How to Adjust Power Settings in a Windows Vista Laptop

Default Power Plans

1. Decide what you are going to be using your laptop for. If you're always in reach of a plug-in unit for the AC cable, then maybe this isn't for you. But for notebook users with so much to do on a limited battery life, or gamers on an extended amount of time, power options are recommended.

2. Select Start>Control Panel.

3. Click Mobile PC, or Change battery settings, the sub-heading (skip to Step 5).

4. Select Power Options.

5. Review the range of available plans displayed in the window with their corresponding stats judged on Battery life and Performance.

6. Decide which option is best for you:

   1. For people on the go (i.e. frequent business trips), Power saver would be the best plan for you, as it saves energy by reducing your computer's performance where possible.
   2. For people who are not worried about setting a power plan, or who have convenient access to an AC cable in most situations (i.e. at home), choose a Balanced plan which balances performance with energy consumption on available hardware.
   3. Or if you're going to be running applications which use high-end graphics or speed, choose the High performance power option which favors performance where necessary, but may use more energy.

7. Choose your preferred power plan by simply clicking on the bullet point corresponding to a plan.