Acer iconia W510 power options problem

targa72

I’m trying to change the plugged in setting ‘Put the computer to sleep’ to never.

In change advanced settings: change the ‘Display - Turn off display after – plugged in’ to 15 minutes.

It appears that these two options are not independent of each other. Which ever selection is the last option picked changes the previous one to the same setting.

On my desktop computer running Windows 8 Pro these settings are independent of each other.

Is this an Acer iconia problem or Windows 8 problem?

t_amtoft

Hi, it is to my knowledge an Acer Iconica selection on the limitations they allow us to use in Win8, they control most of it through the registry. It is possible to add more schemes, but I dont know how to enable more options in the Power plan schemes. I can select, by changing with powercfg -setactive $$$$$-$$$4.... to scheme maximum perrformance, but still dont give the option and flexibility you want.

 

I will look more, because getting the Screen and leep independent will solve our problem. I guess the registry, has some common keys for both, as that is what is looks like, as never becomes same for both actions..

t_amtoft

leep=sleep

nhp

Did you ever solve this problem of separating "sleep" and "display off"?    I don't have a W510, but I'm setting up a Samsung ATIV500 tablet using W8, and it has the same problem.   Also, I've seen the problem mentioned for the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 using W8.

 

All three tablets use the Intel "Clovertrail" processor, so I'm wondering if this lack of functionality is determined by the use of that particular processor.   Haven't managed to get anybody at Microsoft to verify that speculation though.

 

I did manage to separate the "display off" from "sleep" functions using powercfg at the command line and /setactive as you mention, but it took three attempts to make it stick.  In addition, the settings in the "Edit Plan Settings" window of Control Panel's Power Options did not change to reflect the new reality, and reasserted themselves the following day, possibly when I used Internet Explorer.  

 

If anybody has a permanent fix, I'd like to hear it, as I need to run at lowest power while still performing tasks, and don't the power hungry screen for that.

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

 

t_amtoft

Hi, It returns to the values in the registry, after a reboot to my knowledge or maybe even if you enter the registry from another program, I am not an sexpert on this, I didnt manage to change it in the registry...on ther permanent settings, which forms how the computer uses W8.

 

I am my self thinking about doing the followwing, even it is not really the right way, but if you want I can work the proposal out:

 

I can make a simple background task then changes this like every 15 minutes.

 

Then it will always retturn to a situation where you can  turn off the screen, without sleeping, however, I didn't try yet and dont know if it will work. A background task like this you will not notise on the computer.

 

The background task can always be removed again, so the computer returns to its old way.You think this woud work ?

 

Br, Torben

t_amtoft

btw. How did you manage to seperate the sleep and display timing, I don't recall my suggestion did that just only add more power schemes ?

whiskey

---

nhp wrote:

Did you ever solve this problem of separating "sleep" and "display off"?    I don't have a W510, but I'm setting up a Samsung ATIV500 tablet using W8, and it has the same problem.   Also, I've seen the problem mentioned for the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 using W8.

 

All three tablets use the Intel "Clovertrail" processor, so I'm wondering if this lack of functionality is determined by the use of that particular processor. 

 

---

This is the current configuration for systems supporting Connected Standby.  As Clovertrail is currently the only released architecture that implements it, this is what we are seeing from those OEMs in their configuration of Windows 8 32-bit (only the 32-bit OS is currently offering support) for this function.

 

A clean wipe and installation of Windows 8 will not, by current default, configure the system for Connected Standby.

t_amtoft

Yes, but this connected standby is not really working to our needs :-)

 

We can not keep remote connection status and maintain downloads. The idea is good, but we dont need this, we just need like anyother product with good battery life to have it ALL ALIVE and use the power bottom to turn off the screen and touch, not to go into sleep....

 

Then we would need a sleep option in the METRO UI, I made this already, then we are happy :-)

 

Give us the flexibility to configure our self how we want our computers, is necessary. Do get into Android or Mac mode, offer MORE in windows 8, not less...

nhp

Could this anomaly observed across Clovertrail tablets be due to a mode called  "connected standby"?   I quote from a MS document at:  http://software.intel.com/sites/default/files/optimizing-windows-applications-for-connected-standby.pdf

 

"When the display is turned off on connected standby capable systems, all running software (including applications and operating system software) become subject to a new set of activity restrictions. Windows Desktop Activity Moderator (DAM) suppresses legacy app execution in a manner similar to the Sleep state. It does this by suspending all applications in the user session and throttling all 3rd party services to create predictable power usage over the period of idle time. This enables systems that support connected standby to deliver minimized resource usage and long, consistent battery life while enabling Windows 8 Modern UI apps to deliver the connected experiences they promise. In addition, as hardware power states become more sensitive, software services must be well behaved at connected standby so they don’t needlessly wake/throttle the system, which would limit battery life."

