RE: Power options

I noted a reply saying we can put 'Never' on all options for Power Options as shown below:

'Control Panel' > 'Performance and Maintenance' > 'Power Options'
'Power Schemes' tab > Put all settings on 'Never'
'Advanced' tab > Under 'Power buttons', put on 'Stand by'
'Hibernate' tab > uncheck 'Enable hibernation'
'Apply' > 'OK'

I have no idea how the power options were set on my Dell computer with WinXP originally, yet i liked how it was set and worked as i would just click disonnect and walk away. I only want to disconnect from phone line and have quick access to desktop and click connect when i come back to computer.
With original setting the computer would leave my desktop visible for a time, then allow my screensaver to come on, and then darken after awhile. Then when i touched the mouse my desktop appeared and i would just click connect and it connected to my ISP with my exterior modem and i could go right to work online again.

I recently had another strong power outage here and even with a good Cyber Power surge protector w/ a battery backup, it somehow changed my power settings. The outage also messes up my installation of the external US Robotics modem that i have to use to connect. (I live in a rural area and only way i can connect.)

Anyway if i set "Never' to all as stated above, is that possibly the original settings my computer had? and would it act like i mentioned that i want my desktop to appear in 2-3 seconds by moving my mouse?

Thanks, as i am puzzled as it irks me so that the power outages have caused my computer settings to change and that i had not made note of the
original settings all being set at 'Never.'
It also irks me that outages do a lot of 'wear & tear' on my computer as i do not want this computer ruined like my last one was because of power outages.

Thank you ahead for your reply. J

 

Hello crystalwoman,

With the settings that you show:
'Control Panel' > 'Performance and Maintenance' > 'Power Options'
'Power Schemes' tab > Put all settings on 'Never'
'Advanced' tab > Under 'Power buttons', put on 'Stand by'
Yes, you will be able to get back to the desktop with the mouse movement. But, with your current problems with power, as you stated, that creates problems. To ensure that power fluxes don't do damage, you're going to have to disconnect from an electical source. Why your current APC is not protecting you, I've no idea.

If I faced this problem, I would get a piece of equipment that worked as advertised or would disconnect from the outlet and use Hibernation which would get you back to the desktop's last state - if you were working on something, Hibernation restores that.

I can't tell you what your original settings were. If this happened quite recently, you could try Sytem Restore prior to the change if you know when that was and either stay there - the farther back, the less wise to do - or make a note of what the settings were and than "undo" the restore back to the present.

Regards - Charles

 

crystalwoman - I realize you've already spent money on the surge protector but in your situation, it is not the best device for you. You don't say for sure which one you have since they make surge protectors and UPS but I'll go with what you said you had.

For around $50 you can get an APC UPS that runs your house current to it's internal battery and runs your PC (cpu & monitor) from the battery. If there is a temporary power problem (none, too little, too much) the battery deals with it. There is also a USB connection to the UPS and controller software you can install so you can do things like set for the UPS to perform an orderly shutdown of the PC when the battery is getting low since the unit will only operate your PC for a half hour or so on a battery charge.

If you decide to get an UPS, use the surge protector for your TV or something because it is a VERY BAD IDEA to use one in conjunction with an UPS.

There are other brands of UPS available but for single PC use, I have to say I've used APC devices for over 10 years (well, several of them) and like them better than any others I've tried. I experimented some on a 200 PC network with a UPS per PC and we soon settled on APCs for all of them.

If your device is really a UPS then it is not working properly and needs service or replacement.

 

Crystalwoman:
I agree with Newt about APC products. We discussed brownouts and electricla surges here. Brownouts, where power level is not steady, forced me to replace a lot of hardware, and rewire a dedicated circuit for the computer. You are absolutely correct that they will damage hardware over time!

Regarding your Power Settings,

Those are my settings, and they work just as you described the way yours did. I do NOT use hibernation or standby, and I can press any key or touch the trackball to immediately go to my desktop.

