Powercfg.exe does not allow configuration of power buttons

[Christopher Hill]

The 'powercfg.exe' command line tool under Windows Server
2003 and XP SP2 is extremely useful, but it does not
expose all of the options under the Power Control Panel.

Specifically, it does not provide a way to change
the 'Power Buttons' settings on the 'Advanced' tab of the
Power Control Panel. On a desktop there is an option to
set what happens 'When I press the power button on my
computer', and on a laptop there are options for what
happens when you close the lid, and when you press the
sleep button as well.

It would be extremely helpful if these options could also
be exposed through the powercfg.exe command line tool, to
aid automatic configuration of computers through the
command line.

Thanks!

 

[george]

On laptops it is not unusual that the laptpop manufacurer delivers some sort
of app. than enables you to configure what these buttons do.
AFAIK XP does not natively 'know' about those buttons.
My guess, because laptops tend to differ in the number of buttons and the
way they are addresses.
You might have some app. called Lauch or LaunchAp or something along those
lines that came with the laptop.
You wouldn't happen to have such an app with your laptop?

hth

george

 

[Torgeir Bakken \(MVP\)]

The 'powercfg.exe' command line tool under Windows Server
2003 and XP SP2 is extremely useful, but it does not
expose all of the options under the Power Control Panel.

Specifically, it does not provide a way to change
the 'Power Buttons' settings on the 'Advanced' tab of the
Power Control Panel. On a desktop there is an option to
set what happens 'When I press the power button on my
computer', and on a laptop there are options for what
happens when you close the lid, and when you press the
sleep button as well.

It would be extremely helpful if these options could also
be exposed through the powercfg.exe command line tool, to
aid automatic configuration of computers through the
command line.

Hi

You may want to post your suggestion here:

http://register.microsoft.com/mswish/suggestion.asp

 

[Christopher Hill]

Hi

You may want to post your suggestion here:

http://register.microsoft.com/mswish/suggestion.asp

I have done so, but I like to post these things to the
newsgroups as well so that others know what has been
requested, and also to put a bit more pressure on to get
these things fixed!

Thanks!

Chris

 

[Christopher Hill]

-----Original Message-----

On laptops it is not unusual that the laptpop manufacurer delivers some sort
of app. than enables you to configure what these buttons do.
AFAIK XP does not natively 'know' about those buttons.
My guess, because laptops tend to differ in the number of buttons and the
way they are addresses.
You might have some app. called Lauch or LaunchAp or something along those
lines that came with the laptop.
You wouldn't happen to have such an app with your laptop?

No, XP *does* know about the lid, and the power and sleep
buttons natively. The laptops I am using (Acer TravelMate
230 and Dell Inspiron 1100) have a clean install of
Windows XP through Remote Installation Services (RIS),
from an original (non OEM) Microsoft Windows XP CD, and I
haven't installed any OEM software on them at all. If you
take a look inside the Device Manager on a laptop you'll
find that under 'System Devices' there are devices
called 'ACPI Lid', 'ACPI Power Button' and 'ACPI Sleep
Button'. These use Microsoft device drivers included in
Windows XP, and I guess this is how the Power Control
Panel is able to detect and set what happens with each
one, so it should be possible for powercfg.exe to set the
state of them as well.

Regards,

Chris