETPOWEROFFACTIVE, 0, &bPowerOffActiv, NULL))
   	{
   		if(bPowerOffActiv)
   		{
   			//Power-off is activated
   			//Then get Power-Off time-out counter (value in seconds)
   			DWORD nPowerOffTimeOut = 0;
   			if(SystemParametersInfo(SPI_GETPOWEROFFTIMEOUT, 0, 
   				&nPowerOffTimeOut, NULL)) //[more info]
   			{
   				//See how long there was no user input
   				//(This method works under Windows 2000, or later)
   				LASTINPUTINFO lii = {0};
   				lii.cbSize = sizeof(lii);
   				if(GetLastInputInfo(&lii)) //[more info]
   				{
   					//Difference is in milliseconds (or sec * 10^-3)
   					DWORD dwTickCntDiff = GetTickCount() - lii.dwTime;
   
   					//Convert to seconds
   					dwTickCntDiff /= 1000;
   
   					//Now see if this value is more or equal to the 
   					//monitor power-off time-out value
   					if(dwTickCntDiff >= nPowerOffTimeOut)
   						bMonitorIsOn = FALSE;
   					else
   						bMonitorIsOn = TRUE;
   				}
   			}
   		}
   		else
   		{
   			//Power-off is not activated, thus monitor is possibly on
   			//(Of course screen saver might be on!)
   			bMonitorIsOn = TRUE;
   		}
   	}
   
   	//If 'bMonitorIsOn' is TRUE, it means that the monitor is possibly ON
   	//(Note though that the screen saver might be running)
   	//If 'bMonitorIsOn' is FALSE, the main monitor is probably OFF
   }
   else
   {
   	//In case of Windows Vista
   
   	//(1) Register to receive Power Notifications when your program starts
   	//    (Normally you'll do it right after the main window is created, or
   	//     from the WM_INITDIALOG handler for the dialog box.)
   
   	// #define DEVICE_NOTIFY_WINDOW_HANDLE 0
   	// DEFINE_GUID(GUID_MONITOR_POWER_ON, 0x02731015, 0x4510, 0x4526, 0x99, \	
   	//	0xe6, 0xe5, 0xa1, 0x7e, 0xbd, 0x1a, 0xea);
   
   	// HPOWERNOTIFY hPwrNtfHandle = RegisterPowerSettingNotification(m_hMainWnd, 
   	//	&GUID_MONITOR_POWER_ON, DEVICE_NOTIFY_WINDOW_HANDLE); //[more info]
   
   	//(2) Define the following variable at the global scope:
   
   	// DWORD nMonitorState = -1;	//0=Monitor is off; 1=Monitor is on
   
   	//(3) Intercept PBT_POWERSETTINGCHANGE notification via the WM_POWERBROADCAST
   	//    message and save the value of monitor status in a global variable:
   
   	//From the handler of messages for the main window
   	// if(uMsg == WM_POWERBROADCAST)
   	// {
   	//	if(wParam == PBT_POWERSETTINGCHANGE) //[more info]
   	//	{
   	//		//Make sure that the struct has correct data
   	//		POWERBROADCAST_SETTING* pbs = (POWERBROADCAST_SETTING*)lParam;
   	//		if(pbs && pbs->DataLength >= sizeof(DWORD))
   	//		{
   	//			//Save info in the global variable
   	//			nMonitorState = *(DWORD*)pbs->Data;
   	//		}
   	//	}
   	// }
   
   	//(4) Read the global value here:
   
   	bMonitorIsOn = nMonitorState != 0 ? TRUE : FALSE;
   
   	//(4) Unregister Power Notifications when your program exits
   	//    (Normally you'll do it from the WM_DESTROY message handler)
   
   	// if(hPwrNtfHandle) //[more info]
   	//	UnregisterPowerSettingNotification(hPwrNtfHandle);
   }

   One other way to wake up screen is to cancel the screen saver if it's on:
   

