Customised power & sounds settings defaulting

[Kate]

Win XP Home SP3 (Single user with Admin privileges)

For a long time now I have noticed that my customised power-saving
settings and sounds scheme are not being "remembered" by Windows.
They will be OK for a while, and then I will realise that they have
both gone back to the default settings, although I cannot say if it is
simultaneous. I have looked at HKEY_Current_ User/Control
Panel/PowerCfg/Power Policies and there are 20 Policies listed - the 6
default settings and 14 customised ones (#6 is missing)! However, if
I go to Control Panel/Power Options I am only offered two choices :
Home/Office Desk and Portable/Laptop. At the moment, Home/Office Desk
is selected and my customised settings *are* being used - for now. I
would like to tidy up all these entries in the Registry and start
afresh. Is it OK to just delete the superfluous folders, or is it
more complicated than that, please? And why do none of my saved
settings appear in the Power Options drop-down box?

Also, how can I stop Windows from changing my custom sounds scheme
back to default, please? I find all those bleeps, quacks and pings
annoying so have de-selected everything except Critical Stop (I don`t
know what it means, but it sounds important...) for my scheme, but, as
it keeps defaulting, I don`t switch the loudspeakers on very often so
wouldn`t hear it anyway!

Many thanks
Kate

 

[Kate]

In case anyone else is having this problem, I have managed to find a
repair for my power schemes at
http://www.itexperience.net/2008/03/02/howto-repair-power-schemes/
which required reg mods but was simple to do and seems to have worked.

Re sound schemes, I have decided to select No Sounds and have done
with it.

Kate