Configure Modern Standby To Improve Device Battery Life

How you can improve your device battery life

Modern Standby is an advanced power management model that offers users an exceptional experience characterised by instant responsiveness and efficient power consumption. Unlike its predecessor, the Windows 8.1 Connected Standby power model, Modern Standby extends the functionality of low-power idle to previously constrained market segments, which were limited to the Traditional Sleep (S3) power model. By enabling the system to remain connected to the network while in a low-power mode known as the S0 low power idle model, Modern Standby ensures real-time delivery of emails, messaging, and cloud-synced data.

However, there is a drawback or bug associated with Modern Standby that can sometimes cause the device to consume more power than intended while on battery. This occurs when the device remains connected to mains power and a wireless connection before being turned off and stored away.

Modern Standby operates in two modes: Connected Standby and Disconnected Standby. As the names suggest, Connected Standby allows the device to stay connected and synchronise or update while it is in sleep mode and connected to a wireless network. On the other hand, Disconnected Standby disconnects the wireless connection and enters a deeper sleep state.

Ideally, when connected to a power source, it is preferable to use Connected Standby, and when on battery power, Disconnected Standby should be utilised. However, in some cases, this configuration may not be automatically set by the system builders.

As a result, a device left in standby mode on battery power for extended periods can experience battery drain.

To address this issue, you can adjust the settings using the following commands:

To enable Disconnected Standby

• For battery mode: powercfg /setdcvalueindex scheme_current sub_none F15576E8-98B7-4186-B944-EAFA664402D9 0
• For mains mode: powercfg /setacvalueindex scheme_current sub_none F15576E8-98B7-4186-B944-EAFA664402D9 0

To enable Connected Standby (Default):

• For battery mode: powercfg /setdcvalueindex scheme_current sub_none F15576E8-98B7-4186-B944-EAFA664402D9 1
• For mains mode: powercfg /setacvalueindex scheme_current sub_none F15576E8-98B7-4186-B944-EAFA664402D9 1

By utilising these commands, you can switch between Connected Standby and Disconnected Standby modes according to your preferences and optimise power management on your device.

Important Consideration

One important factor to note is that if you have set the mains mode to Connected Standby and the battery mode to Disconnected Standby, shutting down the device while it is connected to mains power will not switch it to Disconnected Standby mode. To ensure the correct standby profile is activated, it is necessary to switch to battery mode before powering off the device, simply put unplug if from the mains before you turn it off.