Can you turn a laptop on without opening the lid?

[ski]

Here's a question: Is there a way to power up a laptop while it's closed, of course, without pressing the power button?

My laptop would be closed and tucked away, so the power button won't be accessible, and it's connected to an LCD monitor (assume the laptop's screen is busted, but it still outputs to a monitor fine). Is it possible to build a switch to turn on the laptop remotely?

:confused:

[Tommy Boomfiger]

i used to turn my computer on with my modem. if i wanted it on by the time i got in i would call ahead and it would turn on. now im too lazy to turn it off

[ski]

It's going to be for a car, so "ignition lead" may have something to do with it, but even then...

[Tommy Boomfiger]

you could always crack open the laptop and move the power switch. or get a new switch that operates just like the power switch, get some extra wire and mount it somewhere in reach.

[ski]

Originally posted by Tommy Boomfiger
you could always crack open the laptop and move the power switch. or get a new switch that operates just like the power switch, get some extra wire and mount it somewhere in reach.
That'd require cracking open the laptop case and extending the power button? Would that be possible to take the button off, solder a longer wire to it that leads out to a switch on the dash, and it'd work?

[Jeffbx]

If the NIC supports WOL (wake-on LAN) you can send it a power up signal from another PC...

Edit: never mind - just saw you're putting it in a car.

[ribitch]

what type of laptop is it? the design of the powerswitch i simportant, since some use a true pushbutton switch, while others use a switch similar to a keyboard key. I have never tried to solder onto one of those contacts, so i dont know if soldering a switch will work. chances are, it will work/

[ski]

It will be a Dell. Either a 6 year old Latitude CP (233 MHz) or a 6 week old Inspiron 8600 (1.4 GHz).

[bbrian]

On my latitude it defaults to the display being the onboard lcd if it isn't docked and requires that I switch to the external display, which means opening it. If I have it docked the power button on the doc is used and the display defaults to the external display.. I guess my point is if it isn't in a docking station won't you have to open it to switch the display anyways?