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How to Create and Apply Power Plans in Configuration Manager

 

Updated: May 14, 2015

Applies To: System Center 2012 Configuration Manager, System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1, System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP2, System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager, System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager SP1

Power management in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager enables you to apply power plans that are supplied with Configuration Manager to collections of computers in your hierarchy, or to create your own custom power plans. Use the procedure in this topic to apply a built-in or custom power plan to computers.

Important

You can only apply Configuration Manager power plans to device collections.

If a computer is a member of multiple collections, each applying different power plans, then the following actions will be taken:

  • Power plan: If multiple values for power settings are applied to a computer, the least restrictive value is used.

  • Wakeup time: If multiple wakeup times are applied to a desktop computer, the time closest to midnight is used.

Use the Computers with Multiple Power Plans report to display all computers that have multiple power plans applied to them. This can help you discover computers that have power conflicts. For more information about power management reports, see How to Monitor and Plan for Power Management in Configuration Manager.

Important

Power settings configured by using Windows Group Policy will override settings configured by Configuration Manager power management.

Use the following procedure to create and apply a Configuration Manager power plan.

To create and apply a power plan

  1. In the Configuration Manager console, click Assets and Compliance.

  2. In the Assets and Compliance workspace, click Device Collections.

  3. In the Device Collections list, click the collection to which you want to apply power management settings and then, in the Home tab, in the Properties group, click Properties.

  4. In the Power Management tab of the <Collection Name> Properties dialog box, select Specify power management settings for this collection.

    Note

    You can also click Browse and then copy the power management settings from a selected collection to the selected collection.

  5. In the Start and End fields, specify the start and end time for peak (or business) hours.

  6. Enable Wakeup time (desktop computers) to specify a time when a desktop computer will wake from sleep or wake from hibernate to install scheduled updates or software installations.

    Important

    Power management uses the internal Windows wakeup time feature to wake computers from sleep or hibernate. Wakeup time settings are not applied to portable computers to prevent scenarios in which they might wake when not plugged in. The wake up time is randomized and computers will be woken over a one hour period from the specified wakeup time.

  7. If you want to configure a custom power plan for peak (or business) hours, select Customized Peak (ConfigMgr) from the Peak plan drop-down list, and then click Edit. If you want to configure a power plan for non-peak (or nonbusiness) hours, select Customized Non-Peak (ConfigMgr) from the Non-peak plan drop-down list, and then click Edit.

    Note

    You can use the Computer Activity report to help you decide the schedules to use for peak and non-peak hours when you apply power plans to collections of computers. For more information, see Computer Activity Report in the topic How to Monitor and Plan for Power Management in Configuration Manager.

    You can also select from the built-in power plans, Balanced (ConfigMgr), High Performance (ConfigMgr) and Power Saver (ConfigMgr), and then click View to display the properties of each power plan.

    Note

    You cannot modify the built-in power plans.

  8. In the <power plan name> Properties dialog box, configure the following settings:

    - **Name:** Specify a name for this power plan or use the supplied default value.
    
    - **Description:** Specify a description for this power plan or use the supplied default value.
    
    - **Specify the properties for this power plan:** Configure the power plan properties. To disable a property, clear its check box. For information about the available settings, see Available Power Management Plan Settings in this topic.
    
      <div class="alert">
    
    
      > [!IMPORTANT]
      > <P>Enabled settings are applied to computers when the power plan is applied. If you clear a power setting check box, the value on the client computer is not changed when the power plan is applied. Clearing a check box does not restore the power setting to its previous value before a power plan was applied.</P>
    
    
      </div>
    
  9. Click OK to close the <power plan name> Properties dialog box.

  10. Click OK to close the <Collection Name> Settings dialog box and to apply the power plan.

Available Power Management Plan Settings

The following table lists the power management settings available in Configuration Manager. You can configure separate settings for when the computer is plugged in or running on battery power. Depending on the version of Windows you are using, some settings might not be configurable.

Note

Power settings that you do not configure will retain their current value on client computers.

Name

Description

Turn off display after (minutes)

Specifies the length of time, in minutes, that the computer must be inactive before the display is turned off.

Note

Specify a value of 0 if you do not want power management to turn off the display.

Sleep after (minutes)

Specifies the length of time, in minutes, that the computer must be inactive before it enters sleep.