HTH
Johanna

 

RE: Power & UPS

I am a self-taught "nearing retirement" lady. I am not very 'techie' yet i would say i am an 'Intermediate' on the computer.
However i do not know much about electronics. My oldest son bought me the CyberPower UPS Surge Suppressor w/ Battery Backup(about $60) knowing we lived in rural area and had power surges and outages. He knew too that the phone line here was my only means of connecting. My husband hooked it up following the directions which seemed a little complicated, yet we feel we did hook it up right.
I do believe the UPS(as you refer to it) has done its job in that when the power goes out it does 2 beeps and provides power to the battery power-supplied outlets from its battery.

I think i ought to be okay for now. I had the phone man come out and check my phone line. I did have one old portable phone that was bad and he said best to get rid of it as it can interfere on my phone line.
The power guy says 'we are doing the best we can in a rural area.'

I just was not sure if the UPS had worked, yet it seems it did and was.
As to the US Robotics 56K exterior modem, i have re-installed it. I am not sure why it uninstalls itself if the computer is completely turned off, thus i will not completely shut off for now until i can figure that one out...

Also i do not know what APC devices means Newt!? Sorry...

Will await your replies, thanks again, J

 

You shouldn't have to reinstall the modem every time you boot the computer, XP should "find it" automatically. Is it possible that the modem was damaged? This might sound silly, but sniff it. You can smell electrical damage sometimes. The dial up modems are relatively cheap, it might not hurt to replace it anyway.

APC is a brand name for a popular line of UPS and surge protection devices. Yours sounds like it was doing its job like it was supposed to. Smart son, too!

Johanna

 

Not clear whether the phone line into the modem is also hooked up to the UPS. If not, running the risk of frying the modem.

Regards - Charles

 

Yup crystalwoman and sorry for using the alphabet soup on you.

UPS = Uninterruptible Power Supply
APC = A very popular brand of UPS and if the letters stand for anything, I don't know what it is.

Charlesvar made an excellent point about protecting your phone line and devices connected to it. The main line into the house should run into your UPS and from there to the rest of the house so phones, modems, etc. are protected.

 

RE: Power & UPS

Thank you for spelling ALL things out for me on my UPS and modem question.
I do feel the UPS is a good one as far as what it does and did so far for me.

I do think however the external modem may have a problem.

I put the Power Settings like we had discussed leaving the computer up, yet disconnected from the Internet so my desktop was remaining with Windows screensaver on all night.

This a.m. i go to connect and nothing at first. I try again, nothing.
I then rt click My Computer, click Properties, Hardware, Device Manager, Modems, and there it is listed: US Robotics 56K FAX EXT. I rt click it and then click on Update Driver, then i click on Connect and it connected.
So what gives?

Newt, i do have the main phone line running into the UPS. My husband and i checked to make sure all wires and cords were in right places.
As to my reference to the phone man coming, after the bad rain storm we had of which the lightning had struck the utility pole as i said, that is when i noted the modem change. Anyway i wanted all things checked out as to why? So i had the phone man out to check if he noted any breaks inside or outside.(Well outside he said since they are underground is too difficult to check.) He did check the main box on the house however and found it to be okay.
Since i only have one line for my computer and phones, he said on the extra jacks if there was a 'bad' phone it can interfere with my computer connection and to get rid of it. I had one old bad portable phone which we got rid of, as well as we took the pay tv satellite phone cord out of another jack(we never use it anyway.)

Still baffled, J

 

I think the modem is damaged, despite being correctly routed through the protection device (in your case, a UPS w/ tel jacks) and, even though you took the right steps to prevent it, it was a fluke.

The phone man is right. One bad phone on the system can interfere with the way the others work, and it's especially common with cordless ones. I have no idea why, I don't pretend to understand telephones any more than computers! So you were smart to disconnect the questionable phones.

Luckily, phone modems are inexpensive, and easy to replace. You shouldn't have to reinstall the driver every time you want to connect, and the bad modem may be doing silent damage to your motherboard.

My house is frequently struck by lightning. The insurance company calls it an "Act of God" and won't pay for damages. APC stands for American Power Coversion.

Johanna

 

RE: Power & UPS

Yes Johanna, i too would guess the modem took a hit!? I suppose i will have to break down and get another modem then. It seems a waste. So are you saying to get an external modem made by APC? Is it known to be better than the US Robotics one i had? It is a pain as here in our rural area i have little choice in buying computer supplies.

