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Power Management and Conservation: Dell™ Latitude™ C600/C500 User's Guide
- Connect the computer to an electrical outlet when possible, because the
battery life expectancy is largely determined by the number of times it is
charged.
- Place the computer in standby mode or hibernate
mode when you leave the computer unattended for long periods of time.
- If you are going to connect your computer to a port replicator or a
docking station, click None (or Do nothing) when you program
the display-close option in theAdvanced
tab in the Microsoft® Windows® Power Options Properties window.
- To exit a power management mode, press the power
button.
Standby mode (also called suspend mode) conserves power by turning off the display
and the hard-disk drive after a predetermined period of inactivity (a time-out). When
you exit standby mode, the computer returns to the same state it was in before
entering standby mode.
NOTICE: If your computer loses AC and battery power while in standby
mode, you may lose data.
To enter standby mode in Windows XP, Windows 2000, or Windows 98:
- If you are using Windows XP, click the Start button, click Turn
Off Computer, and then click Stand By.
If you are using Windows 2000 or Windows 98, click the Start button,
click Shutdown, click Standby, and then click OK.
or
- Depending on how you set the power management options in the Advanced tab, use one of the following methods:
- Press the power button.
- Close the display.
- Press the power management keyboard shortcut (sometimes referred to as
the "sleep button"),
.
If an external monitor is connected to the computer when you close the
display, the computer does not enter standby mode. You can still use the
external monitor.
To exit standby mode, press the power button or open the display depending on
how you set the options in the Advanced
tab.
To enter standby mode in Windows NT:
To enter standby mode, press <FN><Esc>. For power management
information, see Power Options Properties.
Hibernate mode (also called suspend-to-disk or S2D mode) conserves power by
copying system data to a reserved area on the hard-disk drive and then completely
turning off the computer. When you exit hibernate mode, the computer returns to
the same state it was in before entering hibernate mode.
NOTICE: You cannot remove devices or undock your computer while in hibernate
mode.
Your computer enters hibernate mode if the battery charge level becomes
critically low.
Depending on how you set the power management options in
the Advanced tab, use one of the following methods to enter hibernate mode:
- Press the power button.
- Close the display.
- Press the power management keyboard shortcut (sometimes referred to as the
"sleep button"), .
If an external monitor is connected to the computer when you close the
display, the computer does not enter hibernate mode. You can still use the
external monitor.
 |
NOTE: You
cannot exit standby mode or hibernate mode by pressing a key or touching
the touch pad. |
|
NOTE: Some
PC Cards may not operate correctly after the computer exits hibernate
mode. Remove and reinsert the card, or simply restart (reboot) your
computer. |
To exit hibernate mode, press the power button. The computer may take a short
time to exit hibernate mode.
For more information on hibernate mode, see the documentation that came with
your operating system.
For Microsoft Windows XP
- Click the Start button, and then click
Control Panel.
- Under Pick a category, click Performance and Management.
- Under or pick a Control Panel icon, click Power Options.
For Microsoft Windows 2000 or Windows 98
To access the Windows Power Options Properties (or Power
Management Properties) window:
- Click the Start button, point to Settings,
and then click Control Panel.
- Double-click the Power Options Properties (or Power Management
Properties) icon.
For Microsoft Windows NT
Dell provides Softex software compatible with the Power Management
Controller, which allows you to suspend and resume your computer without
affecting your ability to use the docking station or its media bay.
For information on using any Softex application program, see the online Help:
- Double-click the Softex program's icon in the system tray of the Windows
taskbar (normally on the bottom-right side of the screen).
- Click Help.
Power Schemes Tab
The Power schemes pull-down menu displays the selected preset power
scheme. Depending on your operating system, typical power schemes are:
|
NOTE: Dell
recommends that you use the Portable/Laptop power scheme to
maximize battery power. |
- Portable/Laptop
- Home/Office
- Always On
- Presentation
- Minimal Power Management
- Max Battery
Each preset power scheme has different time-out settings for putting the
computer into standby mode, turning off the display, and turning off the hard-disk
drive. For more information on power management options, see Windows
Help or Windows Help and Support Center.
Windows XP controls the performance level of the processor depending on the
power scheme you select. You do not need to make any further adjustments to set
the performance level. For more information on setting processor performance,
see "Using Intel Speedstep."
Alarms Tab
|
NOTE: To
enable audible alarms, click each Alarm Action button and select Sound
alarm. |
The Low battery alarm and Critical battery alarm settings alert
you with a message when the battery charge falls below a certain percentage.
When you receive your computer, the Low battery alarm and Critical
battery alarm check boxes are selected. Dell recommends that you continue to
use these settings. See "Battery Warnings"
for more information on low battery warnings.
Power Meter Tab
The Power Meter tab displays the current power source and amount of
battery charge remaining.
The Advanced tab allows you to:
- Set power icon and standby mode password options.
|
NOTES: If
you are going to connect your computer to a port replicator or a docking
station, click None when you program the display-close option. This
setting ensures that your computer does not enter standby mode or
hibernate mode when you close (lower) the display.
If the computer is running Windows 98, set power management options
in the system setup program. |
- Program the following functions:
- Activate standby mode.
- Activate hibernate mode.
- Shut down Windows and turn off the computer.
- Choose no action (None).
To program these functions, click an option from the corresponding pull-down
menu, and then click OK.
Hibernate Tab
The Hibernate tab lets you enable hibernate mode by clicking the Enable
hibernate support check box.
The EPA’s ENERGY STAR® Computers program is a joint effort between the EPA and computer
manufacturers to reduce air pollution by promoting energy-efficient computer products. The
EPA estimates that use of ENERGY STAR® computer products can save computer users
up to two billion dollars annually in electricity costs.
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