   //Make sure that the screen saver is currently on
   if(bScreenSaverIsOn)	//See above
   {
   	//First get the foreground window handle
   	//(It is probably a screen saver window, but also may be NULL!)
   	HWND hFrgndWnd = GetForegroundWindow(); //[more info]
   
   	//Try to locate the screen saver window by its class name
   	//(Works for older Operating Systems)
   	HWND hScrSvrWnd = FindWindow("WindowsScreenSaverClass", NULL); //[more info]
   	if(hScrSvrWnd)
   	{
   		//Close it, if it's a real window
   		if(IsWindow(hScrSvrWnd)) 	//[more info]
   			PostMessage(hScrSvrWnd, WM_CLOSE, NULL, NULL); //[more info]
   	}
   	else if(hFrgndWnd)
   	{
   		//If the method above didn't work 
   		//try to close the foreground window
   		if(IsWindow(hFrgndWnd))
   			PostMessage(hFrgndWnd, WM_CLOSE, NULL, NULL);
   	}
   
   	//If screen saver is password-protected it's running on a separate desktop
   	//(Works under Windows 2000/XP/Server 2003/Vista)
   	HDESK hDesk = OpenDesktop("Screen-saver", 0, FALSE, 
   		DESKTOP_READOBJECTS | DESKTOP_WRITEOBJECTS); //[more info]
   	if(hDesk)
   	{
   		//Enumerate all windows & close visible ones
   		EnumDesktopWindows(hDesk, EnumDesktopWindowsProc, 
   			(LPARAM)NULL); 	//[more info]
   		CloseDesktop(hDesk);
   	}
   }
   
   ...
   //The desktop window enumeration function is defined like this
   BOOL EnumDesktopWindowsProc(HWND hWnd, LPARAM lParam)
   {
   	if(IsWindowVisible(hWnd))
   	{
   		//Close this window
   		PostMessage(hWnd, WM_CLOSE, NULL, NULL);
   	}
   
   	return TRUE;
   }

   And lastly, one sure way to wake up screen, or cancel a screen saver, is to emulate the mouse move:
   (NOTE: This method works on older Operating Systems, other than Windows Vista.)

   //First we need to know that the monitor is off (i.e. it is in a power saving mode)
   //(This is important since if the monitor is on, this may mean that a user
   // is currently working with the system and thus we should not do any "false" 
   // mouse movements at this point!)
   //Second, we need to know that the screen saver is currently running
   //(Even if the monitor is not in a power saving mode)
   if(bMonitorIsOn == FALSE ||	//See above
   	bScreenSaverIsOn)	//See above
   {
   	//Get current mouse pointer position
   	POINT pnt;
   	GetCursorPos(&pnt); 	//[more info]
   
   	//Get location in the middle of the screen
   	int x_ctr = GetSystemMetrics(SM_CXSCREEN) / 2; 	//[more info]
   	int y_ctr = GetSystemMetrics(SM_CYSCREEN) / 2;
   
   	//See if mouse is at the same exact spot
   	//(If it is, the screen saver will not be terminated)
   	#define CLEARANCE_VAL 8
   	while(abs(x_ctr - pnt.x) < CLEARANCE_VAL &&
   		abs(y_ctr - pnt.y) < CLEARANCE_VAL)
   	{
   		//Move a little to the side
   		x_ctr += CLEARANCE_VAL;
   		y_ctr += CLEARANCE_VAL;
   	}
   
   	//Emulate move of the mouse cursor
   	SetCursorPos(x_ctr, y_ctr); 	//[more info]
   }