Note

Specify a value of 0 if you do not want power management to enter sleep on the computer.

Require a password on wakeup

Specifies whether a password is required to unlock the computer when it enters wake from sleep.

  • Yes

  • No

Note

Computers that are running Windows XP with this setting configured as Yes for On battery or Plugged in require a password on wakeup whether or not they are using battery power.

Power button action

Specifies the action that is taken when the computer’s power button is pressed. Possible values include the following:

  • Do nothing

  • Sleep

  • Hibernate

  • Shut down

Note

On computers that are running Windows XP, the value specified for On battery is applied, whether the computer is running on battery or is plugged in. On this version of Windows, select the Hibernate setting to enable entering hibernate on the computer.

Start menu power button

Specifies the action that occurs when you press the computer’s Start menu power button. Possible values include the following:

  • Sleep

  • Hibernate

  • Shut down

Note

This setting is only applicable on computers running Windows Vista.

Sleep button action

Specifies the action that occurs when you press the computer’s Sleep button. Possible values include the following:

  • Do nothing

  • Sleep

  • Hibernate

  • Shut down

Note

On computers that are running Windows XP, the value specified for On battery is applied, whether the computer is running on battery or is plugged in. On this version of Windows, select the Hibernate setting to enable entering hibernate on the computer.

Lid close action

Specifies the action that occurs when the user closes the lid of a portable computer. Possible values include the following:

  • Do nothing

  • Sleep

  • Hibernate

  • Shut down

Note

On computers that are running Windows XP, the value specified for On battery is applied, whether the computer is running on battery or is plugged in. On these versions of Windows, the Shut down option is not implemented. If you select the Shut down option, the current lid close action setting on the computer will not be changed. On this version of Windows, select the Hibernate setting to enable entering hibernate on the computer.

Turn off hard disk after (minutes)

Specifies the length of time, in minutes, that the computer’s hard disk must be inactive before it is turned off.

Note

Specify a value of 0 if you do not want power management to turn off the computer’s hard disk.

Hibernate after (minutes)

Specifies the length of time, in minutes, that the computer must be inactive before it enters hibernate.

Note

Specify a value of 0 if you do not want power management to enter hibernate on the computer.

Low battery action

Specifies the action that occurs when the computer’s battery reaches the specified low battery notification level. Possible values include the following:

  • Do nothing

  • Sleep

  • Hibernate

  • Shut down

Note

On computers that are running Windows XP, the value specified for On battery is applied, whether the computer is running on battery or is plugged in. On this version of Windows, select the Hibernate setting to enable entering hibernate on the computer.

Critical battery action

Specifies the action that is taken when the computer’s battery reaches the specified critical battery notification level. Possible values include the following:

  • Do nothing – This option is not available for the On battery setting.

  • Sleep

  • Hibernate

  • Shut down

Note

On computers that are running Windows XP, the value specified for On battery is applied, whether the computer is running on battery or is plugged in. On this version of Windows, select the Hibernate setting to enable entering hibernate on the computer.

Allow hybrid sleep

Specifies whether Windows saves a hibernation file when entering sleep, which can be used to restore the computer's state in the event of power loss while it has entered sleep.

  • On

  • Off

Note

Hybrid sleep is designed for desktop computers and, by default, is not enabled on portable computers. On computers that are running Windows 7, enabling hybrid sleep disables the hibernate functionality.

This setting is not supported on computers running Windows XP.

Allow standby state when sleeping action

Enables the computer to be on standby, which still consumes some power, but enables the computer to wake faster. Possible values are:

  • On

  • Off

Note

If this setting is set to Off, the computer can only hibernate or turn off. The Off setting is not supported on computers running Windows XP.

Required idleness to sleep (%)

Specifies the percentage of idle time on the computer processor time required for the computer to enter sleep.

Note

This setting only applies to computers that are running Windows Vista. On computers that are running Windows 7, this value is always set to 0.

Enable Windows wake up timer for desktop computers

Enables the built-in Windows timer which can be used by power management to wake a desktop computer. When a desktop computer is woken by using the Windows wake up timer, it will remain awake for 10 minutes by default to allow time for the computer to install any updates or to receive policy. Possible values are:

  • Enable

  • Disable

Important

Wakeup timers are not supported on portable computers to prevent scenarios in which they might wake when they are not plugged in.

The Disable setting is not supported on computers running Windows XP.