Powercfg
Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows 8
Control power settings and configure computers to default to Hibernate or Standby modes.
The Powercfg.exe tool is installed with Windows.
Syntax
powercfg [/l[ist]] [/q[uery] [<Scheme_GUID>] [<Sub_GUID>]] ] [/x <setting> <value>] [/changename <GUID> <name> [<scheme_description>]] [/duplicatescheme <GUID> [<DestinationGUID>]] [/d[elete] <GUID>] [/deletesetting <Sub_GUID> <Setting_GUID>] [/s[etactive] <Scheme_GUID>] [/getactivescheme] [/setacvalueindex <Scheme_GUID> <Sub_GUID> <Setting_GUID> <SettingIndex>] [/setdcvalueindex <Scheme_GUID> <Sub_GUID> <Setting_GUID> <SettingIndex>] [/h[ibernate] [on|off]] [/a[vailablesleepstates]] [/devicequery <query_flags>] [/deviceenablewake <devicename>] [/devicedisablewake <devicename>] [/import <filename> [<GUID>]] [/export <filename> [<GUID>]] [/lastwake] [/aliases] [/setsecuritydescriptor [<GUID>|<Action>] <SDDL>] [/getsecuritydescriptor [<GUID>|<Action>]] [/requests] [/requestsoverride <Caller_type> <Name> <Request>] [/energy [/output <filename>] [/xml] [/duration <seconds>] [/trace [/d <filepath>]] [/waketimers][/?]
Parameters
Parameter |
Description |
|---|---|
/list /l |
Lists all power schemes in the current user's environment. |
/q[uery] [<Scheme_GUID>] [<Sub_GUID>] |
Displays the contents of the specified power scheme. <SCHEME_GUID> (Optional) Specifies the GUID of the power scheme to display. Can be obtained by using the powercfg /l command. <SUB_GUID> (Optional) Specifies the GUID of the subgroup to display. Requires a <SCHEME_GUID> to be provided. If neither <SCHEME_GUID> or <SUB_GUID> are provided, the settings of the current user's active power scheme are displayed. If <SUB_GUID> is not specified, all settings in the specified power scheme are displayed. |
<Scheme_GUID> |
Specifies the GUID of the power scheme to display. |
<Sub_GUID> |
Specifies the GUID of the subgroup to display. |
/change <setting> <value> /x <setting> <value> |
Modifies a setting value in the current power scheme. <setting> Specifies one of the following settings: monitor-timeout-ac <minutes> monitor-timeout-dc <minutes> disk-timeout-ac <minutes> disk-timeout-dc <minutes> standby-timeout-ac <minutes> standby-timeout-dc <minutes> hibernate-timeout-ac <minutes> hibernate-timeout-dc <minutes> <value> Specifies the value in minutes. |
/changename <GUID> <name> [<scheme_description>] |
Modifies the name of a power scheme and, optionally, the scheme description. <GUID>: Specifies the GUID of the power scheme <name>: Specifies the name of the power scheme. <scheme_description>: Describes the power scheme. If the description is omitted, then only the name will be changed. |
/duplicatescheme <GUID> [<DestinationGUID>] |
Duplicates the specified power scheme. The resulting GUID which represents the new scheme will be displayed. <GUID>: Specifies a scheme GUID. Obtained by using the powercfg /l command. <DestinationGUID>: Specifies the GUID where the scheme will be copied. If <DestinationGUID> is omitted, then a new GUID will be created for the duplicated scheme. |
/d[elete] <GUID> |
Deletes the power scheme with the specified GUID. <GUID> Specifies the GUID of the scheme. Obtained by using the powercfg /l command. |
/deletesetting <Sub_GUID> <Setting_GUID> |
Deletes a power setting. <Sub_GUID>: Specifies the subgroup GUID. <Setting_GUID: Specifies the power setting GUID. |
/s[etactive] <Scheme_GUID> |
Makes the specified power scheme active on the computer. <Scheme_GUID> Specifies the scheme GUID. |
/getactivescheme |
Retrieves the currently active power scheme. |
/setacvalueindex <Scheme_GUID> <Sub_GUID> <Setting_GUID> <SettingIndex> |
Sets a value associated with a specified power setting while the computer is powered by AC power. <Scheme_GUID>: Specifies a power scheme GUID. Obtained by using the powercfg /l command. <Sub_GUID>: Specifies a subgroup of power setting GUID. Obtained by using the powercfg /q command. <SettingIndex>: Specifies which of the list of possible values this power setting will be set to. |
/setdcvalueindex <Scheme_GUID> <Sub_GUID> <Setting_GUID> <SettingIndex> |
Sets a value associated with a specified power setting while the computer is powered by DC power. <Scheme_GUID>: Specifies a power scheme GUID. Obtained by using the powercfg /l command. <Sub_GUID>: Specifies a subgroup of power setting GUID. Obtained by using the powercfg /q command. |
/h[ibernate] [on|off] |
Enables or disables the hibernate feature. Hibernate timeout is not supported on all computers. |
/a[vailablesleepstates] |
Reports the sleep states available on the computer. Attempts to report reasons why sleep states are unavailable. |
/devicequery <query_flags> |
