Dell Inspiron 1521 constantly reverts to default power settings

[Marc B.]

I have a Dell Inspiron 1521 running WinXP SP3 (and the latest BIOS from Dell)
that is connected to an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse (the screen
remains closed and the display output is set to external monitor only via FN
keys). For whatever reason, over the past several weeks, the power settings
on the machine keep getting reset and reverting back to the standard
portable/laptop configuration, including causing the machine to go into
standby every night (which is not what I want because I have Norton Ghost set
up to backup the machine every night to a network drive). This never used to
happen before, but I can't figure out what has changed. I had previously set
up a customized power scheme (named Customized #1) that told the machine to
never go into standby, and when I set it to this, it seems to hold for a few
days, and then even though it still displays as being on Customized #1 power
scheme, the actual settings revert (such as 20 mins for standby instead of
Never).

Anyone have any suggestions on what I can try to prevent this, as it is
becoming extremely annoying! Thanks!

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I have a Dell Inspiron 1521 running WinXP SP3 (and the latest BIOS
from Dell) that is connected to an external monitor, keyboard, and
mouse (the screen remains closed and the display output is set to
external monitor only via FN keys). For whatever reason, over the
past several weeks, the power settings on the machine keep getting
reset and reverting back to the standard portable/laptop
configuration, including causing the machine to go into standby
every night (which is not what I want because I have Norton Ghost
set up to backup the machine every night to a network drive). This
never used to happen before, but I can't figure out what has
changed. I had previously set up a customized power scheme (named
Customized #1) that told the machine to never go into standby, and
when I set it to this, it seems to hold for a few days, and then
even though it still displays as being on Customized #1 power
scheme, the actual settings revert (such as 20 mins for standby
instead of Never).

Anyone have any suggestions on what I can try to prevent this, as
it is becoming extremely annoying! Thanks!

As annoying as finding your post in multiple newsgroups - multiposted
instead of cross-posted - saving not only those who might answer your query
the annoyance of seeing it 'unread' multiple times, but it would have also
saved you effort, time and in the end gotten you the same audience but more
spreading of the knowledge as it would be ONE post across several forums and
answered in all at one time.

http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm

Check your drivers.
Check your BIOS settings.
Check for malware.

 

[Jose]

I have a Dell Inspiron 1521 running WinXP SP3 (and the latest BIOS from Dell)
that is connected to an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse (the screen
remains closed and the display output is set to external monitor only viaFN
keys).  For whatever reason, over the past several weeks, the power settings
on the machine keep getting reset and reverting back to the standard
portable/laptop configuration, including causing the machine to go into
standby every night (which is not what I want because I have Norton Ghostset
up to backup the machine every night to a network drive).  This never used to
happen before, but I can't figure out what has changed.  I had previously set
up a customized power scheme (named Customized #1) that told the machine to
never go into standby, and when I set it to this, it seems to hold for a few
days, and then even though it still displays as being on Customized #1 power
scheme, the actual settings revert (such as 20 mins for standby instead of
Never).

Anyone have any suggestions on what I can try to prevent this, as it is
becoming extremely annoying!  Thanks!

There are lots of things you can try, but maybe you would rather fix
things instead of trying things.

To eliminate questions and guessing, please provide additional
information about your system.

Click Start, Run and in the box enter:

msinfo32

Click OK, and when the System Summary info appears, click Edit, Select
All, Copy and then paste the information back here.

There will be some personal information (like System Name and User
Name), and whatever appears to be private information to you, just
delete it from the pasted information.

Perform some scans for malicious software, then fix any remaining
issues:

Download, install, update and do a full scan with these free malware
detection programs:

Malwarebytes (MBAM): http://malwarebytes.org/
SUPERAntiSpyware: (SAS): http://www.superantispyware.com/

They can be uninstalled later if desired.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

One or more options/settings in an ever-growing number of third-party
applications may be disallowing the changes from "sticking." These include
anti-spyware applications (e.g., Ad-aware's Ad-Watch, Spybot Tea Timer,
SpywareBlaster, SpySweeper, Spyware Doctor, CounterSpy, WinPatrol, etc),
anti-virus applications & security suites (Norton, McAfee, ESET/NOD32,
Kasperky, Trend Micro, etc.), and third-party firewalls (e.g., Zone Alarm,
etc.).

Note that temporarily disabling the application(s) or rebooting into Safe
Mode may not disable the application's system protections.

 

[Jose]

One or more options/settings in an ever-growing number of third-party
applications may be disallowing the changes from "sticking." These include
anti-spyware applications (e.g., Ad-aware's Ad-Watch, Spybot Tea Timer,
SpywareBlaster, SpySweeper, Spyware Doctor, CounterSpy, WinPatrol, etc),
anti-virus applications & security suites (Norton, McAfee, ESET/NOD32,
Kasperky, Trend Micro, etc.), and third-party firewalls (e.g., Zone Alarm,
etc.).

Note that temporarily disabling the application(s) or rebooting into Safe
Mode may not disable the application's system protections.

That could also be a factor since I know for a fact that MBAM will
want to adjust some security settings you may have made into what it
thinks are in your best interest - but with a suitable warning. so you
still have to acknowledge it and choose to let it adjust them back.
For example, if you turn off Security Center warning messages - MBAM
would like to "fix" that for you - and it will if you let it, but you
can also tell it not to. It is not a change that doesn't stick - it
is a change that it offers to correct.

What examples do you have of other third party tools that will prevent
changes from sticking?

It is easy to list a whole bunch of things and say they might
interfere, but I would like to install any of them, make the change
you then suggest in an example you supply and have it not stick or
somehow be undone without me being told about it.

I don't want to know which ones "may disallow changes" - I want to
know which one does disallow changes and what changes are disallowed
so I can try it. List several if possible.