Questions tagged [power]

Electrical power is essential to the operation of any computer and any of its components or peripherals.

Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
2 votes
3 answers
2k views

Having a rough estimate of energy consumption of the computer.

I'm developing an app which needs to know about the energy consumption on computers (On windows). I realized the OS has no functionalities to support this directly, so my workaround is collecting info ...
ePezhman's user avatar
  • 273
6 votes
2 answers
336 views

Implications of AC power failure on suspended Linux box

My Linux box will be automatically shut down by the attached UPS if it is running and the AC power fails. If I have the Linux box suspended and the AC power fails, I assume the UPS can not shut it ...
Organic Marble's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
8k views

Combining multiple cables to increase current? (laptop charger)

I'm looking to use a simple USB power bank as a portable charger for my laptop (just to get a little extra boost if the battery starts running low at an inopportune time). My plan is to use something ...
Nelson's user avatar
  • 139
2 votes
1 answer
226 views

Does disabling SSID broadcasting lower a wifi antenna's total power transmission?

Does disabling SSID broadcasting lower a wifi antenna's total power transmitted to the surrounding environment? If yes or no , I would be glad if someone could give me any reference or measurements: ...
Seyfi's user avatar
  • 123
26 votes
12 answers
16k views

Laptop sometimes shuts down when out of power causing me to lose my unsaved files

Why does it do this? Most of the time my laptop just goes to sleep when it gets to 0% power. But sometimes it completely shuts down and I lose my unsaved files. Is this a problem with my laptop? The ...
user615451's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
14k views

Is it safe to use the 5v/2A charger on a device with 1.5A max input [closed]

I have a 8000 MAH rechargeable lantern with power bank, the max input is 1.5A. Based on my recent research, this is what I am concluding, please confirm if my finding 1, 2 are correct. #3 is a ...
A W M Chung's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
176 views

View laptop power consumption without running it on battery

My laptop has a bad battery (lasts 20 - 30 minutes of normal use) but I need to see the max power consumption.I tried running Prime95 + Furmark on battery with power saving off (which took 50 watts ...
Suici Doga's user avatar
  • 2,187
0 votes
1 answer
400 views

Plugging in USB device shorts out USB hub

My device is 12V DC and takes a maximum to 1.08 Amps. The cable is split where one end goes into power and the other end goes into USB. Works: Plug device power into 120V AC adapter which converts ...
Jacksonkr's user avatar
  • 484
1 vote
0 answers
33 views

Server is not responding and accessible

A long power cut happened and I have one server with a weird behavior. It's an HP DL145 G2 without warranty :/ Impossible to make work a vga port or any usb port, same with PS/2 port Impossible to ...
WarrantyIsGodly's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
6k views

Laptop Battery Draining While Plugged In

I have a relatively new (<1yr.) Dell Inspiron 15 laptop, which stays plugged in all the time. It's connected to a flatscreen monitor via HDMI & I keep the lid shut, so that screen's off. ...
user avatar
1 vote
4 answers
5k views

plugged in, not charging + ONLY runs on AC power

Laptop Model: Acer Aspire V5-473P Laptop Age: 22 months OS: Windows 10 (Upgraded 6 months ago) Problem Occurred: 5 months ago. Problem Description: Battery icon suddenly started showing "plugged ...
Mamun's user avatar
  • 11
1 vote
1 answer
95 views

Hard power-off as a requirement. How to safely enable?

I need to configure a Ubuntu 16.04 Linux system such that it withstands being hard powered-off regularly. For regular operation there's basically no writing going on, so a read-only file system might ...
miasp's user avatar
  • 13
3 votes
2 answers
7k views

Delay action for holding power button

So basically what happened is that sometimes accidentally press power button and it shuts down my PC. I went to Power options and pressed "Change what the power buttons do" and I can only change ...
Forcellrus's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
2k views

How to disable a USB port

For our RF Test Positioner System (illustrative example) I need to add a software-controlled fan. I would like to add a fan like this and simply turn off it's USB-power to turn the fan on & off. ...
J-Dizzle's user avatar
  • 516
1 vote
0 answers
154 views

HP Laptop not charging when working, doesn't start without battery - Windows 10

I have a HP laptop and yesterday I accidentally hit the laptop on the table. It was fine but when I charged it, it didn't charge at all. When it had 60% remains, the charging indicator showed white- ...
Mike's user avatar
  • 11
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Should i use an old PSU for my new PC?

I have an old Antec Quattro 850w power supply which already has 6 years. I used the PC that this PSU was installed like 2/3 hours every day for 6 years, mainly for gaming. I have a tight budget for ...
joradev's user avatar
  • 53
2 votes
1 answer
807 views

Fixing a Cut PSU Wire

Whilst replacing my PSU I had to cut a few cable ties and accidentaly cut into the cable that connects the power button to the motherboard. Is it possible to solder iron the cables and it work? Or do ...
TT120's user avatar
  • 59
0 votes
1 answer
382 views

Is it absolutely safe to turn off a computer in hybrid sleep mode?

