Computer Hope
Microsoft => Microsoft Windows => Windows XP => Topic started by: dvalu on December 14, 2009, 07:24:44 PM
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Periodically when I have to leave my computer the screensaver will come on but when I return later the screen is black and won't respond to the mouse or anything else and I have to reboot. Any ideas or solutions?
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Check power settings and make sure "sleep" is not enabled after a period of inactivity.
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I know it's not the "green" thing to do, but over the years I've had so many problems with power settings that the first thing I do when I get a new computer (or new to me) is disable the power settings.
The intentions were good, but they just don't work the way they should.
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Well, I'm going to have to disagree. I always set my systems to power down the hd and display after 30 mins of inactivity. NEVER had a problem of any sort.
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Allan, either you have been lucky, or I have been unlucky, since I have had the exact problem dvalu has had several times and it has always been related to power settings.
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Setting the hd & display to power down is always safe and harmless for pretty much everyone. Using Sleep or Hibernate, however, are often problematical for many.
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the first thing I do when I get a new computer (or new to me) is disable the power settings
I do very same thing :)
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I do very same thing :)
Personal preference. One of the first things I do is create a profile in power options with the settings mentioned above. There is no right or wrong here - just like the choice to turn off the system daily or leave it on 24/7. My point is that disabling the hd & display is a much better option (for several reasons) than using hibernate or sleep.
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There is no right or wrong here
Sure thing....whatever works for you :)
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DPMS and HD power saving are nowhere near as problematic as sleep and hibernate.
Although, in all honesty- my new laptop has had zero issues with any power management... well, except when I ran XP on it, since it woke up from sleep and the processor was still clocked down from 2Ghz to around 16mhz... but in Vista and 7 it's been flawless. (installing 7 apparently reset my power options, so I went to use it and instead of simply being at the log-on prompt It had hibernated, and it resumed just fine).
Basically, DPMS is pretty simple. It doesn't actually "power off" the display completely, but it stops sending a signal to the monitor; most monitors use far less power this way, and more often then not go into a "sleep" mode themselves until a signal is restored.
Hard drive power options are just as safe, as long as the drive is in good working order. After a period of inactivity- the drive motors power off. drive motors are one of the biggest consumers of power in a PC, being the main draw on the 12V from the power supply. The drawback is, of course, that before reading or writing from the drive again the OS has to wait for the drive to power up. (well, actually, the OS doesn't wait at all, the HD controller circuitry ON the drive simply refuses to return data until it can actually read if) so, if the drive takes WAAAAY to long to spin up, then you might get a "delayed write failure". However, if the drive takes that long to spin up (usually in the order of >10 seconds) then the drive has deeper issues that should be addressed, and is likely facing an impending failure.
my Thinkpad 755CDV and Toshiba 440CDX both power down the hard drive after a period of inactivity; and it seems that while I can influence this through the provided power options I cannot shut it off altogether without visiting the BIOS. This is due to the architectural design of the original power management specifications- APM- APM defines BIOS extensions, but makes no allowances for software control over those BIOS functions; basically, APM defines that the BIOS will alert the software when the PC is going to sleep but will completely ignore whatever the Program does; basically, it says, "OK, I'lm going to sleep now"... "but... but... I'm saving a file!!" " Too bad. sleeping".
This architecture often resulted in data loss. This was the main reason for the creation of ACPI, which is essentially a redesign of the original APM specification to more closely integrate the software and operating system into the decision making processes that were originally left squarely up to the BIOS.
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my new laptop has had zero issues with any power management
Power saving features on laptops is a whole different story. Probably, it has to do with laptops' hardware design. Usually those features work.
On desktops, they often don't work.
My comments were directed to desktops only.
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I didn't make any comments....but i will if prodded.
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Consider yourself prodded.
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There's absolutely no reason in the World to use ANY of the built in Windows power saving features whatsoever....
If you want your machine on...leave it on.......if you want your machine off...power it down properly.
There...end of prodding.
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OMG...I almost thought, I was alone ;D
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Nope............... ;)
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Sorry patio, but that's just silly. If I have a system on all day but it is inactive periodically for a half hour or longer there's no reason NOT to use power saving options. And you know very well that the biggest "shock" to a system comes from powering it on and off. I think you just felt like being a little argumentative - come on - fess up 8)
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I simply never use them...at all.
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Be that as it may, I know very well that you do not power your system(s) on and off more than once a day.
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There's absolutely no reason in the World to use ANY of the built in Windows power saving features whatsoever....
If you want your machine on...leave it on.......if you want your machine off...power it down properly.
There...end of prodding.
And, if you want to help the environment, go clean a beach or something. :P
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I happen to rake Beaches on a regular basis....it's a great way to pickup Redheads...
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it's a great way to pickup Redheads
Now, we know....LOL