Chapter 26 -- Power Management | Running Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional

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Chapter 26

Microsoft Windows 2000 supports the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) specifi- cation, which is the most sophisticated approach to power management available on today's computers. ACPI is a component of OnNow, a design initiative aimed at making computers behave more like other kinds of appliances, which spring to life more or less instantly at the press of a button, rather than having to go through a lengthy startup process.

ACPI is also the successor to an earlier power-management standard called Advanced Power Management (APM). Windows 2000 supports APM on most computers that don't meet the requirements of ACPI. The salient difference between APM and ACPI is that the former entrusts power management to your computer's BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), while power management under ACPI is a function of the operating system. With power management under software (operating system) control, ACPI-compliant systems can adjust their power states in response to applications and device drivers, as well as to user input. (Even though ACPI lets the operating system control your computer, your computer must still have ACPI support built in before it can grant such power to the operating system.)

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Make Sure Your New Computer Is ACPI-Compliant
Most, but not all, computers manufactured after January 1, 1999, are ACPI-compliant. To take advantage of the latest power-management features offered by Microsoft operating systems, be sure that any new computers you buy meet the requirements of this specification.

In this chapter, we'll look at the procedures for implementing power schemes, displaying a battery meter, setting battery alarms, and setting up standby and hibernation parameters. All these features are available via Power Options in Control Panel. Because power-management capabilities vary considerably from one computer to the next, however, what you see on your screen might not exactly match the images shown here, and you might have more or fewer options than are described in this chapter.

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How to Tell If Your Computer Is ACPI-Compliant
To confirm that your system is ACPI-compliant, right-click My Computer and choose Manage from the shortcut menu. In Computer Management, choose Device Manager. Expand the Computer entry. If the system is ACPI-compliant, the expanded entry says Advanced Configuration And Power Interface (ACPI) PC.