Power Management FAQ

 How do I wake up a computer?

To wake up a computer that has been placed in sleep mode:

  1. Press any key on the keyboard. 
  2. Press the power button (do not hold the power button down for more than 1-2 seconds or the computer will power off).

Keep in mind that the power button for a computer is not located on the monitor.

 What are the standard power management settings on an office computer?

The standard power management settings for an office computer are:

  • All computers are powered on at 7:15 a.m. Monday - Friday.
  • After 15-30 minutes of idle time the computer monitor and hard drive shuts down.
  • Between 6:00 am and 6:00 pm the computer will be placed into sleep mode after 2 hours of idle time.  
  • Between 6:01 pm and 5:59 am the computer will be placed into sleep mode after 1 hour of idle time. 
  • At 12:45 am Sundays, power management settings are scheduled to wake up all computers.  This allows  anti-virus protection to perform regularly scheduled full scans. 
  • Laptops: Laptops on battery go to sleep mode after 15 minutes.

Note:  These settings are subject to change.  Power Management in labs and classrooms are determined by times of use.

 What is the difference between sleep mode and hibernate mode?

Sleep or Standby are synonymous. This is a power state whereby the computer shuts down as much as possible but keeps applications that are currently running in memory, allowing you to easily wake your computer and resume working where you left off.

Hibernate is similar to sleep mode with the exception that all running applications are first written to a file on your hard drive and then the computer is powered off. Once your computer is powered on the hibernation file is loaded and you are able to resume working where you last left off.

 My computer will not wake up, what should I do?

Assuming there is no power outage, and you have attempted to wake you computer several times and it still refuses to wake, please enter a work order so that we can look into this for you.

 I use remote desktop. How can I access my computer if it is asleep?

You can attempt to wake your computer by going to https://wakemycomputer.uwsp.edu and entering your computer name.

If you do not know your computer name, visit our Service Desk FAQs and select "How to find a UWSP computer name".

Please note that if the UWSP campus is experiencing a power outage neither your computer or the "Wake My Computer" service will be receiving power so you will be unable to wake your computer during this time. Should a network outage occur, the "Wake My Computer" service may also be temporarily unavailable.

 How can I tell if my computer is asleep?

Each computer model is slightly different. You can determine the behavior for your particular computer by selecting Start, Shutdown and the selecting Sleep. You should see a change in the power light on the front panel of the computer. The power light may change color or simply flash.

Keep in mind that your monitor is separate from your computer. Unless your computer is an "all-in-one" where monitor and computer are merged into one stand up unit, your monitor will usually go into sleep mode prior to you computer going into sleep mode. The power button for the monitor will also change color or flash when in sleep mode.

 What happens if there is a power outage?

After a power outage computers generally will work as expected.  Remote Desktop and Wake my Computer should also function as normal.

There are some instances that can prevent a computer from starting normally and may be completely unrelated to your power management settings. If your computer cannot be woken by its power management settings or using Wake my Computer, it may have to be powered on manually. If a computer continues to resist being powered on, please enter a work order or contact the UWSP Service Desk for assistance creating one.

 I have a computer which needs to run 24-7. How do I prevent it from going to sleep?

If you have a computer that needs to run 24-7, please enter a work order and include the reason this exception is necessary.

 I have a laptop, will power management affect me?

Yes. All University owned computers have a power management policy in place. Whether your computer remains in your office, or travels with you disconnected from the UWSP network, UWSP's power management policy stays with the computer.

 How do I change the power management settings for my computer?

If you feel changes to your default power management settings are needed, you may request a change by submitting a ticket through the IT Self Service Portal. For assistance or questions regarding your computer power management settings, please contact the UWSP Service Desk.

 How do I put my computer to sleep manually to help conserve more power?

Windows 10: From a UWSP Windows computer click the Windows Start flag button, click the Power button that appears directly above, and click Sleep.

Macs: Click the Apple Icon in the top left corner of the screen, then click Sleep.

 How do I put my computer to sleep manually from a remote desktop session?

From Windows 10: Windows Flag > Power > Sleep.

Macs: Click the Apple Icon in the top left corner of the screen, then click Sleep.​

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Have questions?  Please contact the Service Desk.