Microsoft Press Windows Vista Administrator's Pocket Consultant ebook
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Because a computer can have multiple power plans, each plan can be optimized for the way a laptop is used at a particular time. You can configure multiple power plans for different situations. At home or in the office, laptops might need different power management configurations than they do when users are giving presentations. In one case, you might want to configure the laptop to quickly conserve energy when running on batteries. In another case, you might want to ensure that the laptop never turns off its hard disk or wireless adapters.
Selecting and Optimizing Power Plans
Although computers can have multiple power plans, only one can be active at any given time. To select or optimize a power plan, follow these steps:
Click Start and then click Control Panel.
In Control Panel, click System And Maintenance and then click Power Options.
As shown in Figure 7-2, you can specify the power plan to use by selecting it in the Preferred Plans list.
Figure 7-2: Choose a power plan.
Click Change Plan Settings for the plan you want to work with. This displays the Edit Plan Settings page, shown in Figure 7-3.
Figure 7-3: Configure power plan settings.
Use the Turn Off Display list to specify whether or when the computer's display automatically turns off. Choose Never to disable this feature.
Use the Put Computer To Sleep list to specify whether or when the computer automatically enters sleep mode. Choose Never to disable this feature.
If you want to configure advanced options, click Change Advanced Power Settings. Use the settings in the Power Options dialog box, shown in Figure 7-4, to configure the advanced settings. Click OK.
Figure 7-4: Use the Power Options dialog box to configure advanced power options.
Click Save Changes to save any changes you've made.
Creating Power Plans
In addition to the preferred power plans included with Windows Vista, you can create power plans as needed. To create a power plan, follow these steps:
Click Start and then click Control Panel.
In Control Panel, click System And Maintenance and then click Power Options.
In the left pane, click Create A Plan. This displays the Create A Power Plan page, shown in Figure 7-5.
Figure 7-5: Create a power plan.
To prepopulate the power plan settings, select the preferred power plan that is closest to the type of plan you want to create.
In the Plan Name field, type a descriptive name for the plan and then click Next. This displays the Edit Plan Settings page.
Use the Turn Off Display list to specify whether or when the computer's display automatically turns off. Choose Never to disable this feature.
Use the Put Computer To Sleep list to specify whether or when the computer automatically enters sleep mode. Choose Never to disable this feature.
Click Create to create the plan. The Power Options page is displayed with updates to include the plan you created as a new preferred plan that replaces the plan you selected while creating the plan. You'll find the original preferred plan under Additional Plans. Click the Expand button on the right to display the plan.
The plan you created is selected by default. Click Change Plan Settings for this plan to display the Edit Plan Settings page and then click Change Advanced Power Settings to display the Power Options dialog box.
After you configure the advanced power options as appropriate, click OK and then click Save Changes to save any changes you've made.
Configuring System-Wide Power Button and Password Protection on Wake Setting
System-wide settings for power options enable you to customize the way the power button and password protection on wake works. You can configure the power button so that when it is pressed, the system shuts down, hibernates, or enters sleep mode. You can configure the computer so that when it wakes from sleep, a password is either required or not required to unlock the screen.
To set system-wide power settings, follow these steps:
Click Start and then click Control Panel.
In Control Panel, click System And Maintenance and then click Power Options.
In the left pane, click Choose What The Power Button Does.
Use the When I Press The Power Button list to specify whether the computer should shut down, sleep, or hibernate when the power button is pressed. (See Figure 7-6.) You cannot, however, use an option that is not supported by the computer.
Figure 7-6: Set the power button and password protection on wake behavior.
Use the Password Protection On Wakeup options to specify whether the computer requires a password on wakeup. It is a good idea to prompt for a password to help ensure the security of the system.
Click Save Changes when you are finished making changes.
Managing Power Plans from the Command Line
Windows Vista includes the Power Configuration (Powercfg.exe) utility for managing power plans from the command line. You can view a list of options for this utility by typing powercfg /? at a command prompt. The parameters you'll work with most often include:
-a Lists the available sleep states on the computer
-d [guid] Deletes the power plan specified by the globally unique identifier (GUID)
-h Toggles the hibernate feature on or off
-l Lists the power plans configured on a computer by name and GUID
-q [guid] Lists the contents of the power plan specified by the GUID
-s [guid] Makes the power plan specified by the GUID the active power plan
-setabsentia [guid] Makes the power plan specified by the GUID the power plan to use when no one is logged on
Note
By default, Windows Vista computers use hybrid sleep instead of hibernate. Hibernate should not be configured without first determining compatibility.
