CertiGuide to A+ (A+ 4 Real)  9  Chapter 1: What are Operating Systems and How Do They Work?       9  Operating System Features            9  The Control Panel

Changing the Date, Time and Localization 1 Modem Properties

Unless the machine in question is a laptop, or a server connected to a UPS, the power settings applet in Control Panel is a relatively unimportant item.

From this applet, you can configure whether Windows should turn off the hard drives and monitor after a period of inactivity, or whether to turn on Standby mode to reduce power consumption.

For the CompTIA exam, this is a potentially difficult area to study. Most laptops come with their own power management systems that replace the default Windows power manager. Under normal circumstances, a server should never be configured to turn off its hard drives or go into stand by, and most UPS devices provide their own management software for more granular control in the event of a power failure.

Depending on usage for desktop machines, it may be a good idea to disable the automatic shut down of hard drives and the monitor. Turning on and off delicate hardware on a regular basis (especially hard drives) reduces their reliability and time before failure.

Changing the Date, Time and Localization 1 Modem Properties