Power Options: How Do U Set Yours?

[psd99]

hiya everyone

i need some advice on my power settings on windows xp

this particular machine is on 24/7
it mite get turnt off for 8 hours a week or so but thats quite rare
i dont download anything!
im on my pc a lot nowadays speically becuase i aint got nething to do


so i mite be on it t 9am finish by 9:30 but be back on it at 11am
so this is why i keep it on i know its silly to do this but this things been runing for years nonstop!
okay so here are my settings:


1. Turn off Monitor : 10 mins

2 . turn off Harddisk: 30mins

3. system standby: never (im not sure what to put on this one, please advise)

4. System Hibernates: After 6 hours



i messed around with them last couple of days.
can some1 please suggest if they think these are good settings for my situation?

what do u use?

 

[floppybootstomp]

Every setting on every computer is set to never for me.

I crunch, you see (UD Cancer research program).

I just turn monitors and loudspeakers off, and put mice in chargers when I'm not using.

And if I do want to shut a machine down, well, that's what I do

 

[psd99]

cool

i think number 1 and number 2 is good for me

im still unsure abt hibernating and standby mode!

what u rekon my old mucker?

 

[itsme]

2 . turn off Harddisk: 30mins
This you should NOT do? why you can lose important info???
trust me as I have done it

 

[floppybootstomp]

cool

i think number 1 and number 2 is good for me

im still unsure abt hibernating and standby mode!

what u rekon my old mucker?

I'll be honest, I really don't know, I've never ever used those options.

I think standby mode just shuts the whole thing down, and moving the mouse starts it up again, but I not sure.

I honestly don't know what 'hibernate' means.

And yes, as itsme said, change hard disk setting to 'never'.

 

[itsme]

All the others are fine just dont turn the HDD off?

 

[psd99]

thanks guys

itsme what can be so bad abt turning off harddrive?

all it will do is take the power away and when i move my mouse the power will come back into it!

i dont see losing information as a threat?

 

[Me__2001]

my computer is set to never turn off, it only goes off when i've finished with it

 

[ChristopherP]

Hibernation is where the computer copies everything from your RAM onto your hard-drive, so it can properly turn off.

BUT

When you turn it on again, it remembers it was hibernating and all your programs, documents etc that were open are STILL THERE!!!

Much like standby but you can kill the power etc.

 

[BaseLine9]

I just set mine to switch the monitor off after 20min, everything else is kept on

I don’t use screen savers too, they suck (in my opinion)

 

[psd99]

Much like standby but you can kill the power etc.

what do u mean by this?

please explain

 

[ChristopherP]

Well it's the same as standby, but your computer does not need any power to remember what was on the screen, as the RAM (Volatile) was transferred to the HDD (Non - Volatile) so you can move computer around or whatever, plug it back in, when you turn it on, the data that wasmoved to the HDD is moved back to the RAM and its like the computer resuming from standby....

Thats the best i can explain it, just leave a bunch of stuff open in windows, press Hibernate (in the shutdown menu hold shift and the option will appear, if its enabled in power options) and then boot up again.

Try it

 

[psd99]

yes mate tried that
i get the hibernation

now heres some questions for some geek out there

1. when my harddrives turn off, does that mean my wireless connection gets disconneted?

2. when the pc goes into standby, do my harddrives turn off automatically?
and does this also mean all my wireless/wired connections get disrupted too?

i think i got my monitor to correct settings it will turn of 10 mins if there is no activity

my harddrive is set to never
standy is never
hibernation is never
these settings are all temporary as im looking for the rite combination


i am lazy i think i need to trial and error it!

 

[V_R]

For what its worth, my monitor goes off after 30mins, hard disks never go off. Standby after 2 hours and hibernation after 5 hours. I also have my pc on all the time. Hope that helps

 

[psd99]

For what its worth, my monitor goes off after 30mins, hard disks never go off. Standby after 2 hours and hibernation after 5 hours. I also have my pc on all the time. Hope that helps

thanks

why does your harddrive not go off?

 

[crazylegs]

I leave everything off because screensavers and such all interfere with my programs and if i want something to go off i turn it all off at the switch on the front of my pc...Simple really...

 

[V_R]

why does your harddrive not go off?

TBH, it was because one of the tech guys at my place of work told me its a bad idea. so i know he knows his stuff so i took his advice!

 

[itsme]

TBH, it was because one of the tech guys at my place of work told me its a bad idea. so i know he knows his stuff so i took his advice!

You and the tech guy have hit the nail right on the head.

 

[psd99]

Lol!

hahaha

alrite then
ill wont turn off my harddrive then!

there is one harddrive id like to turn off after a certain amount of time?
its not got an operating system on it
does anyone know how i can turn just one off after a period of time?

 

[V_R]

As far as i'm aware the option is for all the hdd's, Tbh mate i wouldn't worry too much, as long as they aint overheating i cant see it being a prob.

I've got two 120's on the go now and they've had no probs.