# Did SP2 mess up my Laptop Power scheme?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-sp2-mess-up-my-laptop-power-scheme/261228>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 24, 2004, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-sp2-mess-up-my-laptop-power-scheme/261228 "2004-08-24T05:02:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-sp2-mess-up-my-laptop-power-scheme/261228/1 "2004-08-24T05:02:55Z")

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So, apparently Im a big idiot for downloading SP2. I can no longer simply press the power button on my laptop, and have it turn off. Instead it keeps the ram memory active, but turns off everything else. I don’t know how to turn the pc back up. Any Ideas?

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**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-sp2-mess-up-my-laptop-power-scheme/261228/2 "2004-08-24T07:48:40Z")

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You can check Power Options in Control Panel. Select the Advanced tab and you’ll find there a drop down menu that changes the power button’s behaviour.

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**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-sp2-mess-up-my-laptop-power-scheme/261228/3 "2004-08-24T12:10:42Z")

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I have tried that multiple times. Nothing changes what happens.

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-sp2-mess-up-my-laptop-power-scheme/261228/4 "2004-08-24T14:04:05Z")

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Offhand it sounds like SP2 might be enabling an additional power down hibernation mode. Go into the BIOS at startup and shut off all power conservation/hibernation options and see what that does. Play with those settings and see if the unwanted behavior stops.

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**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-sp2-mess-up-my-laptop-power-scheme/261228/5 "2004-08-25T00:35:31Z")

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I read the manual, and as far as I can tell, its the default setting. I just can’t change it to what I want. It is a power saving mode like hibernation… my monitor goes to sleep, and I can’t wake it up. It appears that everything else is still running.