Dell Inspiron 1521 constantly reverts to default power settings

I have a Dell Inspiron 1521 running WinXP SP3 (and the latest BIOS from Dell)

that is connected to an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse (the screen

remains closed and the display output is set to external monitor only via FN

keys). For whatever reason, over the past several weeks, the power settings

on the machine keep getting reset and reverting back to the standard

portable/laptop configuration, including causing the machine to go into

standby every night (which is not what I want because I have Norton Ghost set

up to backup the machine every night to a network drive). This never used to

happen before, but I can't figure out what has changed. I had previously set

up a customized power scheme (named Customized #1) that told the machine to

never go into standby, and when I set it to this, it seems to hold for a few

days, and then even though it still displays as being on Customized #1 power

scheme, the actual settings revert (such as 20 mins for standby instead of

Never).

Anyone have any suggestions on what I can try to prevent this, as it is

becoming extremely annoying! Thanks!

--

- marc

http://www.marcbressman.com

http://www.falconcc.com

Marc B. wrote:

> I have a Dell Inspiron 1521 running WinXP SP3 (and the latest BIOS

> from Dell) that is connected to an external monitor, keyboard, and

> mouse (the screen remains closed and the display output is set to

> external monitor only via FN keys). For whatever reason, over the

> past several weeks, the power settings on the machine keep getting

> reset and reverting back to the standard portable/laptop

> configuration, including causing the machine to go into standby

> every night (which is not what I want because I have Norton Ghost

> set up to backup the machine every night to a network drive). This

> never used to happen before, but I can't figure out what has

> changed. I had previously set up a customized power scheme (named

> Customized #1) that told the machine to never go into standby, and

> when I set it to this, it seems to hold for a few days, and then

> even though it still displays as being on Customized #1 power

> scheme, the actual settings revert (such as 20 mins for standby

> instead of Never).

>

> Anyone have any suggestions on what I can try to prevent this, as

> it is becoming extremely annoying! Thanks!

As annoying as finding your post in multiple newsgroups - multiposted

instead of cross-posted - saving not only those who might answer your query

the annoyance of seeing it 'unread' multiple times, but it would have also

saved you effort, time and in the end gotten you the same audience but more

spreading of the knowledge as it would be ONE post across several forums and

answered in all at one time.

http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm

Check your drivers.

Check your BIOS settings.

Check for malware.

--

Shenan Stanley

MS-MVP

--

How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

On Mar 8, 11:07 pm, Marc B. <mjb44guard-

use...@yahoo.com.please.remove.to.send.email> wrote:

> I have a Dell Inspiron 1521 running WinXP SP3 (and the latest BIOS from Dell)

> that is connected to an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse (the screen

> remains closed and the display output is set to external monitor only viaFN

> keys).  For whatever reason, over the past several weeks, the power settings

> on the machine keep getting reset and reverting back to the standard

> portable/laptop configuration, including causing the machine to go into

> standby every night (which is not what I want because I have Norton Ghostset

> up to backup the machine every night to a network drive).  This never used to

> happen before, but I can't figure out what has changed.  I had previously set

> up a customized power scheme (named Customized #1) that told the machine to

> never go into standby, and when I set it to this, it seems to hold for a few

> days, and then even though it still displays as being on Customized #1 power

> scheme, the actual settings revert (such as 20 mins for standby instead of

> Never).

>

> Anyone have any suggestions on what I can try to prevent this, as it is

> becoming extremely annoying!  Thanks!

>

> --

> - marchttp://www.marcbressman.comhttp://www.falconcc.com

There are lots of things you can try, but maybe you would rather fix

things instead of trying things.

To eliminate questions and guessing, please provide additional

information about your system.

Click Start, Run and in the box enter:

msinfo32

Click OK, and when the System Summary info appears, click Edit, Select

All, Copy and then paste the information back here.

There will be some personal information (like System Name and User

Name), and whatever appears to be private information to you, just

delete it from the pasted information.

Perform some scans for malicious software, then fix any remaining

issues:

Download, install, update and do a full scan with these free malware

detection programs:

Malwarebytes (MBAM): http://malwarebytes.org/

SUPERAntiSpyware: (SAS): http://www.superantispyware.com/

They can be uninstalled later if desired.

