Abstract: A system and method for allowing remote initialization, operation, and monitoring of a general-purpose computer and its power supply through bi-directional control of the computer by a remote user, whereby DTMF tones, generated by a telephone at the user end, are received and converted to keyboard control signals, allowing for operations executable by the computer to be remotely generated, including checking system status, executing "Power-ON" and "Power-OFF" commands, cold booting and warm booting the computer, as well as operating the host computer with respect to its operating system and application software, even where there has been a catastrophic malfunction of the host computer and even where the computer includes an ATX motherboard.