Returns a list of devices that meet the specified criteria. <query_flags> Specifies one of the following criteria: wake_from_S1_supported: Returns all devices that support waking the computer from a light sleep state. wake_from_S3_supported: Returns all devices that support waking the computer from the deepest sleep state. wake_from_any: Returns all devices that support waking the computer from any sleep state. S1_supported: Lists devices supporting light sleep. S2_supported: Lists devices supporting deeper sleep. S3_supported: Lists devices supporting deepest sleep. S4_supported: Lists devices supporting hibernation. wake_programmable: Lists devices that are user/configurable to wake the computer from a sleep state. wake_armed: Lists devices that are currently configured to wake the computer from any sleep state. all_devices: Returns all devices present in the computer. |
/deviceenablewake <devicename> |
Enables the device to wake the computer from a sleep state. <devicename> Specifies a device retrieved by using the powercfg /devicequery wake_programmable command. Example: |
/devicedisablewake <devicename> |
Disables the device from waking the computer from a sleep state. <devicename> Specifies a device retrieved by using the powercfg /devicequery wake_armed command. |
/import <filename> [<GUID>] |
Imports all power settings from the specified file. <filename> Specifies a fully qualified path to a file generated by using the /export command-line option. <GUID> (optional) Represents the settings loaded into a power scheme. If not supplied, Powercfg will generate and use a new GUID |
/export <filename> [<GUID>] |
Exports a power scheme, represented by the specified GUID, to the specified file. <filename> Specifies a fully qualified path to a destination file. <GUID> Specifies a power scheme GUID. Obtained by using the /l command-line option. |
/lastwake |
Reports information about the event that woke the computer from the last sleep transition. |
/aliases |
Displays all aliases and their corresponding GUIDs. The user may use these aliases in place of any GUID at the command prompt |
/setsecruitydescriptor [<GUID>|<Action>] <SDDL> |
Sets a security descriptor associated with a specified power setting, power scheme, or action. <GUID> Specifies a power scheme or a power setting GUID. <Action> Specifies one of the following strings: ActionSetActive, ActionCreate, ActionDefault <SDDL> Specifies a valid security descriptor string in SDD format. Use powercfg /getsecuritydescriptor to see an example SDDL STRING. |
/getsecuritydescriptor [<GUID>|<Action>] |
Gets a security descriptor associated with a specified power setting, power scheme, or action. <GUID> Specifies a power scheme or a power setting GUID. <Action> Specifies one of the following strings: ActionSetActive, ActionCreate, ActionDefault |
/requests |
Enumerate application and driver Power Requests. Power requests prevent the computer from automatically powering off the display or entering a low-power sleep mode. |
/requestsoverride <Caller_type> <Name> <Request> |
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. <Caller_type>: Specifies one of the following caller types: PROCESS, SERVICE, DRIVER. This is obtained by calling the powercfg /requests command. <Name>: Specifies the caller name. This is the name returned from calling powercfg /requests command. <Request>: Specifies one or more of the following Power Request Types: Display, System, Awaymode. |
/energy |
Analyzes the system for common energy-efficiency and battery life problems. The /energy command should be used when the computer is idle and with no open programs or documents. The /energy command will generate an HTML report file in the current path. /output <filename>: Specifies the path and filename to store the energy report HTML file. /xml: Formats the report file as XML. /trace: Records system behavior and does not perform analysis. Trace files will be generated in the current path unless the /d parameter is specified. /d <filepath>: Specifies the directory to store trace data. May only be used with the /trace parameter. /duration <seconds>: Specifies the number of seconds to observe system behavior. Default is 60 seconds |
/waketimers |
Enumerates the active wake timers. If enabled, the expiration of a wake timer wakes the system from sleep and hibernate states. |
/? |
Displays Help at the command prompt. |
Examples
To set the monitor idle timeout value to five minutes when operating on AC power:
powercfg /change /monitor/timeout/ac 5
To set the power setting's AC value to the fifth entry in the list of possible values for this power setting:
powercfg /setacvalueindex <Scheme_GUID> <Sub_GUID> <Setting_GUID> 5
To set the power setting's DC value to the fifth entry in the list of possible values for this power setting:
powercfg /setdcvalueindex <Scheme_GUID> <Sub_GUID> <Setting_GUID> 5
To enable the Microsoft USB IntelliMouse Explorer device to wake the computer from a sleep state:
powercfg /deviceenablewake "Microsoft USB IntelliMouse Explorer"
To import all power settings from the scheme.pow file:
powercfg /import c:\scheme.pow
To export a power scheme, represented by the GUID 381b4222/f694/41f0/9685/ff5bb260df2e to the scheme.pow file:
powercfg /export c:\scheme.pow 381b4222/f694/41f0/9685/ff5bb260df2e