I know very little about electronics, yet have heard the cordless phones are short lived. I think the square plug goes?

 

There are a number of good modem makers, as far as I know, APC is not one of them. Post your comp specs on the Hardware Forum and tell them you need to replace your modem. Those guys will figure what you need and get you the best price! I wonder if an internal modem is a better option for you? Depends on your computer, I guess. Most OEM computers have onboard telephone modems. Best to ask the crew in Hardware.

Johanna

 

RE: Power & UPS

I just received an email reply from US Robotics saying they have a driver update for my modem. However their latest dl was to be put on a 3.5 disk and to update from there. Unfortunately on my new Dell i opted not to get the 3.5 disk slot. I am awaiting a reply to my telling them i do not have a 3.5 slot. Hopefully i can update the driver in another way?

I just bought this new Dell the end of March. My being in a rural area their internal modem was too cheap and would not connect.
A tech told me the modems coming with most computer deals are cheaply made, no less cheap costing, thus why most computer deals are $499+. Many people are not using modems as more and more faster and better options become available. Since that is the case, the computer companies put in cheap modems thus being able to lower the cost of the pcs. When i told Dell i had to get a better modem, they told me they did not have one for me to put in and the tech recommended an external modem saying US Robotics to be a good choice.

I will also check out the Hardware Forum now too. Thanks, J

 

You should be able to download the latest driver for your modem directly from US Robotics. I would save it somewhere and then install it from your own harddrive. You shouldn't need to download ANYTHING to a floppy to run it. I have an appointment in a few minutes, but I will look for your modem driver later. The internal modem should have worked, despite being in the rural area. If you have a phone line, you should have a connection. Is there a chance it is disabled? If so, enable it and try connecting through it- bypassing your external modem. You may need to set up a new connection, just follow the prompts to add the number to dial etc. I'll check back later.

Johanna

 

It is nearly noon and i am still awaiting a reply email from US Robotics on the latest driver update dl. I am hoping they will send me the dl in a different manner than to dl on it a floppy which i do not have.

As to the internal modem that came with Dell, it did not work from Day 1 and the Dell tech online led my husband through taking it out. We then installed the external one we had to buy and use. It works fine, yet to us having to do that was irritating.

I asked at Hardware forum and one reply said they disconnect their external modem from the phone line when a t-storm is coming.

As to the external modem working today, its working. Nothing is disabled. I am working online.
I am just unsure of booting and rebooting or disconnecting again, yet i know i will have to try it again today to make sure things are working again.

By the way, you had said to smell it, of which i did, and it smells like something electronic. What would it smell like if it had fried? Burnt?

 

Yup. Burnt and with that lovely extra whiff you get from wiring and transistors and such that are fried. Burnt - phew!!

I gotta differ with my esteemed colleague here. I despise those dinky internal modems since almost all of them are what's called a 'winmodem' that uses the PC to do most of the work.

External was the only way I'd go back when I was doing any dial-up connection and US Robotics made good stuff. I don't keep track so can't swear they still do but I'd guess yes.

 

Well, I have to admit I only use my internal modem as a back up for when my cable internet is offline, but I haven't ever had any problems with it, and if I recall correctly, it cost less than $20.

Yes, you are checking for the acrid smell of burnt plastic. A scorched odor.

I see you actually used the Search function (Wow! Pat on the back!) in the hardware forum, and yes, you can physically disconnect the phone lines in the event of a storm, but what if you are not home? And, lightning is unpredictable. I use a box (also made by APC) between the wall and the comp for the phone and cable line. The UPS you describe should be sufficient, too, but something happened during that storm, and the juice jumped? Who knows? That's why they call it an act of God!

I think you are taking all reasonable precautions, now. What happened to you was just a fluke. Get a new modem (www.newegg.com) and let us know how you're faring.

Johanna

 

Thank you so much for the guidance, understanding, and enlightenment.
All seems back to normal!?!

After i did all things over and over including doing a USR driver update, a boot and reboot, fixed the power setting back to a home comp (which i found had been tripped) things seem to be back to normal. I really do not believe my modem fried as there is no smell.

Happy Trails, J

 

Newt (or somebody) -

explain a bit, pls?

best wishes, HJ