1. Visit TOff page here, download and install the toff.exe file somewhere on your system;
    
2. Run TOff and set up controls in the main window the following way:
   • What to do: Set to "Hibernate Computer (Soft)";
   • Check "Mouse & keyboard inactivity period" (INFORMATION: If this option is not available you will need to set it up in Settings -> Page 2 -> Computer Inactivity Timer -> Consider activity as -> Set to "Mouse & Keyboard Activity")
   • Set Hours to 1, and Minutes and Seconds to 0;
   • Check "Network inactivity period";
   • If your network adapter is not displayed in the window below, click Add Network button and select a network adapter that you'd like to monitor activity on;
   • Check "Minimize to system tray when set";
   • Click on the "..." button next to the Set button, and select "Save & Open As .BAT File...";
   • Provide a file name for a temporary file (you will delete it later) and click Save;
   • This will open a Notepad window, on top of which you should see the line like this:
     @echo off
     start <PATH_TO_TOFF>\TOff.exe /run /systray todo=hs type=pcnip wait="1:0:0" ntwk="<NETWORK_ADAPTER>" /musm /pcactivity nitd=i nitmnp=3
      
   • Highlight the part starting from the word /run all the way to the white-space on the line below. (TIP: Refer to the highlighted portion of the example above)
   • Right-click your selection and select Copy;
   • Close the notepad window; delete the .BAT file you created above and close TOff.
      
3. Run WOSB and set time control in item (1) for 9 a.m., and uncheck the date control;
4. Check "Turn on monitor and resume from screen saver" if you need to wake up screen at 9 a.m. as well;
5. Check "Repair network" if network connection is important at the moment when computer wakes up;
6. Check "Run the following file/program/web page when computer wakes up:"
7. Click on the "..." button on the right off the file path control for the item (2), and select the toff.exe file that you downloaded and ran above. Click Open;
8. Right-click inside the Params field for the item (2) and select Paste. You should see the string copied from the Notepad above;
9. In the "(4) Repeat these tasks" section check days that you'd like to wake your system up at 9 a.m.;
10. Check "Switch to tray" to remove WOSB off the screen;
11. Click Set button. You're done!

Now put your system into a suspended power state (Sleep/Stand-by mode or hibernation) and wake it up to activate the sequence we just programmed.

(INFORMATION: To deactivate the sequence above first find the TOff icon in the system tray bar, i.e. next to the system clock, right click it (if TOff is there) and select Exit. Then locate the WOSB icon there as well and select Exit. If WOSB issues a warning about being in Repetitive Mode, click Yes to exit it.)

1. Set the date field in item (1) to some very distant year;
2. Check "Perform tasks below if computer wakes up earlier" box;
3. Specify the task you want WakeupOnStandBy to perform in the item (2) fields;
   INFORMATION: In case you want to run only one instance of the program precede it's path with an asterisk, e.g. *calc. This applies only to programs, though.
4. Check all the days of the week in the item (4);
5. [Optional] Check "Switch to tray" if you want to remove the WakeupOnStandBy window off the screen;
6. Click "Start" button to activate.

When completed the WakeupOnStandBy should be configured to run the task specified in item (2) when your system wakes up from a stand-by/Sleep mode or hibernation whether manually after a user interaction, or automatically at a predefined time.

Do the following:

1. Close all running instances of WakeupOnStandBy. You can do so by right-clicking the WakeupOnStandBy icon(s) on the system tray (next to the Windows system clock):
   
     
   
   and select "Exit", or better "Exit All Schedules", if this option is available. If asked to confirm, select Yes.
    
2. [This step is optional] If you set up WakeupOnStandBy to run through the Task Scheduler in Windows, make sure to remove it from there as well.
    
3. [This step is optional] If you want to also remove the WakeupOnStandBy file itself, locate the wosb.exe file on your hard drive and delete it by right-clicking it, then select "Delete."
   
   INFORMATION: This is the file which icon you would normally double-click to run the WakeupOnStandBy.
   INFORMATION: In case you made a link for the WakeupOnStandBy program make sure to remove the wosb.exe file and the link.
    