The following is a sample listing returned by typing powercfg–l at a command prompt:
Existing Power Schemes (* Active)
-----------------------------------
Power Scheme GUID: 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260df2e (Balanced)
Power Scheme GUID: 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c (High performance)
Power Scheme GUID: a1841308-3541-4fab-bc81-f71556f20b4a (Power saver)
Power Scheme GUID: c1d97820-3148-42a9-a587-
75d618a9bb2b (Graphics Department Plan) *
The active plan is marked with an asterisk. From this listing, you can determine that a computer has four power plans and the active power plan is the Graphics Department Plan.
If you want to configure power plans or modify power settings using powercfg, you'll need to do this using an elevated command prompt. When a parameter requires a GUID, the easiest way to obtain this value is to type powercfg–l at an elevated command prompt and then copy the value for the appropriate power plan. For example, if you wanted to make the Balanced plan the default for the computer in the previous example, you would type the following at an elevated command prompt:
powercfg -s 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260df2e
Managing Power Plans in Group Policy
In Group Policy, you'll find policy settings for managing power plans under Computer ConfigurationAdministrative TemplatesSystemPower Management. Under Notification Settings, you'll find policy settings that enable you to configure low battery and critical battery alarm actions. Configuring notification is covered in this chapter in the "Using Alarms and Configuring Alarm Actions" section. Under Button Settings, Hard Disk Settings, Processor Settings, Sleep Settings, and Video And Display Settings, you'll find separate policy settings for when the computer is plugged in and when the computer is running on battery power. To apply a policy setting, enable the policy and then select the appropriate action.
Through Group Policy, you can also specify an active power plan. How you work with Power Management policies depends on whether you want to use a default power plan, an updated preferred plan, or a custom power plan that you've created. If you want all computers that pr
ocess a particular policy to use one of Windows Vista's default power plans, follow these steps:
After you open the Group Policy object that you want to work with for editing, expand Computer ConfigurationAdministrative TemplatesSystemPower Management.
Double-click Select An Active Power Plan.
Select Enabled and then use the Active Power Plan list to select the plan to use. The options are High Performance, Power Saver, and Automatic. If you choose Automatic, Windows Vista uses the Balanced power plan in most cases.
Click OK.
If you want all computers that process a particular policy to use an updated preferred plan or a custom power plan that you've created, follow these steps:
After you open the Group Policy object that you want to work with for editing, expand Computer ConfigurationAdministrative TemplatesSystemPower Management.
Double-click Select A Custom Active Power Plan.
Select Enabled and then in the Custom Active Power Plan (GUID) text box, type the GUID of the power plan to use.
Click OK.
Tip
To determine the GUID of a power plan, get a list of the power plans configured on a computer by typing powercfg -l at an elevated command prompt.
Using Alarms and Configuring Alarm Actions
Alarms determine whether a laptop sounds an alarm or displays a warning message when its battery reaches a certain level. You can configure two levels of alarms for laptops: Low Battery Alarm and Critical Battery Alarm. The Low Battery Alarm is meant to alert the user when the battery power level is nearly depleted. The low-power state is activated by default when the battery has 10 percent or less power remaining. The Critical Battery Alarm is meant to alert the user when the battery is about to fail. The critical-power state is activated by default when the battery has 3 percent or less power remaining. On a battery with a three-hour life, 3 percentage points is about 5 minutes of usage.
An alarm action associated with each alarm enables you to dictate what specific actions the operating system should take when an alarm level is reached. You can also configure the computer to run a program when an alarm occurs. This is useful if you need to run a cleanup script or another program that helps maintain the system and the user's data. Because there are different considerations for configuring the alert levels, I'll examine each separately in the sections that follow.
Configuring Low Battery Notification and Actions
As stated previously, the low battery notification is a warning that the system is getting low on power. When entering the low-power state, the system notifies the user with either a text prompt alone or a text prompt and an audible alarm. In some cases, you might want to configure the computer to go a step further and enter standby mode in addition to or instead of giving a warning.
To configure the low battery notification and actions, follow these steps:
After you open the Group Policy object that you want to work with for editing, expand Computer ConfigurationAdministrative TemplatesSystemPower ManagementNotification Settings.
To set the low battery notification action, double-click Low Battery Notification Action. Select Enabled and then use the Low Battery Notification Action list to select the desired action, such as Sleep. Click OK.
To specify when the low battery alarm is triggered, double-click Low Battery Notification Level. Select Enabled and then use the Low Battery Notification Level combo box to set the appropriate alarm level. Click OK.
Tip
The default low battery alarm level is based on the total battery life and is 10 percent. On most systems, this is an appropriate value. However, I've found that on some systems, especially those with poor batteries, this isn't enough, and then I increase the level to between 12 and 15 percent. In contrast, on energy-efficient systems or those with two batteries, the default value is often too much. Here, I adjust the level so that the user is notified when about 20 minutes of battery power remains.
By default, users are notified when a computer's battery runs low. If you want to disable user notification for a low battery condition, double-click Turn Off Low Battery User Notification, click Enabled, and then click OK.
Configuring Critical Battery Alarms
Critical battery alarms are designed to ensure that systems enter an appropriate mode prior to running out of power. When entering a critical-power state, the system notifies the user and then enters sleep mode. In sleep mode, the computer's power-manageable components shut off to conserve power. I often configure the low-power alarm so that the computer enters sleep mode. I then configure the critical-power alarm to have the computer enter hibernation mode or shut down. This takes power management to the next level and helps preserve the system before power is completely exhausted.
To configure the critical battery actions, follow these steps:
After you open the Group Policy object that you want to work with for editing, expand Computer ConfigurationAdministrative TemplatesSystemPower ManagementNotification Settings.
To set the critical battery notification action, double-click Critical Battery Notification Action. Select Enabled and then use the Critical Battery Notification Action list to select the desired action, such as Hibernate or Shut Down. Click OK.
To specify when the critical battery alarm is triggered, double-click Critical Battery Notification Level. Select Enabled and then use the Critical Battery Notification Level combo box to set the appropriate alarm level. Click OK.
Tip
The default critical alarm level is based on the total battery life and is 3 percent. In most cases, this value is appropriate. However, if you plan for the computer go into hibernation or shut down, you might want to reduce this value. You also want to take into account the battery life. If a computer has a long battery life, the default typically is too high, but if a computer has a short battery life, it might not be high enough. I usually set the critical power alarm so that the alarm action is triggered when there are 6 to 8 minutes of power remaining.
Configuring Networking for Laptops
Most laptops need more than one network configuration: one for the office and one for home (and maybe another for when the user is traveling). At the office, the laptop uses a dynamic Internet Protocol (IP) address and network settings that are assigned by a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server. At home, the laptop uses a static IP address and different network settings to communicate on a network and access a shared printer and broadband Internet device. In some cases, a laptop might need to be configured to make a Wi-Fi connection using a Wi-Fi adapter card with a static IP configuration when the user is away from his or her desk; and it might need a DHCP configuration when the laptop is physically connected to the network, or vice versa. When a system uses DHCP to obtain its primary network settings, you can configure alternate network settings for those times when a DHCP server isn't available, such as when the user is traveling or at home. Systems can use alternate configurations in one of two ways: either automatically or user-configured. In meeting rooms or elsewhere on the go, laptop users are also likely to need to connect to networked projectors, a task for which the Connect To A Network Projector Wizard provides an easy solution.
Configuring Dynamic IP Addresses
DHCP gives you centralized control over IP addresses and TCP/IP default settings. If the network has a DHCP server, you can assign a dynamic IP address to any of the network adapter cards on a computer. Afterward, you rely on the DHCP server to supply the basic information necessary for TCP/IP networking. To configure dynamic IP addresses, complete these steps:
Click Start and then click Control Panel.
In Control Panel, under the Network And Internet heading, click View Network Status And Tasks.
In the left pane in Network And Sharing Center, click Manage Network Connections.
Network Connections displays a list of all network connections configured for use on the computer. Right-click the connection you want to configure and then select P
roperties.
Open the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties dialog box by double-clicking Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4). You can also select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and then click Properties. This displays the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties dialog box, shown in Figure 7-7.
Figure 7-7: To use DHCP, configure the computer to obtain an IP address automatically.
Select Obtain An IP Address Automatically. If desired, select Obtain DNS Server Address Automatically. Alternatively, select Use The Following DNS Server Addresses and then type a preferred and alternate Domain Name System (DNS) server address in the fields provided.
When you're finished, click OK.
If your organization or network uses IP Version 6, open the Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) Properties dialog box by double-clicking Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6). Select Obtain An IP Address Automatically. If desired, select Obtain DNS Server Address Automatically. Alternatively, select Use The Following DNS Server Addresses and then type a preferred and alternate Domain Name System (DNS) server address in the fields provided. Click OK.
Configure alternate private IP addressing and Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS) as necessary.
Configuring Alternate Private IP Addresses
Only IP Version 4 connections have alternate configurations. When you use DHCP with an IP Version 4 connection, an automatic private IP address (APIPA) is assigned automatically when the DHCP server can't be reached during startup or when the current IP address lease expires. The automatic private IP address is in the range from 169.254.0.1 to 169.254.255.254 with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0. Because the automatic private IP address configuration does not include a default gateway, DNS, or WINS server settings, a computer using the alternate IP addressing is isolated on a separate network segment in the APIPA range.