How to select the Power Saver plan in Windows 7
A graphical illustration of the method to select the Power Saver setting in Windows 7.
1. Start
Click on the Start button in the bottom-left corner to open the Start menu.
2. Start menu
The Start menu will open.
You will see 'Control Panel' in the right-hand column.
3. Select 'Control Panel'
Click on 'Control Panel'.
4. Control Panel
The Control Panel will open up.
Check the View status in the upper-left.
For this tutorial, we want it set to 'Category'.
5. Category
If View is not set to 'Category'. click the drop down arrow and select "Category."
6. Hardware and Sound
In the Control Panel, look for 'Hardware and Sound'.
7. Select 'Hardware and Sound'
Click on the green 'Hardware and Sound' link.
8. Power Options
In the Hardware and Sound panel, look for 'Power Options'.
9. Select 'Power Options'
Click on the green 'Power Options' link.
10. Power Options
The Power Options panel will open up.
Here you can select your preferred plan.
'Balanced' is probably already selected, but you want to change that to 'Power Saver'.
11. Power Saver
If it is not already selected, click on the Power Saver button.
This will change your Power Plan from 'Balanced' to 'Power saver'.
12. Plan settings
By selecting 'Power Saver', you have changed your Power plan, and you do not need to do anything else.
Just close the Control Panel window by clicking the red 'x' close button in the top-right corner.
However, if you wish, you can look at the settings for the Power Saver plan (and make adjustments to it) by clicking 'Change plan settings' on the right.
13. Edit Plan Settings
The 'Edit Plan Settings' panel lets you change the settings for your selected plan.
14. Edit Plan Settings: Power saver
Here we can see that the default settings for the 'Power Saver' plan will turn off the display after 5 minutes of inactivity and put the computer to sleep after 15 minutes of inactivity.
A period of 'Inactivity' is a period when there is no input from the mouse or keyboard.
So, for example, if you do not move or click your mouse and do not press a key on your keyboard for 5 minutes, your display will turn off.
15. Manually edit settings
If you find that the settings do not suit the way you use the computer, you can change them yourself by clicking the drop down menus.
16. Save changes
If you make any changes to the plan, make sure you click 'Save changes'.
17. Change advanced power settings
There is an option to change advanced power settings.
Click on the link if you are curious or very brave.
18. Advanced settings
In the 'Advanced settings' menu, you can change power settings for individual systems and components of your PC.
Do not make any changes to these settings unless you really know what you're doing.
So - look but don't touch.
(If you do change something 'by accident', restore the defaults by clicking the 'Restore plan defaults' button.)
19. Restore default settings
If you want to restore the default settings for your selected plan, click the link at the bottom of the 'Edit Plan Settings' panel.
For example, this will restore the Power Saver display setting to 5 minutes and the sleep setting to 15 minutes.
Don't forget to save any changes if you need to.
20. Close Control Panel
When you have finished, close the Control Panel by clicking the red 'x' close button in the top-right corner of the panel widow.
21. Finished
That's it. All done.
You are now officially an eco-warrior.
The ice caps are a little bit safer.
Now you've adjusted your power settings, you can go and put your feet up and have a cup of tea.
The polar bears thank you.
