Getting Started with Shadow PC Gaming

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Introduction with Shadow PC Gaming

General

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Technical Assistance - Apps, Ghost, and Box

Getting Started with Shadow PC Enterprise

Getting Started with Shadow Drive

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About automatic shutdown and Shadow PC

Updated 

After long periods of inactivity, Shadow PC will automatically shut itself down. When automatic shutdown is initiated, all of Shadow PC's services and the Windows operating system are turned off. Automatic shutdown helps prevent hardware damage, prioritize power conservation, and uphold our Rules and Restrictions. Save your work before leaving Shadow PC unattended.

Shadow PC has two different automatic shutdown behaviors:

  • Online shutdown: Shuts down Shadow PC when you are connected and no input has been detected.

  • Offline shutdown: Shuts down Shadow PC when your stream is closed or disconnected.

Note: Shadow PC will only initiate an online or offline shutdown after a specific amount of time has passed. During an incident, periods of high demand, or peak hours, the timer may change to accommodate users.

Peak hours typically occur between 19:00 and 24:00 UTC.

Online shutdown

Online shutdown occurs when Shadow PC is streaming, but the user appears to be inactive. Shadow PC relies on user input to determine activity, such as keystrokes or mouse clicks.

By default, Shadow PC shuts down after 2 hours of inactivity outside of peak hours. During peak hours, the timer will decrease to 1 hour. To resolve this notification, move your mouse, press a key, or input any other controls using your mouse or keyboard.

Offline shutdown

Offline shutdown occurs when your Shadow PC stream is closed, but Windows is still running. Shadow PC will shut down if the stream is still closed after 10 minutes of inactivity.

Note: If you have a Shadow PC Pro or Enterprise subscription, note that the shutdown option is not the same.

You can have more information here: About Automatic Shutdown and Shadow PC Pro & Entreprise.

Related questions

When a high volume of users are connected to Shadow PC, automatic shutdown helps users avoid queues and keeps waiting times shorter. Using automatic shutdown helps dedicate our resources to users who want to connect to Shadow PC and users who are currently connected.

No. Automatic shutdown ensures our users are connected to Shadow PC and using it while the service is on.

Unless you are actively using Shadow PC, it is not possible to circumvent automatic shutdown. Attempting to do so violates our Terms of Use.

Yes. Shadow PC relies on input from the user to stay active. The only exception to this is Shadow VR, which detects input from the VR headset.

No, Shadow PC requires physical input from the user to stay online. Using auto-clickers or macros are considered attempts to circumvent the automatic shutdown timer.

Still have questions after reading this article?

Check out our other articles or contact Shadow Support.