4. At this point WakeupOnStandBy should be removed from your system. Reboot it to make sure it's gone.

INFORMATION: In case you also want to get rid of any data that WakeupOnStandBy might have placed in the System Registry remove the following System Registry key. Keep in mind though that the amount of data stored in that key is very small:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\from Dennis Babkin\Wake-Up On Stand-by

We design our software mostly according to our user requests and suggestions. We also admit that our software may contain some unintended bugs/glitches. In case you've encountered one, we'd appreciate if you use the following method to submit your report instead of simply sending a message like this, "Your software doesn't work. How to fix it?":

1. To save your own time (and our time) please use the search function in your browser to make sure that your question was not answered on this page, and that it is not included in the software manual here.
    
2. Read FAQ #32 below. It is incredible how many anti-virus software products are now out there. But unfortunately almost none of them can provide a true security they advertise. All they seem to do is catch and thwart "good" software that doesn't pose any risk for a user.
    
3. If you still didn't find the way to resolve your issue, follow these steps to submit your report to us:
   (Make sure to also describe the issue that you experience)
    
   1. Enable diagnostic event logging by clicking the "..." button in the WakeupOnStandBy program's main window, then pick "Settings." When Settings window comes up on the screen, switch to the "More" tab and check "Event logging of diagnostic event" box and click OK.
       
   2. Continue running WakeupOnStandBy as you normally would until you witness the situation that causes the issue again. (Note that the issue has to be repeated, for it to be registered in the diagnostic event log!)
       
   3. Right after the issue repeats itself (note the "right after" part of this sentence) bring up the WakeupOnStandBy's context menu by either right-clicking its tray icon by the Windows clock (or right-clicking on its main window) and select "Report Bug". This will bring up a new window. Click "Copy Report" and then "Submit Report." This will open our web site. Paste the report into it. Make sure also to describe the issue that you experience. Be as detailed and specific as possible. Then click "Send" to submit your report.
      
      IMPORTANT: Please read this FAQ to make sure that our email response reaches you.
       
   4. When we receive your submission we'll process it in order received and will get back to you later.
       
   5. In the mean time, you need to perform one other essential step. Bring up the WakeupOnStandBy's context menu by either right-clicking its tray icon (or right-clicking on its main window) and select "Export Event Log". This will allow you to save the event log file at the moment when the bug happened. Note again, that you have to do it as fast as you can after you witness the bug. After that keep the saved event log until we get back to you with our response.
       
   6. When you hear back from our support crew, send us the export of the event log file that you made in the step before.
      
      IMPORTANT: Please read this FAQ to make sure that our email response reaches you.
       
   7. Having done all these steps will greatly help us to isolate and fix the bug.

INFORMATION: Please note the we do not have resources to get back to you right away. Allow us at least a couple of days to address your issue. You should receive some sort of response within two-week period. In case your issue cannot be resolved in the currently available version of the software we will try to correct it and include it in the next release of the software. This should normally take up to several months to complete.

• Shutdown privilege to be able to perform power operations under Windows-NT-based operating systems.
• Access to the System Registry and Application Data folder for the current Windows user.

INFORMATION: WakeupOnStandBy DOES NOT need access to the Internet, unless you're intending to use the online help/feedback option.

1. Send us your message via the feedback page and provide the following info:
   • Your email address (we do not sell, or distribute email addresses).
   • Software that you're willing to beta-test.
   • Operating system(s) that you can test the software on.
   • Installed language(s) that you can test the software with.
2. When we release a new version of the software we will send you an email with the information about what was included in the new release and a link to download a test version. You, as a beta-tester, should test this new release to the best of your abilities and provide us with your feedback in the reasonable amount of time (within several days) regarding any issues/suggestions you may have about it.

Being a beta-tester is entirely voluntary and is done for no monetary reward from us.

INFORMATION: By becoming one you're helping the online community and also assist in making our free software better and bug-free.

In case you're willing to contribute to the development of our software (see the full list here), here's the list of skills you must possess to qualify:

1. Knowledge of the C/C++/MFC programming languages and of the Microsoft Visual Studio C++ 2008/2010 environment.
2. Knowledge of the Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP/Vista/7/8 Operating Systems programming/APIs/system calls, and ability to navigate through the MSDN knowledge base.
3. Some understanding of the subject in relationship to a particular software (example: System calls to achieve the power operations in case of WOSB or TOff. Sound formats and audio-hardware in case of SRR, etc.)
4. Willingness to study the existing source code of the software.
5. Ability to read and write in the English language.

