Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Interested in Conserving a Little Power?



By default, in the Small Business Server - Windows Vista policy GPO, Specify the System Sleep Timeout (Plugged in) and Specify the System Hibernate Timeout(Plugged in) are set to Enabled to support Remote Desktop Connection. These settings ensure that, if the client computer that is running Windows Vista is plugged in, it does not enter the sleep or hibernate modes. This enables network users to access client computers that are running Windows Vista remotely.
If you want to optimize for power management instead of for Remote Desktop support, you can disable these Power Management Group Policy settings and configure Windows Vista to use Wake-on-LAN (WoL). WoL wakes up a computer that is running Windows Vista and prevents it from sleeping or hibernating when a remote connection is made. See the computer manufacturer's documentation to learn more about how to configure Wake-On-LAN settings.

To disable Power Management settings in the "Small Business Server - Windows Vista policy" GPO for all client computers running Windows Vista

  1. From a client computer that is running Windows Vista, click Start, and then type gpmc.msc in the search box. A couple notes about this:

    • Be sure to log on to the Vista computer that is joined to the SBS domain and use the Domain Administrator account

    • When you log on to the Vista computer as the domain admin, you’ll need to specify your SBS domain name as part of the logon. For example, DOMAIN\Administrator.

    • On the Vista computer that you will use, It is recommended that you log off from any other user account on the computer (rather than using switch user) so that the policies are updated for all accounts at the end of the procedure.

  2. In Group Policy Management Console, click Forest:DomainName, click Domains, click DomainName, and then click Group Policy Objects.

  3. Right-click Small Business Server – Windows Vista policy, and then click Edit.

  4. In Group Policy Object Editor, in Computer Configuration, click Administrative Templates, click System, click Power Management, and then click Sleep Settings.

  5. In the details pane, double-click Specify the System Sleep Timeout (Plugged in).

  6. Click Not Configured, click Apply, and then click OK.

  7. In the details pane, double-click Specify the System Hibernate Timeout (Plugged in).

  8. Click Disabled, click Apply, and then click OK

  9. Close Group Policy Object Editor, and then close Group Policy Management Console.

  10. To force the Group Policy settings to be applied (if you don't want to wait the 90-130 minutes for it to be applied), either run gpupdate /force from a command prompt with elevated privileges or restart the client computer. When you force the Group Policy updates, be sure to run the command elevated.

    • Click Start, type cmd

    • Right-click the Command Prompt icon in the Program files list, and then click Run as Administrator

    • Accept the prompt for UAC

    • Type gpupdate /force


Some additional points:

If you have modified the Power Management settings through Control Panel of the local Vista computer, log on to the account that you were using when you modified the Power Management settings

  1. Open Control Panel

  2. Select Power Options

  3. For the power management setting that is currently in use, click Change Power Settings

  4. Click Restore Default settings for this plan.

If you modified the Local Group Policy settings on the Vista client, you will need to clear any of those settings to return your Power Management settings to the default setting.

More information can be found here.

Now for the fun part!
An SBS MVP from Germany has created a Remote Web Workplace plug-in to allow you to Wake your PC up directly from the Computer Picker Page. Here's the trick. The site is in German, but the tool is native English (and only shows German text if the browser is German). Apparently he's open to adding your language if you should need it. Take this up with him.

So check it out at http://wol4rww.sbstools.de, and if you're like me, you may need some help with the webpage, which is easy with Babble Fish!.


Courses like 350-029 as well as 70-270 are hard enough and should follow 642-382 and VCP-310. This is important because without this, the student will not be able to comprehend a word about N10-003 or 350-029. This is the way IT training works.


1 comments:

Anonymous said...

You can also try RemoteStartup:
http://www.karanitsch.net/en/index.htm