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Setting Up and Using Your Computer 45
To set standby mode to automatically activate after a defined period of inactivity:
1
Click
Start
→
Control Panel
→
Pick a category
→
Performance and Maintenance
.
2
Under
or pick a Control Panel icon
, click
Power Options
.
To immediately activate standby mode without a period of inactivity, click Start
→
Turn Off
Computer
→
Stand by.
To exit from standby mode, press a key on the keyboard or move the mouse.
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
prior to entering hibernate mode.
To activate hibernate mode:
1
Click
Start
→
Control Panel
→
Pick a category
→
Performance and Maintenance
.
2
Under
or pick a Control Panel icon
, click
Power Options
.
3
Define your hibernate settings on the
Power Schemes
tab,
Advanced
tab, and
Hibernate
tab.
To exit from hibernate mode, press the power button. The computer may take a short time to exit from
hibernate mode. Because the keyboard and mouse do not function in hibernate mode, pressing a key on
the keyboard or moving the mouse does not bring the computer out of hibernation.
Because hibernate mode requires a special file on your hard drive with enough disk space to store the
contents of the computer memory, Dell creates an appropriately sized hibernate mode file before
shipping the computer to you. If the computer’s hard drive becomes corrupted, Windows XP recreates
the hibernate file automatically.
Power Options Properties
Define your standby mode settings, hibernate mode settings, and other power settings in the Power
Options Properties window.
To access the Power Options Properties window:
1
Click
Start
→
Control Panel
→
Pick a category
→
Performance and Maintenance
.
2
Under
or pick a Control Panel icon
, click
Power Options
.
3
Define your power settings on the
Power Schemes
tab,
Advanced
tab, and
Hibernate
tab.
Power Schemes Tab
Each standard power setting is called a scheme. If you want to select one of the standard Windows
schemes installed on your computer, choose a scheme from the Power schemes drop-down menu. The
settings for each scheme appear in the fields below the scheme name. Each scheme has different settings
for starting standby mode, hibernate mode, turning off the monitor, and turning off the hard drive.