When a computer is left alone, it sleeps.  Which is almost same as a power off.  Options should include getting it to hibernate after so much 'unuse'.  That is electrically same as power off.

Some computer hardware is defectively designed so that its hibernate function does not work.

Even when a computer (or TV) is off, it is still on.  Just consuming less power.  Why?  A computer must constantly monitor that power on button (or remote control).  That circuit is always powered in anything that is turned on by pressing a button.

Energy Star is simply about causing that 'constantly powered on' number to be smaller.
 

yeah, power settings.

If you want the computer to shutdown, or a better idea, hibernate, after a period of inactivity, you can set those in the power settings section of System settings.

I say hibernate is better because it will save all the aspects of the current "walked away from the machine, work unsaved, who cares" state, write it to the hard drive, then turn the computer off.  When you return to the machine and press the power button, it will power up the machine, find the hibernation file, and restore the file to the current session.

Voila'!  Your system was OFF, no blinky light, and in the morning, it's back to where it was without any noticeable interruption.

I *think* this is what you're trying to accomplish.

I agree, the solution can be made to happen via power settings. Better than a manual "reminder" workaround.

For a true Hibernate, you have to click through a few menus, but it's in there:


 

Isn't that disc spinning at 7200 RPM all night if it's not shut down?

nice

I wasn't suggesting you use hibernate, I was pointing out that your computer will continue to hibernate even when you turn on a screen saver. You need to go into the hibernate settings and tell it never to hibernate... and then it won't. And the screen will be on, and she will see that the screen is on.

Gravdigr wrote:

Also as I said, your post was as helpful as gonorhea .

So you are Donald Trump.  Can I get on your enemies list even though is includes most of the world?

Such anger justified by a 30 second attention span.  Sorry.  That sentence was too long.  You probably forgot what I asked.


 

I asked yall for help.

You found humor, and perhaps some self-worth, in completely and purposefully avoiding my question.  Multiple times.  And refusing to acknowledge that you are doing so. Over and over.
I'm sorry I bothered you.  Any of you.

My shit life is hard enough without this.

So can somebody please explain to me what hibernate is?  What are power management schemes?  How do I turn my computer off?  What's a thermostat?

I will try VERY GODDAMN HARD not to bother any of you again.

I'm sorry.

Last edited by Gravdigr (6/10/2021 2:07 pm)

The question was answered to the best of anyone's ability since you told jack shit about this screensaver you want to use. You were given several workarounds to the problem of Mom leaving the computer on but you couldn't be bothered with them since it's not what you wanted to hear. It's a shame you're the only one with a hard life.

I have over 20,000 PCs at work that use screensavers and are on 24/7.  Even the Virtual Desktops have screensavers.  Then again, I work in a health system, which has to have them on and ready, with no ACPI Suspend (instant save to memory and sit in a low-powered state with everything but what is needed to maintain RAM turned off including disks) or Hibernate (save all memory contents to disk and turn off).

ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) came out with the Pentium II.  Microsoft had support in Windows 2000 for it, which I used, but it was flaky.  Windows 10 has great support for it.  It was buggy as hell for years and the main reason you flashed your BIOS before Intel patched their CPU vulnerabilities using EFI hacks.

Their purpose is to stop phosphor burn, which happens just as much on LED/LCD screens as CRTs.  That can get costly for us to replace, so we turn on the screensavers.  Us MBAs figured we could save $2-$3M a year not having to buy new monitors due to that.

We use screensavers to keep PCs on all the time without burning our Electronic Medical Record screen or Windows 10 desktop into phosphor.  Suspend/Hibernate doesn't work so well when a doctor needs that PC in an emergency room.  We tune everything for minimum latency.  

Regarding 7200rpm disks, when you have ACPI Suspend or Hibernate turned on, they turn off.  Haven't run a spinning disk as a boot/hibernate drive for several years however.  Windows 10 will turn on Hibernate a lot more with SSDs, especially the Dell I'm using here.

Apple nails suspend/hibernate.  Still the best I have ever used, and it functions exactly the same across the PowerPC, Intel, and M1 laptops I've used.  The iPad Pro is even better.

I thought it was a pretty good thread with a lot of interesting information.
Having Mitch show up with the definitive word is the cherry on top.
I don't want to see anyone gone but the possibility will never stop me from voicing my opinion.
One, because it's always a possibility, two, because everything posted is an opinion. 
Anyone who leaves because of something I say is probably a closet republican.

griff wrote:

Damnit.
For mbpark: A weird quirk of New Cellar is that when someone unregisters it nukes their entire history leaving us with a ton of weird orphaned threads.

But griff, that has NOT happened in this case. Grav’s posts are still here though he has unregistered.