How to use Powercfg.exe in Windows Server 2003 (324347)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 64-Bit Datacenter Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 64-Bit Enterprise Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Web Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Standard Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Premium Edition
This article was previously published under Q324347

SUMMARY

This article describes how to use Powercfg.exe, a utility that was introduced in Windows Server 2003 family. You can use this tool to access the settings from the Power Options tool in Control Panel and to set these settings from a command line (if you are an administrator). Powercfg.exe has additional functionality to extend some settings that are not available in Control Panel. You cannot use this tool to configure all of the settings in the Power Options tool; you can only configure the settings that are described in this article.

MORE INFORMATION

For a list of the settings for the different operating systems that you can configure by using Powercfg.exe, type powercfg /? at a command prompt. You can configure many Power Options settings in the Windows Server 2003 family.

This article lists all the parameters that are available in the Windows Server 2003 family.

NOTE: You can use Powercfg.exe to configure computers if you perform an unattended Setup or if you use scripts after the installation.

Powercfg.exe is designed to work on the Windows Server 2003 family. It may work on other operating systems, such as Windows 2000; however, Microsoft does not guarantee that it will work on other operating systems and does not support its use. If you use this tool on other operating systems, use it at your own risk. To view the parameters that you can use with Powercfg.exe, type powercfg /? at a command prompt or search the Help files for "powercfg."

Syntax for Powercfg.exe

powercfg [/list | /query [name] | /create name | /delete name | /setactive name | /change name settings | /hibernate [on|off] | /export name [/file filename] | /import name [/file file_name] | /globalpowerflag [on|off] /option:flag | /?]

Parameters for Powercfg.exe

/list, /l

Use these parameters to display a list of all the available existing power schemes on the computer. The same list is available on the Power Schemes tab of the Power Options tool in Control Panel.

For example, if you use the /list parameter, the following default schemes appear:
  • Max Battery
  • Minimal Power Management
  • Always On
  • Presentation
  • Portable/Laptop
  • Home/Office
If you have added other schemes to the computer, these schemes appear on the list.

/query, /q

Use the following command to query each scheme to find out the settings:

powercfg /query scheme

For example, if you run powercfg /query "always on", the settings for the Always On scheme appear.

NOTE If the scheme name contains a space, you must enclose the scheme name in quotes.

If you do not specify a particular scheme, the default scheme settings appear. For example, if you run powercfg /query, the settings of the current scheme appear. The current scheme is listed in the Power Options tool in Control Panel.

The following list contains examples of output from a three different queries:
  • powercfg /query "home/office desk":
    Field Description                Value
-----------------                -----
Name                        Home/Office Desk
Numerical ID                       0
Turn off monitor (AC)         After 20 mins
Turn off monitor (DC)         After 5 mins
Turn off hard disks (AC)         Never
Turn off hard disks (DC)      After 10 mins
System standby (AC)              Never
System standby (DC)           After 5 mins
System hibernates (AC)           Never
System hibernates (DC)        After 20 mins
Processor Throttle (AC)          NONE
Processor Throttle (DC)        ADAPTIVE
  • powercfg /query "max battery"
    Field Description                 Value
-----------------                 -----
Name                           Max Battery
Numerical ID                        5
Turn off monitor (AC)         After 15 mins
Turn off monitor (DC)         After 1 mins
Turn off hard disks (AC)          Never
Turn off hard disks (DC)      After 3 mins
System standby (AC)           After 20 mins
System standby (DC)           After 2 mins
System hibernates (AC)        After 45 mins
System hibernates (DC)        After 60 mins
Processor Throttle (AC)         ADAPTIVE
Processor Throttle (DC)         DEGRADE
  • powercfg /query 
    Field Description                 Value
-----------------                 -----
Name                            Always On
Numerical ID                        3
Turn off monitor (AC)         After 20 mins
Turn off monitor (DC)         After 15 mins
Turn off hard disks (AC)         Never
Turn off hard disks (DC)      After 30 mins
System standby (AC)              Never
System standby (DC)              Never
System hibernates (AC)           Never
System hibernates (DC)           Never
Processor Throttle (AC)          NONE
Processor Throttle (DC)          NONE
NOTE: The settings are always displayed in minutes. If you want configure a setting for two hours, enter 120 minutes.

You can use the powercfg /query number /numerical command to query the schemes by number instead of by name. You receive the same output that you do if you query by name. The following list contains the numbers for each scheme:
  • 5: Max Battery
  • 4: Minimal Power Management
  • 3: Always On
  • 2: Presentation
  • 1: Portable/Laptop
  • 0: Home/Office
If you add or remove schemes, the numbering may change.

/create, /c

Use these parameters to create a power scheme with a specified name. The new scheme is created with the properties of the currently active scheme.

/delete, /d

Use these parameters to delete the power scheme with the specified name.

/setactive, /s

Use these parameters to make the power scheme with the specified name active.

