How to start HS3 from windows 10 automatically from a cold boot
I struggled for two days trying to get HS3 windows version to startup directly from a cold boot.
I had HS3 running as a service but from what I read it is not supported. Two issues I encountered running HS3 as a service were:
1. When closing the service down, log entries were lost and the home screen would not save which appliances were on/off correctly. (Devices from the main menu, would not save the state they were in)
2. The speaker did not work
I wanted for my dedicated PC to boot and start HS3 as if I started it manually.
Everything seems to work much better. Hopefully this will help you.
Here are the step by step instructions to start HS3 from windows 10.
Step 1 (You need to make your PC login automatically. If you have multiple user/profiles you will need to select one that has admin access.)
1. Right click on the windows button and select the “Run” command.
2. Enter netplwiz <Enter>
3. When the “User Accounts” dialog pops up click on the user you want to automatically login as.
4. At the top “uncheck” users must enter a username and password to user the computer
5. Now click apply
6. You must enter a user name and password to use this computer. Click Apply
Reboot the computer and watch it login by itself.
Step 2. (Add a new folder and task to the windows scheduler. This will bypass the dialog box when you start HS3.exe, you normally have to click OK. It's called User Account Control (UAC))
Start the “Task Schedule” by clicking on the windows button and typing “Task Schedule”
1. In Task Scheduler, right-click "Task Scheduler Library" and select "New Folder" and name it “WhiteList”
2. Select the new folder and click "Create Task" (not "Create Basic Task")
3. Name it “Run HS3”. Click "Run with highest privileges," and select your OS under "Configure for."
4. Under the Actions tab, select "Start a program" in the Action dropdown if it isn't already. Click Browse and find the HS3.exe file or Paste "C:\Program Files (x86)\HomeSeer HS3\HS3.exe" including the double quotes. Important: Start in (optional): C:\Program Files (x86)\HomeSeer HS3\ must be added as well.
Other settings… “Run only when the user is logged on” and “Run with highest privileges” should both be selected.
5. (Laptops only) Under Conditions tab, deselect "Start the task only if the computer is on AC power."
6. Go to the "Settings" tab and un-check "Stop this task if it runs longer then".
Step 3 - (Create a batch file)
1. On your desktop, right click and select New > Text Document
2. Paste
C:\Windows\System32\schtasks.exe /RUN /TN "WhiteList\Run HS3"
C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation
into the batch file.
3. Rename the batchfile to “StartHS3.cmd”
4. To test your work, double click on the StartHS3.cmd you just created, HS3 should start normally and then lock your screen. (If not, you have done something wrong)
Step 4 - (Copy the batch file to the windows startup folder)
Right click on the windows button and select the “Run” command.
paste shell:startup then press <Enter>.
Copy the shortcut you named “StartHS3.cmd” to the startup directory/folder that just opened.
Reboot
I struggled for two days trying to get HS3 windows version to startup directly from a cold boot.
I had HS3 running as a service but from what I read it is not supported. Two issues I encountered running HS3 as a service were:
1. When closing the service down, log entries were lost and the home screen would not save which appliances were on/off correctly. (Devices from the main menu, would not save the state they were in)
2. The speaker did not work
I wanted for my dedicated PC to boot and start HS3 as if I started it manually.
Everything seems to work much better. Hopefully this will help you.
Here are the step by step instructions to start HS3 from windows 10.
Step 1 (You need to make your PC login automatically. If you have multiple user/profiles you will need to select one that has admin access.)
1. Right click on the windows button and select the “Run” command.
2. Enter netplwiz <Enter>
3. When the “User Accounts” dialog pops up click on the user you want to automatically login as.
4. At the top “uncheck” users must enter a username and password to user the computer
5. Now click apply
6. You must enter a user name and password to use this computer. Click Apply
Reboot the computer and watch it login by itself.
Step 2. (Add a new folder and task to the windows scheduler. This will bypass the dialog box when you start HS3.exe, you normally have to click OK. It's called User Account Control (UAC))
Start the “Task Schedule” by clicking on the windows button and typing “Task Schedule”
1. In Task Scheduler, right-click "Task Scheduler Library" and select "New Folder" and name it “WhiteList”
2. Select the new folder and click "Create Task" (not "Create Basic Task")
3. Name it “Run HS3”. Click "Run with highest privileges," and select your OS under "Configure for."
4. Under the Actions tab, select "Start a program" in the Action dropdown if it isn't already. Click Browse and find the HS3.exe file or Paste "C:\Program Files (x86)\HomeSeer HS3\HS3.exe" including the double quotes. Important: Start in (optional): C:\Program Files (x86)\HomeSeer HS3\ must be added as well.
Other settings… “Run only when the user is logged on” and “Run with highest privileges” should both be selected.
5. (Laptops only) Under Conditions tab, deselect "Start the task only if the computer is on AC power."
6. Go to the "Settings" tab and un-check "Stop this task if it runs longer then".
Step 3 - (Create a batch file)
1. On your desktop, right click and select New > Text Document
2. Paste
C:\Windows\System32\schtasks.exe /RUN /TN "WhiteList\Run HS3"
C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation
into the batch file.
3. Rename the batchfile to “StartHS3.cmd”
4. To test your work, double click on the StartHS3.cmd you just created, HS3 should start normally and then lock your screen. (If not, you have done something wrong)
Step 4 - (Copy the batch file to the windows startup folder)
Right click on the windows button and select the “Run” command.
paste shell:startup then press <Enter>.
Copy the shortcut you named “StartHS3.cmd” to the startup directory/folder that just opened.
Reboot
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