Creating a Custom Power Management Plan

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 11, 2019)

Most modern computers allow Windows to control both the computer itself (including the hard drive) and the display monitor. These components can be set to automatically "turn off" after varying amounts of inactivity. If the pre-defined power management plans in Windows don't meet your needs, you can create your own custom plan. Follow these steps:

  1. Display the Control Panel.
  2. At the left side of the screen click the Hardware and Sound heading. Windows displays the Hardware and Sound screen.
  3. Under the category of Power Options, click the Change Power-Saving Settings option. Windows displays the Power Options screen. (See Figure 1.)
  4. Figure 1. The Power Options screen.

  5. At the left side of the screen click Create a Power Plan. Windows displays the Create a Power Plan screen. (See Figure 2.)
  6. Figure 2. The Create a Power Plan screen.

  7. Pick one of the existing power management plans (Balanced, Power Saver, or High Performance) as the starting point for your new power plan.
  8. Specify a name for your power plan.
  9. Click Next. Windows displays the Edit Plan Settings screen. (See Figure 3.)
  10. Figure 3. The Edit Plan Settings screen.

  11. Use the controls on the screen to specify when Windows should turn off the display and put the computer to sleep. (Remember that the times represent periods of activity, so 10 minutes means that the device is turned off when you stop using the computer for 10 minutes.)
  12. Click Create.

 This tip (10717) applies to Windows 7, 8, and 10.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Multiple Line Headers and Footers

When working with headers and footers in a macro, you might find this tip helpful. It describes how you can create ...

Discover More

Deleting Everything Up to a Character Sequence

Sometimes you have too much information in a cell and you need to "pare down" what is there to get to the info you really ...

Discover More

Non-Printing Hyperlinks

Karen is having problems getting hyperlinks to print in a document on her home computer. There are only a limited number ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Windows 11 Processor Requirements

Windows 11 has different processor requirements than Windows 10. How do you know if your processor will work with Windows 11?

Discover More

Changing the MAC Address for a Network Adapter

MAC addresses are used to uniquely identify devices on your network, such as a network adapter. Here's how you can modify ...

Discover More

Adjusting the Cursor Blink Rate

In Windows, the cursor indicates where you are about to type information using the keyboard. You can adjust how quickly ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 5 - 3?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


Newest Tips