1.5.x - Advanced Topics - Troubleshooting

Content:

• PowerScheduler
  • How it Works
  • Configuration
  • Advanced Topics / Troubleshooting

Hibernate (S4)

The default power saving mode for PowerScheduler is (hybrid) sleep (S3), which is recommended whenever it works. But on some systems the hardware has problems with sleep (S3), so hibernate (S4) is the only alternative.

To use hibernate, you first have to enable it:

1. Run the Command Prompt as administrator
2. At the command prompt, type

   powercfg /hibernate on

Then you must configure the Windows Power Settings from the PowerScheduler configuration:

1. Start MediaPortal TV-Server Configuration.
2. Open the PowerScheduler Configuration Window.
3. Switch to Expert Mode and select the Advanced tab.
4. Disable the Apply recommended windows power settings for selected profile automatically checkbox.
5. Click the Configure Manually button to open the Set Windows Power Settings window
6. Set Standby after to

   0

   minutes and Hibernate after to the desired idle timeout value.
7. Leave the button / lid actions on Sleep.

Warning:
If you set the button actions to Hibernate, your system will not prevent manual standby if required. Instead of going to away mode it will instantly go to hibernate.

You can choose if you want to let Windows do the hibernate or if you want to have PowerScheduler actively put the System into hibernation (only recommended if you have problems with your hardware - see below). If you choose PowerScheduler forces system to go to standby when idle, then you have to select Hibernate - S4 as Standby mode.

Standby or wake up problems

If your system has problems with going to standby or does not wake up at the scheduled time you should first have a look at the PowerScheduler configuration:

In the bottom part of the window (Wakeup / Standby Status) you can see the current status of your system:

• The Next wakeup time indicates when and for what reason the computer is scheduled for the next wake up (here: for EPG grabbing at 03:00 on the 06/03/2013)
• The Standby is handled by indicates if putting the computer to sleep is handled by the Windows operating system or by PowerScheduler (here: by Windows)
• Standby prevented by lists all activities preventing the computer from going to standby at the moment. This may be activities of MediaPortal or other system activities like drivers, services and processes preventing idle timeout (here: the MediaPortal client playing media and the Realtek Audio driver)

If nothing is indicated in Standby prevented by then your system will go to standby not later than the configured time (here: 30 minutes).

If there are entries that should not be there you should check these. Sometimes TV card drivers prevent standby even after TV watching or recording is finished. In this case you can try running the command

powercfg /requestsoverride

to prevent these drivers from blocking standby forever. If this does not help, you have to activate the PowerScheduler forces system to go to standby when idle option in PowerScheduler's Advanced tab.

For wake up problems it can be useful to call

powercfg /waketimers

to see if and which schedules are active for automatic wake up and if these are consistent with the PowerScheduler wake up settings.

Detailed hints to troubleshoot Windows 7 Standby / Wake up problems: