Configure Windows XP power management

Power management stretches battery life on laptop computers, and can reduce electrical usage on your desktop computer. Here's how to set it up:

  1. Log on to your computer as an administrator.

  2. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

  3. Click Performance and Maintenance.

  4. Click Power Options.

  5. In the Power Options Properties dialog box, on the Power Schemes tab, click the Power schemes drop-down list and select the power scheme that most closely matches how you use your computer.

  6. If available, adjust the System standby and System hibernates settings if you are not happy with the default selection.

    Standby reduces power usage when your computer is not in use by turning off the parts of your computer that use the most energy. It only takes a few seconds to start a computer from standby. Hibernation saves your programs and shuts your computer down completely. Hibernation uses no power, but it takes a few seconds longer to recover from hibernation when you need to use your computer again.

    Setting shorter delays before standby and hibernation reduces power usage, but waiting for your computer to start may be inconvenient.

  7. On the Advanced tab, you can adjust the default behavior of the power buttons on your computer. On notebook computers, you can significantly extend the battery life by setting the When I close the lid on my portable computer option to Stand by.

  8. On the Hibernate tab, select Enable hibernation if it is not already selected.

  9. Click OK.

Power managements options, such as System standby and System hibernation, are a compromise between power usage and convenience. If you find it annoying when your computer goes into standby or hibernation, repeat these steps to increase the length of the delay or to disable those features completely.