Power Management for Computers

The power management configuration enables you to adjust your power settings to save energy. You can add, modify, and delete power schemes for computers from a central point. You can cut down the cost that is spent on power, when the computers are idle. You can create customized power schemes and apply it to computers via configurations. 

Endpoint Central supports power management only for computers running Windows Vista and later versions.  You can perform the following operations on idle computers by creating power schemes:

The above listed operations can be executed on the computers based on the idle time and mode of power supply such as plugged in and battery mode. After customizing the power schemes, you can choose to apply the power scheme as follows:

• Overwrite the existing power schemes with the latest one, that you have created. If more than one power scheme exists with the same name, you can choose to overwrite the previous one with the latest.
• Set the newly created power scheme as active power scheme, if you do not set it as active, then the power scheme will be deployed to the computer. You will have to apply/activate it manually for the power scheme to work.
• You can choose to enable, support for hibernate. If you do not enable support for hibernate, then the option to hibernate will not work, even if it is specified in the power scheme.
• You can choose to enable hybrid sleep for computers, running Windows 7 and later versions. "Hybrid sleep" can be applied for computers, running Windows 7 and later versions. It stores all data and working documents on the hard disk and turns the computer to sleep, which means the power consumed is relatively less. Assume a computer has turned off without power, it still restores the working files and resumes back to work, when it is boot up the next time.  

You can execute advanced options while configuring the Power Management configuration like:

• Prompting for password, when the computer resumes from sleep
• Actions which needs to be performed, when the laptop's lid is closed
• Actions to be performed, when the power button is pressed
• Actions to be performed, when the sleep button is pressed

These actions can be customized, based on the mode of power, like plugged in mode or when it runs on battery.

The Power Management Configuration enables you to adjust your power settings to save energy. You can add, modify, and delete power schemes for users from a central point.

Configuring Power Management

Step 1: Name the Configuration

Provide a name and description for the Power Management Configuration.

Step 2: Define Configuration

You can perform the following actions:

• Create/Modify a Power Scheme
• Delete a Power Scheme

Create/Modify a Power Scheme

To create a new scheme, select the Create Scheme tab of the Power Management Configuration. Select the Modify Scheme tab to modify an existing scheme. Specify the following values:

Parameter	Description
Power Scheme*	The name of the power scheme that has to be created/modified. If you are modifying a default scheme, select the Default Scheme option and select the scheme.
Overwrite if scheme already exits	Select this option to overwrite the scheme, if one with the same name exists. This option is only available for create scheme.
Set as active power scheme	Select this option if you wish to make this scheme active. Clearing this option will only create or modify the scheme and the system will continue to use the previously applied scheme.
Turn Off Monitor	Turns off the monitor after the specified period of inactivity. Select the period from the combo box.
Turn Off Hard Disk	Turns off the hard disk after the specified period of inactivity. Select the period from the combo box.
System StandBy	The system goes to the standby mode after the specified period of inactivity. Select the period from the combo box.
System Hibernate	Turns off the computer after saving everything in memory to the hard disk after the specified period of inactivity. When the system is turned on again, it is restored to the same position. Select the period from the combo box.
AdvancedOption
Enable Hibernate support	Select this option to enable hibernation of the computer.
Always show icon on the taskbar	Select this option to display the power icon in the system tray.
Prompt for password when computer goes off StandBy	Select this option, if you wish the user to authenticate himself/herself when the computer is resumed from standby mode.
When I close lid	Select the action to be performed on closing the lid. It can be either left as such or made to go to the standby mode.
When I press the power button on my computer	Select the action to be performed when the power button is pressed from the following options: Do nothing - to leave it as such Ask me what to do - to prompt the user Standby - to go to the standby mode Shutdown to shutdown the computer
When I press the sleep button on my computer	Select the action to be performed when the sleep button is pressed from the following options: Do nothing - to leave it as such Ask me what to do - to prompt the user Standby - to go to the standby mode Shutdown to shutdown the computer

* - denotes mandatory parameters

While creating new schemes, you can select any of the default schemes from the list to load its values and then modify it to suit your need.

If you wish to create/modify more schemes, click Add More Scheme button and repeat step 2. The defined scheme gets added to the List of Power Schemes added table.

Delete a Power Scheme

To delete an existing power scheme, select the Delete Scheme tab of the Power Management Configuration and specify the name of the scheme that has to be deleted.

If you wish to create/modify/delete more schemes, click Add More Scheme button and repeat step 2. The defined task gets added to the List of Power Schemes added table.

To modify a scheme from List of Power Schemes added table, select the appropriate row and click icon and change the required values.

To delete scheme from List of Power Schemes added table, select the appropriate row and click icon.

Step 3: Define Target

Using  the Defining Targets procedure, define the targets for deploying the Power Management Configuration.

Step 4: Deploy Configuration

Click the Deploy button to deploy the defined Power Management Configuration in the defined targets. The Power Management configuration will take effect during the next user logon.

To save the configuration as draft, click Save as Draft.

Modify/Delete power schemes

You can choose to modify either the user defined scheme or default scheme. The remaining setting are the same as that of creating a new scheme. If you wish to delete a scheme, just specify the name of the scheme.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I verify that the power management settings have been successfully applied on the target system?

   Once the power management configuration is successfully executed, the Endpoint Central agent enforces the configured power settings on the target system. To confirm the applied changes, navigate to Power Options on the target Windows device (Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options) and verify that the active power plan reflects the settings deployed through Endpoint Central, as shown below:

   

   If the power plan changes are visible in Windows Power Options but are not functioning as expected, contact Endpoint Central Support at endpointcentral-support@manageengine.com for further analysis and resolution.