Mp3 Computer Alarm Clock

Use an old or current computer to wake you up to your favorite tunes using only free software. Note that this has only been tested on an XP machine....Vista users can try this but it might not work

Step 1: Download Programs

The first thing that you will need to do is go out on the internet and download the necessary supporting applications. You will need VLC Media Player and Auto Hot Key. You may also want to download a nice icon for the program we will be creating from Here. Once you have downloaded the programs, install them.

Comments

[atarom]

Uhhhh, can't tasks open playlists? That's what I did in high school... 10 years ago =/

[natrinicle]

 I think if you were to start a task with a command line of "start c:\path\to\playlist.m3u" then it should start the playlist with the default media player.

[tabllabesab]

hey i did this on vista and it worked great. I didn't even have to compile it the vista task scheduler can run scripts. Also i use a .pls file so now i wake up to my favorite internet radio station. thanks a bunch it great to wake up and be jamming out to some hardstyle. 

[xaenon]

You could do the whole thing using Windows task scheduler. Nice thing there is using task scheduler you can have any number of events scheduled and there are options other than time/date. Once you've set it, you don't have to have winamp running - scheduler will call it up and load it for you based on the time you've specified. But, as has been pointed out, the computer has to be running for this to work.

[malenkylizards]

Shooby, I'm not too sure about the details and am about to explore this further...but my cheap-o Asus motherboard has an option in the BIOS to power up your computer at a given time daily. This may not be an option for everyone but if it works, this'd be even better!

[natrinicle]

Thanks for your comment, following up I have also found a feature of task scheduler I didn't know existed when I wrote this. You can put your computer to sleep and provided that you check the box that states: "Wake Computer to run this task" under the settings tab it will turn itself back on to play your alarm.

[TOCO]

what is the 3-d tic tac toe? could you send me a link if it is a download?

[natrinicle]

It's an old dos game. I found it on a freeware dos games disc I got from a second hand store. I'm not sure if or where you could find it online. Best bet is to try abandonware sites

[gschoppe]

dude, google "citrus alarm clock", it takes much less work, and it'll play in the default media player for whatever format you choose. sorry to sound like an ad, but in my opinion, this is too complicated to use on a daily basis.

[natrinicle]

Citrus alarm clock does look like a good alternative. However I am what you might call a starving student and don't really feel like paying for anything (although citrus is cheap). Also the hardest part is really only making the exe to begin with, setting the alarm I do once a semester for classes and only here and there for other morning activities. Although I do see your point

[gschoppe]

I didn't realize that citrus had gone shareware... version 1.0.5 is still available for free...

however, if you're using a set schedule, your method probably works fine.

citrus 1.0.5

[mrmath]

Why not winamp with an alarm clock plugin?

[natrinicle]

Winamp would also be a great solution to the problem. The only question I have about it is: Would you have to have winamp running as it is a plugin. I'm very forgetful about starting things every night and if it is dependent on winamp running then that would not be the solution for me. Also I did want to stay in the spirit of making things, so why use it when you can build something on your own? The other nice thing about the way that I did it is that Auto Hot Key can do sooo much more than simply run a program or control the volume. I can set it up to load a nice online morning newspaper, pop up a small text window(for being discreet), or use it in a multitude of other ways. Check out AHK's website to see all that it can do.

[shooby]

Or a radio alarm clock, perhaps. Seems a bit wasteful to keep the computer on all night, just so that you can listen to an extra song in the morning.

[natrinicle]

I leave the computer on anyway, so it might as well do something useful for me in the morning. It's that argument of what's better for a computer...on 24/7 or only on when you need it.