 

Yes, my system (a W8 tablet but not W510) has "connected standby" enabled per queries using command line: powercfg.exe -energy

 

I'll bet yours does too if you are observing that setting timeout for the "display off" puts the tablet / computer to "sleep" at the same time.  It's not quite the same as "sleep" as we've known it in the past, but unless your application complies with "connected standby", it may just as well be, because it seems that it will be suspended at the same time as the display switches off.  

 

I guess that the "Edit Plan" window was modified just enough to tie "sleep" and "display off" together without actually telling the user what is going on.

 

Now....can one disable "connected standby" for those who have their own ideas about power saving, and want to use an application that wasn't written very recently?

nhp

The separation of "display off" and "sleep" was done using the command prompt,  powercfg and changing the monitor-timeout and standby-timeout parameters, followed by powercfg /setactive .   However, it didn't work the first couple of times, but the third time it did, and lasted a day or so, along with a reboot (I think, it's hard to tell how deeply a W8 computer switches off or restarts)   Unfortunately, it reverted about a day later with no further input from me.  I have not since been able to duplicate the changes.   But having the display off reduced power consumption by over 20% from dimming the display to the dimmest I could manage. 

 

I'm now going to try creating a new power scheme using powercfg...

nhp

Has anyone tried this clean install of W8?   I've heard that if you buy these machines from the Microsoft store that they have just a basic Windows 8 installed without OEM bloatware, but I wouldn't be surprised if they enable Connected Standby just the same...

 

t_amtoft

surely we dont need connected standby in the way it is implemented, by force by ACER (Microsoft), it should be able to go to connected standby on users selection in the power menu, whre standby reside, not by taking control of the computer. Microsoft have good idea here, but a good idea turns bad, when forced on people, because all users has their own ways of using computers.

 

The power bottom should be able to configure like before, so it would be able to only turn off screen and touch.

 

I now accept the connected stadby, even I dont want it and is forced to use another computer for peer downloads, remote access ect. not a good solution.

 

The concept with connected standby is good, but it does not work here because it is implemented with the sleep function, where the sleep function now is not really available.

 

Now you can not make  the computer go to REAL sleep and turn on fast unless all your Skype and IM systems, mails will make noises with the ntification.

 

Basiccally the standby and sleep function has been mixed up and it should be corrected by at patch from ACER, this is not a W8 issue to my knowledge, but a ACER usage and configuratin problem.The handles in W8 sshould be available to change this, we can even make a background hack to avoid if we like. It is in the register settings what power options and liimitations is made, which is selected by ACER.

 

It simply dont work as intended. I would like to know if anyone does know how we get the screen and sleep function seperated in the register and maybe also the power bottom functions ? then a background task can evt. be made to overrule the W8 defaults, if we can not make it as a permanent change in the register ?

t_amtoft

could be an option to use W8 prof as clean installation without the OEM discs, but I think it will go to internet and select the boatware directly there and install the same way, as it wil identify the W510 and update all drivers, but it is worth a try, if anyone has a clean W8 installation disc. and could try, we would like to know...?

t_amtoft

Can you post the details on how you tried to seperate the screen and sleep, as I would like to see and maybe try to force it by a background task. This way even at reboot it will automatically change the scheme..

 

Please post your detailed powcfg commands for me to consider.

targa72

I’ve tried changing the hard disk sleep and display modes with powcfg commands with no success.

Here is the power scheme I tried, which is the same as my desktop W8 computer.

 

Power Scheme GUID: 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260df2e  (Balanced)

  GUID Alias: SCHEME_BALANCED

  Subgroup GUID: fea3413e-7e05-4911-9a71-700331f1c294  (Settings belonging to no subgroup)

    GUID Alias: SUB_NONE

    Power Setting GUID: 0e796bdb-100d-47d6-a2d5-f7d2daa51f51  (Require a password on wakeup)

      GUID Alias: CONSOLELOCK

      Possible Setting Index: 000

      Possible Setting Friendly Name: No

      Possible Setting Index: 001

      Possible Setting Friendly Name: Yes

    Current AC Power Setting Index: 0x00000001

    Current DC Power Setting Index: 0x00000001

 