If you think that you qualify, please send us your message via feedback here.

INFORMATION: Being a developer of our free software is entirely voluntary and does not incur any monetary compensation.

Another reason could be the "overloaded" system. This is the condition when any of the running processes are "misusing" the system resources, or, in other words, have memory leaks. This makes the system "grow" in its memory consumption gradually with the use of the faulty process. This problem is software specific. Unfortunately there are so many vendors out there that don't check their products extensively to determine memory leaks.

INFORMATION: You may want to check our other utility, called WinID, and this page on how to detect memory leaks in software.

As for the WakeupOnStandBy, when it hibernates your system it merely requests the Operating System to do so for it. So in a way WakeupOnStandBy acts as a scheduler and doesn't implement its own power saving techniques and relies on the Operating System. This may also explain why the scheduling may work less consistently on the older Operating Systems.

As a possible workaround for this issue, you can use the Stand-by (Sleep) mode instead of hibernation. This power mode is less energy efficient but requires less time to enter and restore from, and is more reliable.

1. Send computer into a standby, or sleep mode (so that it can be woken up programmatically later):
   INFO: Assumes that WOSB.exe is located in the same folder where the line below is called from. Otherwise include the full path to the wosb file before it.
   INFO: Although on Windows XP system you can add an optional /force parameter, it is recommended to try first without it.
   
    wosb /standby
    
2. Hibernate computer (so that it can be woken up programmatically later):
   INFO: Assumes that WOSB.exe is located in the same folder where the line below is called from. Otherwise include the full path to the wosb file before it.
   INFO: Although on Windows XP system you can add an optional /force parameter, it is recommended to try first without it.
   
    wosb /hibernate

Additionally you can check for the digital signature on the wosb.exe file by right-clicking it, then select Properties and switch to the Digital Signatures tab. Make sure that the signer (or publisher) is Dennis A. Babkin. (We started signing the WakeupOnStandBy program's executable since version 1.7.20.0.)

Unfortunately counterfeits like that seem to be really prevalent on the web these days. So let me tell you what happened. The WakeupOnStandBy utility was distributed as an open source project (along with its source code files) in the early days of its development. That essentially allowed anyone to download the files needed to build their own version of the WakeupOnStandBy utility. And, as it always happens, among thousands of good users of the software's source code there was evidently one or two that decided to re-code it into a malware. Also, since by design the WakeupOnStandBy was intended to resign in your system while doing the scheduling it also happens to become a "perfect framework" for writing a malware. So evidently some people couldn't enjoy something that was provided for free and was designed to help others ...

We've discovered the fact that the WakeupOnStandBy source code was misused and discontinued its distribution a long time ago (since v.1.7.9 as you can tell by the malware's name) but evidently it is still out there, being used to create a nuisance.

On top of that, to our greatest chagrin we've also discovered that some unscrupulous makers of anti-virus products and "How-to-fix" web sites also associate our name with this re-coded copy of the WakeupOnStandBy module, so you can find references such as "www.dennisbabkin.com Wosb1.7.9.exe Error" floating out there. We would like to assure you that we have nothing to do with this malware. The framework that was used to create it was stolen from us, that unfortunately had our name and the name of our product attached to it. As many people who use our software know, we will never make or post a virus, a malware or any piece of software that would harm a user's computer, collect any unauthorized information from our users, or do anything in that regard!

And lastly if you do believe that you might have fallen victim of the actual "Wosb1.7.9.exe" malware, run the system scan with a free copy of the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to remove it.

• Translation is a voluntary work. You will not get paid for it. As the acknowledgement of your efforts though, we promise to include the credit to the translator in the About window of the translated version of the WakeupOnStandBy program.
   
