How to countdown from a specific number

   Sub StartTimer(ByVal OffsetMinutes As Integer)
        tmrCountdown.Stop()

        dtStartTime = Now
        dtFinishTime = dtStartTime.AddMinutes(OffsetMinutes)
        dtLastBeep = dtStartTime

        txtCountdown.Text = OffsetMinutes & ":00"
        tmrCountdown.Start()
    End Sub

    Sub TimerEvent(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As Timers.ElapsedEventArgs) Handles tmrCountdown.Elapsed
        tsTimeLeft = dtFinishTime.Subtract(Now)
        If tsTimeLeft.Ticks > 0 Then
            iMinutesLeft = tsTimeLeft.Minutes + Fix(tsTimeLeft.TotalHours) * 60
            iSecondsLeft = tsTimeLeft.Seconds
            iMilliLeft = Fix(tsTimeLeft.Milliseconds / 10)

            newText = iSecondsLeft.ToString("00") & ":" & iMilliLeft.ToString("00")

            If iMinutesLeft > 0 Then
                newText = iMinutesLeft.ToString("00") & ":" & newText
            End If
            txtCountdown.Text = newText

            If Now.Subtract(dtLastBeep).TotalSeconds >= 15 Then
                dtLastBeep = Now
                Beep() : Beep() : Beep()
            End If
        Else
            txtCountdown.Text = "00:00:00"
            tmrCountdown.Stop()
        End If
    End Sub

    Private Sub Button6_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button6.Click
        StartTimer(2)
    End Sub

you start the time using StartTimer(NumberOfMinutes)

the beep is set for every 15 seconds at the moment so change it to what you like

Sorry but I am rather new at this.  
What do I declare the variables as?  I tried As DateTime but it didn't work.

ahh sorry, i meant to paste that part in... apologies:

this is outside the scope of the methods i.e. before the Sub TimerEvent line



    Dim dtStartTime, dtFinishTime, dtLastBeep As DateTime
    Dim tsTimeLeft As TimeSpan
    Dim iSecondsLeft, iMinutesLeft, iMilliLeft As Integer
    Dim newText As String

What about txtCountdown and tmrCountdown?

ahhh, missed another line out of my code... as for txtCountDown, that's just a textbox on your form called txtCountDown

(to put with the other declarations)

Dim WithEvents tmrCountdown As New Timers.Timer(25) 'the 25 is 25 milliseconds which is the update interval

Thanks
Is there a way that it could count down from a smaller amount than a minute.  Meaning that instead of counting down from 2 minutes it could count down from 30 Seconds or even 2 minutes and 30 seconds?

Also, is there a way to pause the timer and the clicking it again would have it start from where it left off?

ok...

  Sub StartTimer_Seconds(ByVal OffsetSeconds As Integer)
        tmrCountdown.Stop()

        dtStartTime = Now
        dtFinishTime = dtStartTime.AddSeconds(OffsetSeconds)
        dtLastBeep = dtStartTime

        txtCountdown.Text = Fix(OffsetSeconds / 60).ToString("00") & ":" & (OffsetSeconds Mod 60).ToString("00") & ":00"
        tmrCountdown.Start()
    End Sub

     Sub ResumeCountdown()
        If tmrCountdown.Enabled = True Then Exit Sub
        If dtFinishTime = Nothing Then Exit Sub
        dtLastBeep = dtLastBeep.Add(Now.Subtract(dtPauseTime))
        dtFinishTime = dtFinishTime.Add(Now.Subtract(dtPauseTime))
        tmrCountdown.Start()
    End Sub

    Sub ToggleCountdown()
        If tmrCountdown.Enabled Then
            PauseCountdown()
        Else
            ResumeCountdown()
        End If
    End Sub

    Private Sub Button7_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button7.Click
        ToggleCountdown()
    End Sub

   Sub PauseCountdown()
        If tmrCountdown.Enabled = False Then Exit Sub
        tmrCountdown.Stop()
        dtPauseTime = Now
    End Sub

Should dtPauseTime be declared as
Dim dtPauseTime As DateTime?

yes, sorry... i slipped it in amongst my other DateTime declares and so forgot to repost that part... but I've tried to prefix my variables so it gives you a hint as to what they are... just wish I was this tidy with my code all the time...

first you start using things like:

Dim dtPauseTie as DateTime

 and by the end of the project you start doing

Dim blah as string
Dim xx as integer

anyway, hope all works now

Thanks for the code.
I think I may be doing something wrong though.  I enter the following code and run the app and nothing happens when I push the button.

Dim dtStartTime, dtFinishTime, dtLastBeep As DateTime
    Dim tsTimeLeft As TimeSpan
    Dim iSecondsLeft, iMinutesLeft, iMilliLeft As Integer
    Dim newText As String
    Dim WithEvents tmrCountdown As New Timers.Timer(25) 'the 25 is 25 milliseconds which is the update interval
    Dim dtPauseTime As DateTime



    Sub StartTimer_Seconds(ByVal OffsetSeconds As Integer)
        tmrCountdown.Stop()

        dtStartTime = Now
        dtFinishTime = dtStartTime.AddSeconds(OffsetSeconds)
        dtLastBeep = dtStartTime

        txtCountdown.Text = Fix(OffsetSeconds / 60).ToString("00") & ":" & (OffsetSeconds Mod 60).ToString("00") & ":00"
        tmrCountdown.Start()
    End Sub

    Sub ResumeCountdown()
        If tmrCountdown.Enabled = True Then Exit Sub
        If dtFinishTime = Nothing Then Exit Sub
        dtLastBeep = dtLastBeep.Add(Now.Subtract(dtPauseTime))
        dtFinishTime = dtFinishTime.Add(Now.Subtract(dtPauseTime))
        tmrCountdown.Start()
    End Sub

    Sub ToggleCountdown()
        If tmrCountdown.Enabled Then
            PauseCountdown()
        Else
            ResumeCountdown()
        End If
    End Sub

    Sub PauseCountdown()
        If tmrCountdown.Enabled = False Then Exit Sub
        tmrCountdown.Stop()
        dtPauseTime = Now
    End Sub

    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        ToggleCountdown()
    End Sub

Where do I tell it how many minutes and seconds I want it to countdown?
Also, where do I tell it after how many seconds to Beep?

I increased the point total since it is getting more complicated.

Thanks a ton!

Is there a way to make it play a .wav file instead of a Beep?

you can,   you could either use windows media player control, sound recorder control,  or an API (prolly the neatest and less clunky way... but i forget the name of it right now)

but just to alter your code for this... replace this line

Beep() : Beep() : Beep()

with

DoMyBeep()

then add a seperate sub/method

Private Sub DoMyBeep()
      ' Here will be the code for doing the beep... when we find it
End Sub

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This just prevents the methods from becoming too busy