Dell EC280 Personal Computer User Manual


 
Setting Up and Using Your Computer 21
Power Management
The Microsoft
®
Windows
®
XP power management features can reduce the amount of electricity your
computer uses when it is on and you are not using it. You can reduce power to just the monitor or the
hard drive, or you can use standby mode or hibernate mode to reduce power to the entire computer.
When the computer exits from a power conservation mode, the Windows desktop is restored to the state
it was in before it entered the mode.
NOTE: Windows XP Professional includes security and networking features not available in Windows XP Home
Edition. When a Windows XP Professional computer is connected to a network, different options related to security
and networking appear in certain windows.
Standby Mode
Standby mode conserves power by turning off the display and the hard drive after a time-out. When the
computer exits from standby mode, it returns to the operating state it was in before it entered standby
mode.
To set standby mode to automatically activate after a defined period of inactivity:
1
Click the
Start
button, then click
Control Panel
.
2
If
Switch to Category View
appears in the
Control Panel
in the left of the window, click
Switch to
Category View
.
3
Under
Pick a category
, click
Performance and Maintenance
.
4
Under
or pick a Control Panel icon
, click
Power Options
.
5
Under the
Power Schemes
tab, change the settings in the drop-down boxes to those that you desire,
and then click
OK
.
To immediately activate standby mode without a period of inactivity, click the Start button, click Turn
Off Computer, and then click Stand by.
To exit from standby mode, press a key on the keyboard or move the mouse.
NOTICE: If your computer loses power while in standby mode, it may lose data.
Hibernate Mode
Hibernate mode conserves power by copying system data to a reserved area on the hard drive and then
completely turning off the computer. When the computer exits from hibernate mode, the desktop is
restored to the state it was in before it entered hibernate mode.
To activate hibernate mode:
1
Click the
Start
button, then click
Control Panel
.
2
Under
Pick a category
, click
Performance and Maintenance
.
3
Under
or pick a Control Panel icon
, click
Power Options
.
4
Define your hibernate settings on the
Power Schemes
tab,
Advanced
tab, and
Hibernate
tab (see
"Power Options Properties" on page 22).