/change, /x

Use these parameters to change settings of the specified power scheme. You can use the following additional parameters to specify the changes:
  • /monitor-timeout-ac minutes
    Use this parameter to turn the monitor off after the specified number of minutes when the computer is operating on AC power. Use a value of 0 to turn off the timeout.
  • /monitor-timeout-dc minutes
    Use this parameter to turn the monitor off after the specified number of minutes when the computer is operating on DC (battery) power. Use a value of 0 to turn off the timeout.
  • /disk-timeout-ac minutes
    Use this parameter to turn the hard disks off after the specified number of minutes when the computer is operating on AC power. Use a value of 0 to turn off the timeout.
  • /disk-timeout-dc minutes
    Use this parameter to turn the hard disks off after the specified number of minutes when the computer is operating on DC (battery) power. Use a value of 0 to turn off the timeout.
  • /standby-timeout-ac minutes
    Use this parameter to put the computer in standby mode after the specified number of minutes when the computer is operating on AC power. Use a value of 0 to turn off the timeout.
  • /standby-timeout-dc minutes
    Use this parameter to put the computer in standby mode after the specified number of minutes when the computer is operating on DC (battery) power. Use a value of 0 to turn off the timeout.
  • /hibernate-timeout-ac minutes
    Use this parameter to save the contents of the computer's memory to disk and to turn off the computer after the specified number of minutes when the computer is operating on AC power. Use a value of 0 to turn off the timeout.
  • /hibernate-timeout-dc minutes
    Use this parameter to save the contents of the computer's memory to disk and to turn off the computer after the specified number of minutes when the computer is operating on DC (battery) power. Use a value of 0 to turn off the timeout.
  • /processor-throttle-ac throttle [none | constant | degrade | adaptive]
    Use this parameter to select the dynamic throttling policy to be used when the computer is operating on AC power (if your microprocessor supports processor performance state controls). Select the dynamic throttling policy by using throttle and one of four additional parameters:
    • none
      This parameter causes the microprocessor to operate at the highest performance state at all times.
    • constant
      This parameter causes the microprocessor to operate at the lowest performance state at all times.
    • degrade
      This parameter causes the microprocessor to operate at the lowest performance state and reduces performance by applying stop clock throttling (also known as Linear Performance Reduction) as the computer battery drains. You typically use this parameter when the computer is operating on battery power and it is seldom used with /processor-throttle-ac.
    • adaptive
      This parameter modifies the performance state that is dynamically based on the demand the computer puts on the microprocessor (CPU).
  • /processor-throttle-dc throttle [none | constant | degrade | adaptive]
    Use this parameter to select the dynamic throttling policy to be used when the computer is operating on DC (battery) power (if your microprocessor supports processor performance state controls). To set the dynamic throttling policy, use throttle and one of the four additional parameters that are listed under /processor-throttle-ac.
NOTES:
  • AC settings are used when the computer is running on AC power.
  • DC settings are used when the computer is running on battery power. The battery can be a either a laptop battery or a desktop on a uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
  • If you set the timeout value to 0, the corresponding timeout feature is turned off.

/export, /e

Use this parameter to export the power scheme with the specified name to a file. By default, the settings are exported to Scheme.pow if you do not specify a file name. You can also use the /file file_name parameter.

/import, /i

Use this parameter to import the power scheme from a file under the specified name. By default, the settings are imported to Scheme.pow if you do not specify a file name. If a scheme with that name already exists, it is replaced with the new one. You can also use the /file file_name parameter.

/hibernate, /h

Use this parameter to turn the hibernation feature on or off. Hibernation timeout is not supported on all computers that support hibernation.

/numerical, /n

Use this parameter to allow the power scheme that you want to operate on to be specified by using a numerical identifier. When you use this parameter instead of the name of the power scheme on the command line, specify its numerical identifier. You can use this parameter in combination with the following parameters:
  • /query
  • /delete
  • /setactive
  • /change
  • /export
  • /import

/globalpowerflag, g

Syntax:

/globalpowerflag, /g [on | off] /option: [batteryicon | multibattery | resumepassword | wakeonring | videodim]

Use this command to turn the global power flag features on or off. Use the first parameter to indicate whether to turn the feature on or off. The /option: parameter is mandatory and it is followed by the name of the feature that you are turning on or off. You can use the following parameters with this command:
  • batteryicon
    Use this parameter to turn on or turn off the battery meter icon in the notification area. When this flag is cleared, the battery meter icon does not appear.
  • multibattery
    Use this parameter to turn on or turn off multiple battery display in the computer Power Meter.
  • resumepassword
    Use this parameter to turn on or turn off the requirement that the user supply a password when the computer resumes from standby or hibernation.
  • wakeonring
    Use this parameter to turn on or turn off Wake on Ring support.
  • videodim
    Use this parameter to turn on or turn off support to dim the video display when the computer changes from AC power to DC (battery) power.

/help, /?

Use this parameter to display information about the following command-line parameters:
  • powercfg /list
  • powercfg /query scheme
  • powercfg /query
  • powercfg /create scheme
  • powercfg /delete scheme
  • powercfg /setactive scheme
  • powercfg /change scheme /monitor-timeout-dc 15
  • powercfg /change scheme /monitor-timeout-dc 0
  • powercfg /hibernate on
  • powercfg /export scheme /file file
  • powercfg /query number /numerical
  • powercfg /globalpowerflag on /option:batteryicon
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:5/24/2004
Keywords:kbinfo KB324347
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