Ask the NIH Help Desk

How to enable low-power or sleep mode in your computer and printer

To reduce energy consumption, your computer can be configured to go into low-power or sleep mode when there has been no keyboard or mouse activity for a given period of time. The recommended period of inactivity or timeout before your computer powers down is 30 minutes.

What about screen savers?

Screen savers, which prevent a specific graphical image from becoming permanently embedded into the screen, do consume more energy than a blank screen would. However, NIH IT security policy requires that all NIH users lock their computers with a password-protected screen saver whenever they are away from their desks. Therefore, simply not using a screen saver on your office computer is not an option. You could turn off your monitor while leaving the password-protected screen saver enabled.

Enabling low-power or sleep mode

Windows XP

1. Click on the Start button

2. Select Control Panel (or, depending on your set-up, select “Settings” and then “Control Panel”)

3. If you are using Category View, under “Pick a Category,” click on the Performance & Maintenance link. If you are using Classic View, skip this step and open Power Options (see step 4).

4. In Category View, click on Power Options. Or, in Classic View, open (double click) Power Options.

5. From the Power Schemes tab, choose an existing scheme and if desired, alter the preset timeouts.

NOTE: A setting of Never will cause that feature to never conserve energy.
NOTE: It is generally recommended that the hard drive power setting be set to Never as many applications are unable to function properly if the hard drive powers down.

6. When you have finished, click on the Apply button

7. Click on the OK button

8. Close the Control Panel

Vista

1. Click on the Start button

2. Select Control Panel

3. Open Power Options

4. Choose an existing scheme and if desired, alter the preset timeouts.

NOTE: A setting of Never will cause that feature to never conserve energy.
NOTE: It is generally recommended that the hard drive power setting be set to Never as many applications are unable to function properly if the hard drive powers down.

5. When you have finished, close the Control panel

Macintosh

1. Open the System Preferences – either from the Dock (see below – 10.4 vs 10.5 respectively) or from the Apple menu (top, left corner of the screen).

2. From the System Preferences screen (see below – 10.4 vs. 10.5 respectively), click on Energy Saver icon.

3. From the options listed (see below – 10.4 vs. 10.5 respectively), choose an existing scheme and if desired, alter the preset timeouts.

NOTE: A setting of Never will cause that feature to never conserve energy.
NOTE: It is generally recommended that the hard drive power setting be set to Never as many applications are unable to function properly if the hard drive powers down.

4. When you have finished, close the System Preferences

Printers

Changing the low-power or sleep timeouts on printers varies depending on the printer. Some printers have a “console” – a small screen with buttons – which will usually have power saver settings available from one of the menu options. Consult the Owner’s Manual that came with the printer for specific instructions.

Have more questions?

If you need any assistance, or have additional questions, just submit a service request via our website or give us a call at the NIH Help Desk at 301-496-4357, 866-319-4357 (toll free), or 301-496-8294 (TTY).