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mitchsc · May 1, 2011, 04:19 PM

I have 2 older Dells. When I put one in Sleep mode, everything turns off including the fans. Just power to RAM.

The other Dell is an Optiplex GX200 with Phoenix ver A05 BIOS. This PC has the fans continue to run in Sleep Mode.

In my research, it appears that I need an ACPI enabled system set to S3, to turn off the fans. (S1 keeps them running in sleep mode).

I've gone into the BIOS Setup, and there is nothing in there about ACPI, S3, or Power Management.

Any advice on how to enable this?

Thanks...

Scleros · May 3, 2011, 09:29 AM

Generally, if there are no configurable BIOS options for selecting either APM or ACPI parameters, you have what you have with no recourse other than a BIOS upgrade that adds proper power management support. Additionally, the hardware abstraction layer (HAL) of Windows also needs to match the hardware. The most appropriate HAL is automatically detected and selected during Windows setup, however a particular HAL can also be forced during setup. See How to force a Hardware Abstraction Layer during an upgrade or an installation of Windows XP and HAL options after Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 Setup for more info.

mitchsc · May 3, 2011, 04:40 PM

It's odd that I have 2 Dell Desktops, one actually with an older BIOS, that shuts off the fans in standby. The newer PC with the latest BIOS does not shut off the fans.

Neither BIOS setup has power management access, so I guess I'm hosed on this one.

Thanks Scleros...

mitchsc · May 3, 2011, 05:04 PM

Been reading about Microsoft's dumppo utility. Sounds like it may solve the problem. What do you think?

http://www.windowsitpro.com/article/tips/q-your-windows-xp-workstation-will-only-use-the-s1-sleep-state-

Scleros · May 4, 2011, 07:19 PM

Originally Posted by mitchsc

Sounds like it may solve the problem. What do you think?

Don't know, never used it, cross your fingers and give it a try; looks to be part of an OEM test kit from the late 1990s. Dig through the ftp tree and see if there is any associated documentation as to what the kit's purpose was.

Even if the tool does what the WindowITPro article indicates it does, it may still not help you if you must first enable S3 in the BIOS if your BIOS or hardware doesn't support it.

mitchsc · May 4, 2011, 08:15 PM

Thanks again.

Definitely not in the Optiplex BIOS. My Dimension BIOS has it.

Maybe I'll just switch to Hibernate instead of Standby with Sleep Button. It's a bit slow coming back up, but at least everything is off.

Cheers...