One or more options/settings in an ever-growing number of third-party

applications may be disallowing the changes from "sticking." These include

anti-spyware applications (e.g., Ad-aware's Ad-Watch, Spybot Tea Timer,

SpywareBlaster, SpySweeper, Spyware Doctor, CounterSpy, WinPatrol, etc),

anti-virus applications & security suites (Norton, McAfee, ESET/NOD32,

Kasperky, Trend Micro, etc.), and third-party firewalls (e.g., Zone Alarm,

etc.).

Note that temporarily disabling the application(s) or rebooting into Safe

Mode may not disable the application's system protections.

Marc B. wrote:

> I have a Dell Inspiron 1521 running WinXP SP3 (and the latest BIOS from

> Dell) that is connected to an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse (the

> screen remains closed and the display output is set to external monitor

> only via FN keys). For whatever reason, over the past several weeks, the

> power settings on the machine keep getting reset and reverting back to the

> standard portable/laptop configuration, including causing the machine to

> go

> into standby every night (which is not what I want because I have Norton

> Ghost set up to backup the machine every night to a network drive). This

> never used to happen before, but I can't figure out what has changed. I

> had previously set up a customized power scheme (named Customized #1) that

> told the machine to never go into standby, and when I set it to this, it

> seems to hold for a few days, and then even though it still displays as

> being on Customized #1 power scheme, the actual settings revert (such as

> 20

> mins for standby instead of Never).

>

> Anyone have any suggestions on what I can try to prevent this, as it is

> becoming extremely annoying! Thanks!

On Mar 9, 10:03 am, "PA Bear [MS MVP]" <PABear...@gmail.com> wrote:

> One or more options/settings in an ever-growing number of third-party

> applications may be disallowing the changes from "sticking." These include

> anti-spyware applications (e.g., Ad-aware's Ad-Watch, Spybot Tea Timer,

> SpywareBlaster, SpySweeper, Spyware Doctor, CounterSpy, WinPatrol, etc),

> anti-virus applications & security suites (Norton, McAfee, ESET/NOD32,

> Kasperky, Trend Micro, etc.), and third-party firewalls (e.g., Zone Alarm,

> etc.).

>

> Note that temporarily disabling the application(s) or rebooting into Safe

> Mode may not disable the application's system protections.

>

>

>

> Marc B. wrote:

> > I have a Dell Inspiron 1521 running WinXP SP3 (and the latest BIOS from

> > Dell) that is connected to an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse (the

> > screen remains closed and the display output is set to external monitor

> > only via FN keys).  For whatever reason, over the past several weeks,the

> > power settings on the machine keep getting reset and reverting back to the

> > standard portable/laptop configuration, including causing the machine to

> > go

> > into standby every night (which is not what I want because I have Norton

> > Ghost set up to backup the machine every night to a network drive).  This

> > never used to happen before, but I can't figure out what has changed.  I

> > had previously set up a customized power scheme (named Customized #1) that

> > told the machine to never go into standby, and when I set it to this, it

> > seems to hold for a few days, and then even though it still displays as

> > being on Customized #1 power scheme, the actual settings revert (such as

> > 20

> > mins for standby instead of Never).

>

> > Anyone have any suggestions on what I can try to prevent this, as it is

> > becoming extremely annoying!  Thanks!

That could also be a factor since I know for a fact that MBAM will

want to adjust some security settings you may have made into what it

thinks are in your best interest - but with a suitable warning. so you

still have to acknowledge it and choose to let it adjust them back.

For example, if you turn off Security Center warning messages - MBAM

would like to "fix" that for you - and it will if you let it, but you

can also tell it not to. It is not a change that doesn't stick - it

is a change that it offers to correct.

What examples do you have of other third party tools that will prevent

changes from sticking?

It is easy to list a whole bunch of things and say they might

interfere, but I would like to install any of them, make the change

you then suggest in an example you supply and have it not stick or

somehow be undone without me being told about it.

I don't want to know which ones "may disallow changes" - I want to

know which one does disallow changes and what changes are disallowed

so I can try it. List several if possible.