Powercfg

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

 * XP


 * Vista, Server 2008, 7

Parameters
{| class="wikitable sortable" ! rowspan=2 | Parameter ! rowspan=2 | Description ! colspan=2 | OS ! XP ! Other
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Lists all power schemes in the current user's environment.
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"| (XP)
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Displays the contents of the specified power scheme.
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Creates a power scheme with the specified.
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#ff9090;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-no"|No
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Modifies a setting value in the current power scheme.
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Modifies the name of a power scheme and, optionally, the scheme description.
 * style="background:#ff9090;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-no"|No
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Duplicates the specified power scheme. The resulting GUID which represents the new scheme will be displayed.
 * style="background:#ff9090;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-no"|No
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Deletes the power scheme with the specified GUID.
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Deletes a power setting.
 * style="background:#ff9090;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-no"|No
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Makes the specified power scheme active on the computer.
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Retrieves the currently active power scheme.
 * style="background:#ff9090;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-no"|No
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Sets a value associated with a specified power setting while the computer is powered by AC power.
 * style="background:#ff9090;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-no"|No
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Sets a value associated with a specified power setting while the computer is powered by DC power.
 * style="background:#ff9090;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-no"|No
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Enables or disables the hibernate feature. Hibernate timeout is not supported on all computers.
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Specify the power scheme to be operated upon with a numerical identifier. This switch allows a number to be used in place of the  in the following commands: ,  ,  ,  ,  , and
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#ff9090;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-no"|No
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Turn one of the following global power flags on or off:
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#ff9090;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-no"|No
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Configure the battery alarm. Settings:
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#ff9090;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-no"|No
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Reports the sleep states available on the computer. Attempts to report reasons why sleep states are unavailable.
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Returns a list of devices that meet the specified flags:
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Enables the device to wake the computer from a sleep state.
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Disables the device from waking the computer from a sleep state.
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#ff9090;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-no"|No
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Reports the sleep states available on the computer. Attempts to report reasons why sleep states are unavailable.
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Returns a list of devices that meet the specified flags:
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Enables the device to wake the computer from a sleep state.
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Disables the device from waking the computer from a sleep state.
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Disables the device from waking the computer from a sleep state.
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Disables the device from waking the computer from a sleep state.


 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Imports all power settings from the specified file.
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Exports a power scheme, represented by the specified GUID, to the specified file.
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Reports information about the event that woke the computer from the last sleep transition.
 * style="background:#ff9090;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-no"|No
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Displays all aliases and their corresponding GUIDs. The user may use these aliases in place of any GUID at the command prompt
 * style="background:#ff9090;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-no"|No
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Sets a security descriptor associated with a specified power setting, power scheme, or action.
 * style="background:#ff9090;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-no"|No
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Gets a security descriptor associated with a specified power setting, power scheme, or action.
 * style="background:#ff9090;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-no"|No
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Enumerate application and driver Power Requests. Power requests prevent the computer from automatically powering off the display or entering a low-power sleep mode.
 * style="background:#ff9090;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-no"|No
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Sets a Power Request override for a particular Process, Service, or Driver. If no parameters are specified, this command displays the current list of Power Request Overrides. NOTE: No documentation exists to remove a request override entry once entered, however leaving off the request type will do so.  powercfg -requestsoverride Caller_type Name (Request left blank to remove entry)
 * style="background:#ff9090;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-no"|No
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Analyzes the system for common energy-efficiency and battery life problems. The  command should be used when the computer is idle and with no open programs or documents. The   command will generate an HTML report file in the current path. Windows 7 and certain Windows 10 Insider builds only.
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Sets a Power Request override for a particular Process, Service, or Driver. If no parameters are specified, this command displays the current list of Power Request Overrides. NOTE: No documentation exists to remove a request override entry once entered, however leaving off the request type will do so.  powercfg -requestsoverride Caller_type Name (Request left blank to remove entry)
 * style="background:#ff9090;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-no"|No
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Analyzes the system for common energy-efficiency and battery life problems. The  command should be used when the computer is idle and with no open programs or documents. The   command will generate an HTML report file in the current path. Windows 7 and certain Windows 10 Insider builds only.
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Analyzes the system for common energy-efficiency and battery life problems. The  command should be used when the computer is idle and with no open programs or documents. The   command will generate an HTML report file in the current path. Windows 7 and certain Windows 10 Insider builds only.


 * style="background:#ff9090;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-no"|No
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|7 only
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Enumerates the active wake timers. If enabled, the expiration of a wake timer wakes the system from sleep and hibernate states.
 * style="background:#ff9090;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-no"|No
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|Displays Help at the command prompt.
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * }
 * style="background:#90ff90;color:black;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center" class="table-yes"|Yes
 * }

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:
 * Power scheme GUIDs
 * = Power saver (Max power saving)
 * = Balanced (Typical)
 * = High performance (Min power saving)

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)