See all 3 power plans on system tray

Anonymous
2009-10-01T03:29:27+00:00

Windows 7 is better than Vista in so many ways, but it's actually a lot worse in some others. Take, for example, choosing power plans from the system tray.

In Windows Vista, you could click on the battery meter and choose between the 3 plans: High Performance, Balanced, and Power Saver.

Now, for some idiotic reason, Microsft decided to limit our choices to only TWO plans from the system tray: your current plan + Balanced (if balanced is selected I believe it defaults to Power Saver for the 2nd one). To change it to the 3rd one I have to actually click on "More Power Options" and then select the plan.

Microsoft is requiring you to take extra steps for doing something that was easier before. I thought Windows 7's mantra was "do things faster" (i.e. Jumplists, Aero Peek, Accelerators, etc.) Who was the moron who made this decision, and how can I get my Vista-style Power tray back?

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Anonymous
2009-10-03T17:27:31+00:00

Um maybe if you read my original post (or if use Windows 7 itself), Balanced is ALWAYS shown, even if it wasn't your 'old' plan. So you can't flip-flop between Power Saver and High Performance, which is what I want.

What if I deleted the Balanced power plan? Is there a way to delete the default plans?

Yes, there is a way.

FlyoutAutoPowerScheme: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc749282(WS.10).aspx

Rating posts helps other usersMark L. Ferguson MS-MVP

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-02-12T19:15:11+00:00

    There is a simple way - Total Power Control , download it and you will have all three power plans in system tray. You can have not only Power Saver, Balanced and High Performance, but ANY power plans, including custom user made ones. Besides you get some more useful stuff as a bonus... such as immediate shutdown, restart, manaully or on timer, or when CPU becomes idle, or from internet, or using keyboard hotkeys... there is a lot of usefull stuff there.

    PS: Tried "Power Plan Assistant" before - it's stupid - always asks to download a new distributive from internet every 7 days and reinstall until you pay for it, it's not freeware, it's mockeryware.

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-01-13T08:17:01+00:00

    Please include a fix for this in a future hotfix or service pack. And please keep me updated if there's a solution.

    info: > "No new features in Service Packs"

    solution: > You will have to accept one of the three or four workarounds, the power feature is by design, and expected behavior for Win 7.

    Rating posts helps other usersMark L. Ferguson MS-MVP

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    what they ought to do is mimic jumplists... drag and drop the power plans you use. only no right click.

    or even have a setting hidden in the control panel options that could be changed that most users would never even stumble across but advanced users could easily change.

    The 1st real disadvantage of Windows 7 :(

    Is there any EASY way that this can be changed, by just adding a small thing to the registry? W/o having to download the AIK and figure it out as if it's rocket science, In plain English: is it possible to just a a file to the registry to change this? AND IF SO WHAT IS IT!

    What are the other workarounds?

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  4. Anonymous
    2009-12-09T15:17:18+00:00

    Hey. There exists a 100% working solution, a free software called "Power Plan Assistant for Windows7".

    Its website URL is www.powerplan7.com

    What Power Plan Assistant application is capable of:

    1. Switch between the Windows® built-in power plans (all power plans, including custom plans, not just 2 of them, as it is when operating via system Power icon);
    2. Easily observe which power plan is currently active (dynamic application icon in a taskbar notification area changes in accordance with an active power plan, does not matter where it has been changed - in a Control Panel, system Power icon or in the Power Plan Assistant itself);
    3. Instantly power off the display on user's demand (why wait at least one minute for it to be powered off, wasting the energy?). The display can be waked up then by pressing any key or moving the cursor;
    4. Switch the power plans automatically:
    • to 'Power Saver' (to preventively save the energy if the battery level goes low);
    • to 'High Performance' (on plugging in);
    • to 'Balanced' (on plugging out).

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