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In Windows 7, use the built-in powercfg.exe command-line tool to list power plans, inspect their settings, change timeout values, activate a plan, and save or import plans. Start with powercfg /list and powercfg /query so you use the correct scheme and setting identifiers.

List and inspect Windows 7 power plans

Microsoft describes Powercfg.exe as installed with Windows and as a tool for controlling power settings and configuring Hibernate or Standby behavior. Its Windows 7-era Powercfg reference documents the classic commands below.

  1. Open Command Prompt and run powercfg /list. The output shows the power schemes and their GUIDs.
  2. Run powercfg /getactivescheme to identify the currently active scheme.
  3. Run powercfg /query to inspect the active scheme, or supply a scheme GUID to inspect a specific one: powercfg /query <scheme_GUID>.
  4. To narrow the output to a subgroup, add its GUID: powercfg /query <scheme_GUID> <sub_GUID>. The query output shows setting GUIDs and valid setting indexes.

Change common timeout settings

Use /change for the documented common monitor, disk, standby, and hibernate timeout aliases. The value is in minutes, and AC and DC settings have separate aliases.

Setting AC power alias DC power alias
Monitor timeout monitor-timeout-ac monitor-timeout-dc
Disk timeout disk-timeout-ac disk-timeout-dc
Standby timeout standby-timeout-ac standby-timeout-dc
Hibernate timeout hibernate-timeout-ac hibernate-timeout-dc

For example, to set the monitor timeout on AC power to five minutes, run:

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powercfg /change monitor-timeout-ac 5

This alias-based method is convenient for common timeouts. For another setting—or when you need to target a particular scheme and power source—use the GUID-based commands instead.

Set a particular value for AC or DC power

Use /setacvalueindex or /setdcvalueindex with the scheme GUID, subgroup GUID, setting GUID, and a valid setting index. First find those identifiers and available indexes in the scheme’s /query output.

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powercfg /setacvalueindex <scheme_GUID> <sub_GUID> <setting_GUID> <setting_index>

powercfg /setdcvalueindex <scheme_GUID> <sub_GUID> <setting_GUID> <setting_index>

The AC command sets the value for AC power; the DC command sets it for DC power. These commands set an index for the specified scheme; use /setactive if you also want to make that scheme the active one.

Back up, duplicate, import, and activate a scheme

To protect an existing plan before editing, export it. To work from a separate copy, duplicate it and note the new GUID printed by the command. Microsoft’s Windows 7-era reference documents these operations and says an imported scheme receives a new GUID if you do not supply one.

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  • Export a scheme: powercfg /export C:scheme.pow <scheme_GUID>
  • Duplicate a scheme: powercfg /duplicatescheme <scheme_GUID>
  • Import a saved scheme: powercfg /import C:scheme.pow
  • Activate a scheme: powercfg /setactive <scheme_GUID>

After activating a scheme, check the result with powercfg /getactivescheme and inspect its settings with powercfg /query <scheme_GUID>.

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Check command compatibility with Windows 7

Use Microsoft’s previous-versions Powercfg reference for the classic command coverage applicable to Windows 7. Microsoft’s current Powercfg command-line reference includes newer functionality; the presence of an option there does not establish that it is available in Windows 7. Check version applicability before using newer options, including modern overlay, provisioning, or battery-report features.

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