In Windows 7 there's a hybrid sleep mode, in which the contents of memory is saved on disk and maintained in RAM as well. My question is can I be absolutely sure that nothing will go wrong when I cut ...
Szybki's user avatar
  • 163
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Use TDP to size power supply wattage?

I'm running an A1SRi-2758F motherboard with an Octacore Intel Avoton CPU. The CPU is advertised as 20W TDP (Thermal Design Power.) Is my assumption correct that when the CPU generates 20W TDP, it the ...
ServArt's user avatar
  • 63
2 votes
0 answers
242 views

Windows 10 sleeps fine from menu, won't sleep from timeout

I have a power meter on a Windows 10 box. If I sleep from the menu or the power button, it drops down to about 3 watts. If I wait for a timeout (set at two minutes) it blanks the screen but keeps ...
Bryce's user avatar
  • 2,345
1 vote
2 answers
6k views

USB 3.0 port as 20v power supply [closed]

I'm looking for a way to get the stated 20V 5A out of an USB 3.0 port to power an amplifier. Found power supplies but no easy USB 3.0 cable to DC power jack/connector (20V). Does it exist either or ...
Codebeat's user avatar
  • 372
4 votes
2 answers
224 views

What happens during a hard reset?

What exactly happens when you hold down the power button and perform a hard reset? Does it involve only hardware, in the sense that it shuts down power and everything crashes in its current state? ...
pushkin's user avatar
  • 145
1 vote
0 answers
66 views

Toshiba Satellite L850 power adapter

My Toshiba Satellite L850 power adapter gets extremely hot when I am using my laptop. I have noticed recently it seems to be getting worse. I make a point of unplugging it from the mains in case it ...
Nyla 's user avatar
  • 11
2 votes
2 answers
456 views

How to measure a CPU overheating process when in Idle Mode?

Every time my PC is idle for an hour, I return to find the fan at maximum speed and the CPU at 51-52 degrees. It's Windows 7 on an 8150 octocore from AMD. The task manager shows that two of the cores ...
bandybabboon's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
991 views

Laptop charger voltage fluctuation

I had sent my laptop(Dell inspiron 5520) for repair as it wasn't getting charged at all. The battery was working fine though. The technicians at the service centre told me that the voltage ...
Abhijith Gururaj's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
2k views

D-Link dwr-720 battery indicator

I got a wireless mini-router D-Link dwr-720, the picture used by manufacturer in their datasheets and by e-shops however differs from real look of the product: This is how it actually looks: As you ...
Petr's user avatar
  • 2,331
1 vote
3 answers
7k views

How to ground a laptop which does not have an earth pin

I have a laptop which does not have an earth pin on its plug. Because of this whenever I try to record audio using an external microphone there is a terrible buzzing sound. How can I fix this problem
Suici Doga's user avatar
  • 2,187
1 vote
0 answers
2k views

Windows 10 Professional: Doesn't Boot after Power Outage

I have a Windows 10 Pro tower (Lenovo ThinkServer 440) which has two SSD drives setup as Raid 1 (mirror). The computer is super fast and stable! Except when there is a power outage. And here is ...
IrfanClemson's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
8k views

How does ethernet, coax, and telephone surge protection work?

So I'm planning on buying a UPS and I see that they have ports for protection of ethernet, coax, and telephone lines. I've read answers on these three questions, but none of them address this question....
NobleUplift's user avatar
  • 1,585
1 vote
1 answer
1k views

Lenovo laptop, Windows 10 not charging battery

I have a Lenovo G500s. It came with Windows 8.1 pre-installed with the battery working fine. I've installed Windows 10 on the laptop now and suddenly the battery is not recognized anymore. It says "0% ...
Money's user avatar
  • 11
2 votes
0 answers
3k views

How can I repair a power supply for a Apple's Power Mac G4?

