powercfg (executable name ) is a command-line utility that is used from an elevated Windows Command Prompt to control all configurable power system settings, including hardware-specific configurations that are not configurable through the Control Panel, on a per-user basis. It was first introduced by Microsoft in Windows XP SP2 in 2004.

Usage

powercfg must be run from an elevated command prompt, and, under Windows XP, it requires workstation Administrator or power user rights. Power Schemes are configured on a per-user basis. The most common cause of problems with power saving and hibernation on Windows systems is an incompatible device driver. This can be diagnosed by disabling each device in turn (with ). When activating power saving across a local area network, it is important to ensure that software updates, security patches and antivirus updates in particular, are not disrupted. Microsoft recommends that its Windows Server Update Services be configured to install updates when workstations are available and Windows Task Scheduler can be set to wake the machine when needed.

Syntax

Parameters

{| class="wikitable sortable" ! rowspan=2 | Parameter ! rowspan=2 | Description ! colspan=2 | OS ! XP ! Other The use of GUIDs avoids any problems with internationalisation when applying Power Saving to non-English versions of Windows. The three built-in power schemes have the aliases listed below, which can be used instead of the GUIDs: The other GUIDs have aliases as well.

Examples

Lists all power schemes List all Aliases Retrieve the currently active power scheme Set the Monitor and disc timeouts for the current Power saver scheme Enable the mouse to wake from sleep Set the 'Power saver' scheme Create a Custom Power scheme and set it as active Disable the sleep button (for the users current power scheme) Disable the sleep button (for all available power schemes)