• You must be fluent not only in the language that you are translating to, but also in English. You must also be familiar with the WakeupOnStandBy program and with its function.
   
• Before beginning the translation, make sure to contact us and register your intent to translate. This is a very important step. The translation is a tedious process, and you wouldn't want to learn in the end that your translation is not needed because someone else has already been doing it for us. Only after you register your intent to translate the WakeupOnStandBy program, you can be assured that your work will be used in the end.
   
• Make sure to watch our introductory screencast that will demonstrate how we'd want you to do the translation.
   
• Download the translation package needed for the actual translation.
   
• Make sure to read and follow the rules of translation outlined in the INSTRUCTIONS file inside the translation package. Keep in mind that if you deviate from these rules your translation may be rejected!
   
• We'd expect you to finish the translation within a reasonable amount of time. It is also important that you keep us informed on your progress. Not being able to contact you will result in the cancelation of your translation intent.

Thank you for your interest in translation of the WakeupOnStandBy program!

• WakeupOnStandBy cannot and should not run from the Windows Task Scheduler. The latter one is a scheduler in itself, as well as the WakeupOnStandBy, and combining the two is like running two antivirus programs on the same system -- it does not make sense, and does not work. If you like using the Task Scheduler then don't use WakeupOnStandBy, and vice versa. They both provide equal set of options, although in our view, the WakeupOnStandBy program is less cumbersome to use. But again, it's entirely up to you... just don't mix the two!
   
• WakeupOnStandBy cannot run as a service, or wake your system without any logged on Windows users. This is the limitation that comes from the Operating System and has nothing to do with our software. To make it work we need to design it as a service, that will involve a whole host of additional steps that a user needs to perform. That won't make the WakeupOnStandBy program as simple to use as it is now, and thus we chose not to do it. (Note that we provide an option for the corporate and enterprise users to program a customized module with that capability. Read more here.)
   
• WakeupOnStandBy cannot wake every single computer from a suspended mode. To make you better understand why, let me say that the WakeupOnStandBy program does not do the waking (so to speak) itself, instead it relies on the Operating System and on your hardware (chipset) driver to do the job. So if the latter one fails, the operation fails as well. And, there are millions of hardware configurations that exist out there to work flawlessly. Make sure that you check this question, and if that didn't help ... sorry, you might be out of luck here.
   
• WakeupOnStandBy was designed to provide basic power saving capabilities for home and small office users only. If you're attempting to run it in your corporate or enterprise environment, you must realize that the free version of the WakeupOnStandBy program was not designed for your environment. This limitation comes from the pure physics of your hardware and software setup. Refer to this question for more details.

Still, if you believe that you're experiencing a bug in our software, check this question for the explanation on how to submit a bug report.

It is also important for you to understand how to configure your email client (program) to receive a response from us. You would be amazed how many emails that we reply to, bounce back only because your email server does not like our email address. The emailing business is very unreliable, so please keep this in mind. To make sure that you can receive our email responses add our domain @dennisbabkin.com into your email client's trusted list. Also make sure to check the spam folder, as it seems to be all too often that new emails are put there by the junky email severs such as Hotmail.com, MSN.com, AOL.com, Yahoo.com, etc. (The question you should ask yourself in this case is, "why am I still using them?" As a suggestion, get yourself a good free email account at Google's gmail.com.)

Having said that, keep in mind that we will not answer the following requests:

• Any types of solicitations will be ignored.
• Any requests to list your web site on our site will be ignored. We do not run commercials of any kind.
• Any Search Engine Optimization solicitations, besides being a scam, will also be ignored.
• Do not ask us to call you. All correspondence will go via email only.
• If you need permission to post our software on your web site, or publish it in your magazine, or include it on a CD/DVD/media disc that comes with it, you have our permission to do so. Make sure to take the software off this page.

And lastly, if you sent us a message and we haven't gotten back to you, this means that something went wrong. Please try sending it again, after having set up your email client as was described in the paragraph above. Also, try using any of your alternate email addresses from a different email provider.