Controlling Power Options

You can change power options properties for a portable or laptop computer to reduce power consumption and maximize battery life. For example, if you often leave your computer for a short time while working, you can set your computer to go into standby , a state in which your monitor and hard disks turn off after being idle for a set time. If you are often away from your computer for an extended time, you can set it to go into hibernation , a state in which your computer first saves everything in memory on your hard disk and then shuts down. To help you set power options, you can choose one of the power schemes included with Windows or modify one to suit your needs. A power scheme is a predefined collection of power usage settings. You can also set alarms and passwords and show the power icon on the taskbar. The power options you see vary depending on your computer's hardware configuration. Windows detects what is available on your computer and shows you only the options that you can control.

Select or Create a Power Scheme

Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel.

Double-click the Power Options icon in Classic view.

Click the Power Schemes Tab.

Click the Power Schemes list arrow, and then select a power scheme.

If you want, modify the power scheme settings.

Click Save As, type a name for the new scheme, and then click OK.

Click OK.

Did You Know?

You can enable hibernation . In the Power Options dialog box, click the Hibernate tab, select the Enable Hibernation check box, and then click OK.

Set Battery Options

Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel.

Double-click the Power Options icon in Classic view.

Click the Alarms tab.

Select the check boxes to activate a battery alarm when power reaches a certain level.

Drag a Power Level slider to adjust the alarm setting.

To set an action when the power level is reached, click Alarm Action, select an action, and then click OK.

Click the Power Meter tab, and then check battery power levels.

Click OK.

Set Advanced Options

Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel.

Double-click the Power Options icon in Classic view.

Click the Advanced tab.

Select the Always Show Icon On The Taskbar check box.

Select the Prompt For Password When Computer Resumes From Standby check box.

Specify the actions you want to occur when you press a power button.

Click OK.