powercfg
Updated: January 21, 2005
Enables an administrator to control the power settings on a
system.
Syntax
powercfg [/list] [/query [Name]] [/createName]
[/deleteName] [/setactiveName] [/changeSettings]
[/hibernate [{on | off}]] [/exportName
[/file FileName]] [/import Name [/file
FileName]] [/numerical] [/globalpowerflag
{on | off} /option:{batteryicon
| multibattery | resumepassword | wakeonring
| videodim}] [/availablesleepstates] [/batteryalarm
{low | critical}]
Parameters
/list
Lists the names of existing power schemes. You can
use the abbreviated version of this command, /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:
Home/Office Portable/Laptop Presentation Always On
Server Balanced Processor Power and Performance Max
Battery If you have added other schemes to the
computer, these schemes appear on the list.
/query [Name]
Displays the configuration of the specified power
scheme. If no name is specified, the configuration
of the currently active power scheme is displayed.
You can use the abbreviated version of this command,
/q. 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: Server Balanced
Processor and Performance 3: Always On 2:
Presentation 1: Portable/Laptop 0: Home/Office If
you add or remove schemes, the numbering may change.
/create Name
Creates the specified power scheme. The new scheme
is created with the properties of the currently
active scheme. You can use the abbreviated version
of this command, /c.
/delete Name
Deletes the specified power scheme. You can use the
abbreviated version of this command, /d.
/setactive Name
Activates the specified power scheme. You can use
the abbreviated version of this command, /s.
/change Settings
Changes settings of the specified power scheme. You
can use the abbreviated version of this command,
/x. For Settings, use the following to
specify the changes:
| Value | Description | ||||||||||||
| /monitor-timeout-ac Minutes | Turns the monitor off after the specified number of minutes when the system is operating on AC power. A value of 0 will disable the time-out. | ||||||||||||
| /monitor-timeout-dc Minutes | Turns the monitor off after the specified number of minutes when the system is operating on DC (battery) power. A value of 0 will disable the time-out. | ||||||||||||
| /disk-timeout-ac Minutes | Turns the hard disks off after the specified number of minutes when the system is operating on AC power. A value of 0 will disable the time-out. | ||||||||||||
| /disk-timeout-dc Minutes | Turns the hard disks off after the specified number of minutes when the system is operating on DC (battery) power. A value of 0 will disable the time-out. | ||||||||||||
| /standby-timeout-ac Minutes | Puts the computer in standby mode after the specified number of minutes when the system is operating on AC power. A value of 0 will disable the time-out. | ||||||||||||
| /standby-timeout-dc Minutes | Puts the computer in standby mode after the specified number of minutes when the system is operating on DC (battery) power. A value of 0 will disable the time-out. | ||||||||||||
| /hibernate-timeout-ac Minutes | Saves the contents of the computer's memory to disk and turns off the computer after the specified number of minutes when the system is operating on AC power. A value of 0 will disable the time-out. | ||||||||||||
| /hibernate-timeout-dc Minutes | Saves the contents of the computer's memory to disk and turns off the computer after the specified number of minutes when the system is operating on DC (battery) power. A value of 0 will disable the time-out. | ||||||||||||
| /processor-throttle-ac { none | constant | degrade | adaptive} | Selects the dynamic throttling policy to be used, if
your microprocessor supports processor performance state
controls, when the system is operating on AC power. The
following table lists and describes each dynamic
throttling policy option.
|
||||||||||||
| /processor-throttle-dc { none | constant | degrade | adaptive} | Selects the dynamic throttling policy to be used, if your microprocessor supports processor performance state controls, when the system is operating on DC (battery) power. The desired dynamic throttling policy is selected with one of the four additional switches listed under /processor-throttle-ac. |
/hibernate [{on| off}]
Turns the hibernation feature on or off. Hibernation
time-out is not supported on all systems that
support hibernation. You can use the abbreviated
version of this command, /h.
/exportName [/file FileName]
Exports the specified power scheme to a file. You
can use the abbreviated version of this command,
/e. If no filename is specified, the default is
scheme.pow. This parameter supports the /fileFileName
parameter.
/importName [/file FileName]
Imports the power scheme from the specified file.
You can use the abbreviated version of this command,
/i. If no file name is specified, the default
is scheme.pow. If a scheme with that name already
exists, it is replaced with the new one. This
parameter supports the /fileFileName
parameter.
/numerical
Requires you to specify the power scheme using its
numeric identifier, rather than its name. Use this
switch in combination with the /query,
/delete, /setactive, /change,
/export, and /import commands. You can
use the abbreviated version of this command, /n.
/globalpowerflag {on | off}
/option:{batteryicon | multibattery
| resumepassword | wakeonring |
videodim}
Turns the global power flag features on or off. Use
the first switch to indicate whether to turn the
feature on or off. You can use the abbreviated
version of this command, /g. /option:
is mandatory, and is followed by the name of the
feature you are turning on or off. The following
table lists and describes each option.
ValueDescriptionbatteryiconEnables or disables
the battery meter icon in the notification area.
When this flag is cleared, the battery meter icon is
not displayedmultibatteryEnables or disables
multiple battery display in the system Power MeterresumepasswordEnables
or disables the requirement that the user supply a
password when the system resumes from standby or
hibernatewakeonringEnables or disables Wake
on Ring supportvideodimEnables or disables
support for dimming the video display when the
system changes from AC power to DC (battery) power
/availablesleepstates
Reports the sleep states that are available on the
system and attempts to report why sleep states are
unavailable. You can use the abbreviated version of
this command, /a.
/batteryalarm [low | critical]
Displays or configures the specified battery alarm.
Using this option without any parameters will
display the current settings. You can use the
abbreviated version of this command, /b.The
following options can be specified:/activate {on|off}
Enables or disables the alarm./level
(0-100) Alarm will be activated when the power
level reaches this percentage./text {on|off}
Turns the text notification on or off./sound {on|off}
Turns the audible notification on or off./action
{none|shutdown|hibernate|standby} Specifies the
action to take when this alarm goes off. Not all
actions are always available./forceaction {on|off}
Force stand by or shutdown even if a program stops
responding./program {on|off} Specifies
whether the system will run a program when the alarm
goes off. When this option is used, the output will
be the task name that can be used with Schtasks.exe
/change to configure the program.
/?
Displays help at the command prompt.
Examples
Following are examples of how you can use the powercfg
command:
powercfg /list
powercfg /query scheme
powercfg /change scheme /monitor-timeout-dc 15
powercfg /change scheme /monitor-timeout-dc 0
powercfg /hibernate on
powercfg /globalpowerflag on /option: batteryicon
Formatting legend
| Format | Meaning |
| Italic | Information that the user must supply |
| Bold | Elements that the user must type exactly as shown |
| Ellipsis (...) | Parameter that can be repeated several times in a command line |
| Between brackets ([]) | Optional items |
| Between braces ({}); choices separated by pipe (|). Example: {even|odd} | Set of choices from which the user must choose only one |
| Courier font | Code or program output |