Windows XP ignores power settings

[Ronno6]

Another Windows XP Home quirk: I have to occasionally reset my screen saver settings as Windows seems to ignore them from time to time. I don't use a screen saver, but rather, power down my monitor after 5 minutes. Nothing seems to change on the settings screen, but I have to re-enter the highlighted value, then hit "apply" and "OK"
Windows XP also only seems to autorecognize my Sansa Clip + for a finite number of times. Then, it will not recognize the device when I plug in the USB cable. I have to reboot in order to correct the problem.
Any ideas?

[MilesAhead]

To me, Windows has always been weird when it comes to Power profiles and setting the Virtual Memory. It's like it really doesn't want to let you change from what it wants.

Any time I set the power profile, I log off, then log back in. Go into Control Panel and see if my setting "took." Half the time it's back to the default. Same with Virtual Memory after a reboot. You have to go right back in and see if it reset the defaults on you. Just keep doing it until it "takes." I don't know what the plug and play thing you references is.

You might also try the XP forum on this page:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/

[Ronno6]

Thanks for the reply.
The Sansa Clip+ is a MP3 player ala iPod. When connected to the USB cable, Windows usually recognizes it and offers program options as to what to do to/with it. Like inserting a DVD. After a few times of connecting/disconnecting to edit content, XP will no longer recognize it when connected.
As for the power settings, they appear to be as desired when I re-edit them, XP just doesn't pay any attention to them.

[MilesAhead]

I would search MS Knowledge base for fixes. If you don't have the latest service pack those fixes may be in. TweakUI may be the easiest way to set autoplay and those types of settings. They keep making small changes with every Windows flavor so I can't keep track of which OS has autoplay, which just has autostart and blah blah. That's why I try to use small utilities that work across them all. To keep things the same as much as possible. When you boot 2 or 3 different flavors of an OS it can drive you nuts when they keep changing stuff around.

[pfloyd]

Run malwarebytes to see if your system is infected.....I had a virus didn't know it and a bunch of stuff wouldn't load.

[MilesAhead]

Run malwarebytes to see if your system is infected.....I had a virus didn't know it and a bunch of stuff wouldn't load.

That's a good point. I was killing myself trying to delete files on Vista. They wouldn't even delete using Unlocker. Turned out I got hit with a registry hack that would not let Explorer change anything. Malwarebyes cleaned it right off.

[Ronno6]

I've done the malwarebytes program as advised. So far, so good (I hope this doesn't jinx it!)
Thanks for the advice,guys.

[Ronno6]

I KNEW I should not have said anything. XP back to its old tricks again.
Reran Malwarebytes with nothing new found. Funny thing: when I run Malwarebytes scan, Microsoft Security Essentials always detects something not previously seen. I wonder if MWB presents some issue in MSE ??

[Ronno6]

I posted on bleepingcomputer.com
as suggested. 75 views, 0 replies.
I always seem to get problems that nobody has answers for.
Thanks for y'all's suggestions. I guess I'm doomed to keep
renewing my settings.

[Ronno6]

Well, I got the apparent answer on bleepingcomputer.com : I had a check in the box to enable hibernation, but had the delay for initializing hibernation set to "never." I guess that confused XP somehow, and it took it out on me by disregarding the monitor power setting sometimes (often.)
Anyway, no issues for 2 days now, so I'm hopeful.
Thanks for the link!

[MilesAhead]

Hope you got it. I've seen so many problems with power save/hibernation all that type of stuff that first thing I get a desktop machine I turn all that off the delete the hibernation file. I have 2 PCs with the kvma switch so it's very inconvenient if the monitor shuts off on time-out anyway(keeps shutting off when you jump to the other machine that's been inactive for awhile.) If I'm going to leave the PCs running but not used for awhile I manually shut the speakers, monitor and docking stations off.

[Ronno6]

Well, I apparently jinxed it again with premature claims of success. After 2 days XP was back to its old tricks. So, I gave up on shutting down the monitor in favor of going to standby after 20 minutes. So far, I have received the "Blinking Amber LED of Death" once. That is why I went away from standby before. I'll live with that for the time being.
I would sometimes shut off the monitor if I was not going to use the box for a while, but doesn't the vid card keep outputting signal ?? Is there a down side to that?
I think that when the computer powers down the monitor, it stops sending vid signals from the card, conserving power and possibly (?)extending vid card life?
So much to learn, and so little time.................

[MilesAhead]

I don't know about the particulars afa what gets powered down. Maybe the system builders on the board know the ins and outs of power save. I would guess that the signal would still be sent so that when the monitor tries to wake up it will sense the video signal. But that's just a guess. I know for a long time IBM PCs and clones would not boot up if there wan't a keyboard attached. I'm not sure when that changed.. but I think techs still carry around PS/2 keyboard and mouse in their toolboxes because some startup things won't work in maintenance mode with a wireless or even USB2 keyboard/mouse.

[Ronno6]

I'm no expert, but I believe when the monitor is "powered down" in the power scheme settings, the vid card stops sending signal. The monitor displays a box
that says "No signal" then goes to sleep. Same as when the computer shuts down but the monitor remains on. When the mouse or keyboard is activated, the vid card sends signals to the monitor, and it awakens. Magic!
In my case XP does not shut the vid down, so the monitor remains on till I reaffirm the power settings. Then it works for a while before ignoring the settings again. Kinda like a dance! Simply turning off the monitor via power switch saves energy, but the video signal is still there.
I've started getting the "Blinking Amber LED of Death" again, so it appears that I have come full circle.
I've already told you more than I know............

[MilesAhead]

It might help to post your hardware specs. Maybe someone will see something that jogs their memory about a bug or whatnot.