  Subgroup GUID: 0012ee47-9041-4b5d-9b77-535fba8b1442  (Hard disk)

    GUID Alias: SUB_DISK

    Power Setting GUID: 6738e2c4-e8a5-4a42-b16a-e040e769756e  (Turn off hard disk after)

      GUID Alias: DISKIDLE

      Minimum Possible Setting: 0x00000000

      Maximum Possible Setting: 0xffffffff

      Possible Settings increment: 0x00000001

      Possible Settings units: Seconds

    Current AC Power Setting Index: 0x00000000

    Current DC Power Setting Index: 0x0000001e

 

  Subgroup GUID: 238c9fa8-0aad-41ed-83f4-97be242c8f20  (Sleep)

    GUID Alias: SUB_SLEEP

    Power Setting GUID: 29f6c1db-86da-48c5-9fdb-f2b67b1f44da  (Sleep after)

      GUID Alias: STANDBYIDLE

      Minimum Possible Setting: 0x00000000

      Maximum Possible Setting: 0xffffffff

      Possible Settings increment: 0x00000001

      Possible Settings units: Seconds

    Current AC Power Setting Index: 0x00000708

    Current DC Power Setting Index: 0x00000384

                  

   Power Setting GUID: 3c0bc021-c8a8-4e07-a973-6b14cbcb2b7e  (Turn off display after)

      GUID Alias: VIDEOIDLE

      Minimum Possible Setting: 0x00000000

      Maximum Possible Setting: 0xffffffff

      Possible Settings increment: 0x00000001

      Possible Settings units: Seconds

    Current AC Power Setting Index: 0x00000384

    Current DC Power Setting Index: 0x0000012c

 

Oops. After going over the above settings I see the sleep mode might be wrong. The desk top Current AC Power Setting Index is 0x00000000 not 0x00000708.

 

I’ll try redoing the settings after I get my W510 back from Acer repair center, its there for the HDMI problem.

t_amtoft

thanks, if any of you guys get a sucessful change of the screen off and sleep mode to work independenty, then we will just make a batch file running in the background, not seen by user...it wwill even change it automatically if rebooting computer.

 

Keep me posted onyour proposals, thanks, Torben

nhp

 I'm not sure if this was directed to me, but the commands used were:


powercfg /change monitor-timeout-ac 2

powercfg /change standby-timeout-ac 0

powercfg /setactive    <....>

the <....> field contains the GUID value of the power scheme that you are modifying, which should be the power scheme that you are presently using.  The numerical values are the number of minutes for the timeout, 0 meaning Never.

You can find those values (the power scheme name is a alias) by typing powercfg /list at the command prompt

powercfg has a lot of functionality in theory; type powercfg /? to find out.  However, I'm not sure it works in practice in W8.  When I run powercfg /query on my present set up, it shows the value for (sleep) is 0x00000000, i.e. "Never", but it goes to sleep when the display goes off at 2 minutes.

t_amtoft

yes, I tried this already, as indicated in the first posting, the sleep and display off is given same value. So same lock as in the power option menu exists.

 

The connected standby is disabling other sleep modes.

 

What we really need to get rid of the connected standby mode, get display off and real sleep mode activated, as seperate ways of using the computer. The power bottom should only bring display off, without going into sleep.

 

Same as the Fn+F6 function n docking mode, however this dont work in tablet mode :-)

nhp

Apologies, I didn't realize how deeply you had gone into powercfg.

 

And, I don't know how effective powercfg is.   For me, one time, and one time only, running that sequence of powercfg commands that I quoted, DID separate the "display off" and "sleep values", so it is possible, but something else overrode it after a time.  On all other occasions, you are correct, updating "display off" even using powercfg will change the time out for "sleep" mode also.....even though powercfg /query will continue to report the values that you entered, not the values that really exist, presumably somewhere in the registry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

t_amtoft

exactly, that was why I was curious, if you as mentioned before, could do the separation again between sleep and display, then we would have a solution, as it could make sure this would be permanent with a background task.

 

I did manage to create new power schemes, but  they have the same restrictions...maybe someone who is expert in subtask handling in powercfg could make it happen..

targa72

Well I got my W510 back and set up a new power scheme with the changes I mentioned before, but changing the sleep mode setting to 0x00000000. Than went into the registry and set this as the default scheme. This did not correct the problem. I than went into the registry and manually changed the AC power settings for the hard disk, sleep and turn off display settings, still no help.

 

I’ve got a felling there’s a setting in the registry that’s stopping us from separating the sleep and display modes.