Howdy Folks!

I noticed a "Energy Saving Options "
While choosing my screen saver stuff
3 options:

#1 turn off monitor . . {a time limit}
#2 turn off hard disks . .{a time limit}
#3 Systems standby . . {a time limit}

#1 I have figured out .

#2 Scares me ! What is this for?

#3 What is the purpose of this one too?
These also have Battery options which are set for;
#1. 5 min.
#2. 10 min.
#3. 5 min.

Is it SAFE to use #2 under power?

keep in mind I do not leave my PC running 24/7/365 because of Florida storms & my Batt back up is a APEC 500 surge protector.

Thanks Everyone!

SR66

Yes -- it's safe to use all three...

1) is obvious
2) your harddrives 'spin down'-- they'll wake automatically -- unless you use the third option(s).
3a )In standby (I think) they will spin back up when you move your mouse/hit a key.
3b) system "Hibernates" (hibernation must be enabled first)-- it appears totally shut down, but it isn't. Windows saves everything the OS is doing at the power-down time you designate to an enormous file (called hiberfile.sys- I believe) saving everything that's active at that time. The advantage to this is that if you get distracted from your PC/ fall asleep -- everything is saved... including all open running programs-- any 'unsaved' files in that Word document --whatever is running at that moment. It also boots a little faster-- because it's not really a "cold-boot". The disadvantage?? Hibernation sometimes has minor conflicts with 3rd-party stuff like Firewalls/Antivirus,etc. I don't know how well it would get a long with a UPS. And Hiberfile.sys gets enormous-- if you don't have lots of empty HD space-- it can cause issues that way.

3c) System shuts down normally... any unsaved data is lost/programs close-- just like you pushed the shut-down button.


PS-- If you use these-- I used to set my monitor for 45min/ HD 1 hour/ Hibernate or shutdown for 90 min. In Fla maybe you'd want it quicker on all 3-- and you have to be careful of what times your "automatic updates" of Antivirus scans are set to run-- mine are all at night... there are ways to have the apps "wake the computer" to do these things -- I haven't gotten that ambitious yet, though. (lol)

All my updates show up @ boot from various stuff McAfee Windows my ISP it senses that in online & starts to do its thing


I release my temp INTERNET files every night just be fore shut down
defrag every week or two
Run the big virus scan one to BI weekly usually when I want to shut it down to watch a show on TV

I got the screen saver to close @ 2 min & the Monitor for 5
if I set the HD will it literally stop turning?
thats usually why I shut it down its on the side of my food ear & makes it hard to hear the TV.

HA HA but it dose keep the room warmer .
M wife has taken over the thermostat
{menopause}:o MEN O PAUSE! .. no oxymoron there boys!

P S lemme know when you get ambitious on that waking up thinga


SR66 thank you!

Yessir --it literally stops spinning you can actually hear it happen -- if the room's quiet.... the thing is you'll still hear your cooling fans/power-supply fan -- unless you do the shutdown or hibernation thing.
If you have lots of disc space... and you don't want to risk losing something by accident... hibernate. If that's not an issue you can have it auto-shutdown... see the attachment below.



PS-- Slowride66? that yours-- in your avatar?? I can't make out what exactly-- it is. Looks nice.

What is that attachment? I clicked on it but it acts like a program.

Sorry i dont click on stff I don't know what it is.

Yea thats my old car it used to be nice now its basically waiting for a full transplant im looking for a donar body
its a rolling running parts car .
just a 71 Pontiac LeMans ,Maybe someday I will find a body for it but who knows .

Heres what it used to look like back in 1992?


SR66

Howdy slow ride66,
In my opinion, Hibernate is a useless thing now a days. It uses alot of hard drive space. Makes your HD's patters stop then spin then stop etc. Ware and tear on em. I would click never turn off HD"S never for all and when you walk away just turn off the monitor. This way windows is not trying to rmember a million things at once when it can hardly remeber 2 lol

I guess I'll leave it alone & leave the batt options where there @ 5/10/5 in case I do forget to turn it off I dont know how long one of these Batt back ups will last , & I hope I don't ever find out LOL

Thanks for the great info.


SR66