How to create and apply power plans in Configuration Manager

Applies to: Configuration Manager (current branch)

Power management in Configuration Manager enables you to apply power plans to collections of computers in your hierarchy. Configuration Manager defines several power plans, or you can create your own custom power plans.

You can only apply Configuration Manager power plans to device collections. If a computer is a member of multiple collections, each with different power plans, then the following actions happen:

• Power plan: If policy applies multiple values for power settings on a computer, it uses the least restrictive value.

• Wakeup time: If policy applies multiple wakeup times to a desktop computer, it uses the time closest to midnight.

To display all computers that have multiple power plans applied to them, use the Computers with Multiple Power Plans report. This report 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.

Make sure to review any power settings that you apply from group policy. Power settings configured by using group policy will override settings configured by Configuration Manager power management.

Create and apply a power plan

1. In the Configuration Manager console, go to the Assets and Compliance workspace.

2. In the Assets and Compliance workspace, select the Device Collections node.

3. In the Device Collections list, choose the collection to which you want to apply power management settings. In the Home tab of the ribbon, in the Properties group, select Properties.

4. Switch to the Power Management tab of the collection, and select Specify power management settings for this collection.

   Note

   You can also select Browse, and copy the power management settings from another collection to this collection.

5. Specify the Start and End time for peak (or business) hours.

6. To specify a time when a desktop computer wakes from sleep or hibernate, Enable Wakeup time (desktop computers). When the client wakes up, it can install scheduled software updates or other deployments.

   Important

   Power management uses the internal Windows wakeup time feature to wake computers from sleep or hibernate. Wakeup time settings aren't 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 business hours, select Customized Peak (ConfigMgr) from the Peak plan list, and then select Edit. If you want to configure a power plan for non-business hours, select Customized Non-Peak (ConfigMgr) from the Non-peak plan list, and then select 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 How to monitor and plan for power management.

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

   Note

   You can't modify the built-in power plans.

8. For the power plan properties, configure the following settings:

   • Name: Specify a name for this power plan or use the supplied default value.

   • Description: Specify an optional description to further describe the plan in the console.

   • Specify the properties for this power plan: Configure the power plan properties. For more information, see Available power management plan settings.

     Important

     When the Configuration Manager client applies the power plan to the device, it applies the enabled settings. If you unselect a power setting in the policy, the value on the client computer doesn't change when it applies the power plan. This action also doesn't restore the power setting to its previous value before a power plan was applied.

9. Select OK to save and close the power plan properties.

10. Select OK to save and close the collection properties, and to apply the power plan.

Available power 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 use, some settings might not be configurable.