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General discussion

Windows 7 Home Premium enters power save after 20 minutes

Sep 10, 2010 9:51AM PDT

I have 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium here on my home-built computer. The monitor enters power save mode exactly 20 minutes after I last touch the keyboard or mouse. When I am watching movies on my computer, it gets frustrating that I have to move the mouse every so often just so that I get 20 more minutes of uninterrupted viewing time. In addition, sometimes the sound mutes when it goes into power save mode.

I would like to know how I can disable this so that the computer does not enter power save mode. My Windows 7 power settings are already set to High Performance mode, to Never turn off the display and Never put the computer to sleep. The advanced settings have also been set not to enter powe save. Yet the monitor still goes to power save after exactly 20 minutes.

I have looked at monitor settings, video card settings, and BIOS settings to see if there are any power save options that I could select or change, to no avail. I contacted eVGA (my video card manufacturer) and ASUS (my motherboard manufacturer) about the issue, and both replied that the problem was with the Operating System.

I have been stumped as to what has caused this problem, and other Windows 7 forums that I have presented this issue to have not come up with an answer, so I hope someone can point me in the correct direction. Thanks very much.

Discussion is locked

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Wag
Sep 11, 2010 6:40AM PDT

Using aero?

Try a theme like win 7 basic.

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this might help with power save mode, but not sure
Sep 15, 2010 5:13AM PDT

How can I prevent my computer from automatically sleeping or hibernating?
You can adjust how long your computer will wait before sleeping or hibernating?or prevent it from turning itself off altogether. But be careful: On a battery-powered mobile PC, inhibiting sleep or hibernation can result in data loss if the battery goes dead. Here's how to prevent your computer from entering a power-saving mode:

Click to open Power Options.

On the Select a power plan page, click Change plan settings under the selected plan.

On the Change settings for the plan page, click Change advanced power settings.

On the Advanced settings tab, expand Sleep, expand Sleep after, and then do one of the following:

If you are using a mobile PC, click On battery or Plugged in (or both), click the arrow, and then click Never.

If you are using a desktop computer, click Setting, click the arrow, and then click Never.

Expand Hibernate after, and then do one of the following:

If you are using a mobile PC, click On battery or Plugged in (or both), click the arrow, and then click Never.

If you are using a desktop computer, click Setting, click the arrow, and then click Never.

If you also want the display to stay turned on, expand Display, expand Turn off display after, and then do one of the following:

If you are using a mobile PC, click On battery or Plugged in (or both), click the arrow, and then click Never.

If you are using a desktop computer, click Setting, click the arrow, and then click Never.

Click OK, and then click Save changes.