This is an attempt to gather a reference page for anyone trying to replace a failing PSU from a Power Mac G4 with an equivalent ATX in the future. There are still a couple of pages -luckily- ...
malat's user avatar
  • 1,269
0 votes
1 answer
70 views

Powered Laptop Automatically Starting Up (Unintended)

I recently had a hardware failure and replaced my hard drive with a new one. Then having done a fresh install of Windows 8.1 (which then was upgraded to Windows 10). I'm having the same issue ...
SGM1's user avatar
  • 101
0 votes
3 answers
1k views

Can i split a microUSB to plug into the wall and computer

A USB has 2 power cables and 2 data ones afaik. If i were to split these and re solder them to make essentially a Y cable with one USB A for power and one for data, and then plug the power into wall ...
Hamzah Malik's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
221 views

Lenovo Y50 SSD upgrade - powering on issues

I recently upgrade my laptop (Lenovo Y50) from a 1TB HDD to an equivalent 1TB SSD from Samsung. I used EaseUS ToDo copying tool. When the computer boots up, everything works BEAUTIFULLY! Better than I ...
Gerneio's user avatar
  • 111
1 vote
1 answer
746 views

Can I schedule a task when I hit power button on windows 8.1 tablet

I want to run a application before my windows tablet go to sleep/hibernate mode when I hit power button. Actually it should be triggered before entering sleep/hibernate mode but I'm ok if hooks power ...
user3819226's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
1k views

Force laptop to use battery, not charger

I was wondering if it was possible to force a laptop running Windows to use its battery as the power source even when a charger is plugged in? If so, is it possible to switch between power sources ...
Anton Kravchenko's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
670 views

Battery is shown as fully charged but does not feed the laptop

My laptop is a young Acer V11 Touch (V3-112P-P2E7). Yesterday I used it regularly on battery mode and I left it charging overnight. This morning's surprise is that the laptop only works when connected ...
XavierStuvw's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
331 views

Rename power plans in Windows 7?

Is there a reliable way to rename power plans in Windows 7? Creating new ones with a new names is not too hard, but some systems have dozens of power settings (including advanced settings) in each ...
End Anti-Semitic Hate's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
5k views

UPS suddenly restarting, what might be the cause?

Background My UPS has a backup of about 10 mins, thus, it's battery life is good. No problems detectable. My CPU, on the other hand, is also fine with no major hardware problems (as it looks so) ...
Sarthak123's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
861 views

Power supply or motherboard busted. How can I fix it quick?

A few days ago, my desktop PC just stopped turning on. Pressing the power switch elicits no response altogether. This is the sum total of the troubleshooting steps I've done: Super-newbily switched ...
user1911388's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
2k views

Did not unplug computer, power outage. Is it safe?

My office building is doing some maintenance work and they said they will shut off the power supply from midnight to 6am -- They told everyone in the building to turn off their computers and unplug ...
Frankie139's user avatar
-1 votes
3 answers
498 views

Can software keep my laptop from charging?

I have a Lenovo S540 with debian testing (stretch) set up. A couple of days ago I noticed that the battery is not charging even when it's plugged in. Of course this could be a broken power cord of ...
Ben's user avatar
  • 260
0 votes
1 answer
560 views

CPU running at 99-100% while idle

I am currently fixing a computer for my neighbor and it is running at 100% cpu power while idle. Is this normal? If not, how can I combat this issue? I never have this issue. I have a CPU running at ...
Trenton Tyler's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
2k views

Toshiba Laptop suddenly shuts down when on battery

I'd be grateful if someone coud help me. My Toshiba L845 laptop suddenly shuts down when on low battery. It doesn't hibernate in the usual way it did. It completly powers off, as if someone had pulled ...
David Espinoza's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
98 views

My computer shutdowns itself, how can I diagnose it?

I have a 5 years old Dell XPS 8100. A couple of days ago, it suddenly shutdown itself and then restarted again. Just like if there had been a power supply outage at home... except there wasn't one: ...
AJPerez's user avatar
  • 161
0 votes
1 answer
73 views

PC turns on slow with an upgraded PSU to 800W from 500W

I've been using my rig (i7-2600, 16g ram, Radeon 7970, 500W) for the past 4 years without any problems. Recently I swapped out my 500W psu for a 800w psu 80+ gold(http://www.enermax.com/home.php?fn=...
Chris Lynch's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
82 views

How would I know if a hard drive was jeopardized by a power surge?

I have a hard drive, from which I have rebuilt the MBR and Boot Sector. I was able to recover the data. My client's computer and data were easily visible prior to a power surge in the home. She would ...
Millhorn's user avatar
  • 113
0 votes
2 answers
3k views

Speakers connected to laptop make desktop monitor flicker

I've been wondering about the cause of this phenomenon for a long time and since I haven't managed to find a good explanation, I thought I'd post it here. My desk is in a corner, there's a radiator ...
Reynolds's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
86 views

Can unplugging a VM be harmful?

We know that unplugging the power cable from a PC may damage your hard drive and may corrupt your OS. Could the same harm (or any harm) happen if I unplug a VM (simulated by Power Off option in VBox ...
AhmedAdel's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
57 views

Perform Background Tasks in Low Power Mode - Possible?

Is there a way to schedule low power background activities to be performed while a computer is idle, sleeping, or even powered off? Until recently I would have thought the answer was unconditionally "...
William Rosenbloom's user avatar

1
13 14
15
16 17
33