This browser is no longer supported.
Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(128, 8%, 22%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EA%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
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?
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
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
btw its not possible to show all power plans to system tray. But once you select different plan than current, the selected plan replaces un-used plan and then show previos and current active plan.
You will have to configure that feature for yourself. Create a new shortcut you can pin on the taskbar (or a toolbar folder with several shortcuts.) Put the command to set the active power scheme you prefer. To see the syntax of the powercfg utility, open a command prompt and run the command: powercfg /?
-SETACTIVE, -S
Makes the specified power scheme active on the system.
Usage: POWERCFG -SETACTIVE <SCHEME_GUID>
<SCHEME_GUID> Specifies the scheme guid.
-GETACTIVESCHEME
Retrieve the currently active power scheme.
Usage: POWERCFG -GETACTIVESCHEME
Rating posts helps other usersMark L. Ferguson MS-MVP
!\[\](http://i3.social.microsoft.com/Image.avatr?size=Large&user=Mark L. Ferguson&id=fb4a4625-6789-43eb-aa48-4a1fbf2df947)<moron helping to design Windows 7
btw its not possible to show all power plans to system tray. But once you select different plan than current, the selected plan replaces un-used plan and then show previos and current active plan.
- Ramesh Kumar http://www.WindowsValley.com
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?
I have been aggravated by that "feature" since I got my laptop. Who really wants to use Balanced? I want to either save battery or go all out, with Power Saver and High Performance respectively. Sadly, Vista did this feature almost correctly, and certainly better than 7. The solution I have decided on is this: Change the Balanced Plan settings to mimic that of High Performance, or Power Saver, depending on preference. This way you know that one or the other is what you want. This is certainly tedious, with changing options, but it does work. Please roll out some sort of way to correct this awful design!
