What's new

Wanted: Method to Quickly Turn OFF Screen (Without Inducing Sleep)

Nuspieds

Active Member
Tried the screen saver hack, and although its responsive & easy to execute, it doesn't really turn the screen 'off'. It blanks the display, but it is still on, almost like a color bleed test.

Any way to actually turn the screen completely OFF?
I have an SP2 (no dock) with two external daisy-chained monitors. My screen saver is Blank and as you stated, the display is still on, just blank. As a result, my first external monitor doesn't go into sleep/energy-saver mode; this effect is then cascaded to the second monitor. :(

Both monitors are 30" and their screens can get quite warm on prolonged usage, so I prefer them to be off when my SP is not in use. So when I know I'm going to be away for an extended period of time, my solution has been to power off the first monitor; it and the second monitor then both go into sleep mode. That's a bit clumsy; it would be nice to have a simpler way.

I think a better solution would be in Power Options and/or modifying the behavior of the Power button. Right now, the Power Options for when you press the Power button are Do Nothing, Sleep, or Shutdown. How about adding "Turn the display off?" They could also allow the Power button to be pressed multiple times so that, for example, one press would turn the display off and two presses would go to sleep mode (again, this could be configurable).
 
OP
ChrisPanzer

ChrisPanzer

Active Member
I almost envision all the MS Window devs were sitting around a table, and each one of them were thinking of all the different power options regarding laptops. As they went around the table, each nerd was like "Oh, we'll need one for closing the lid!" and another would chime, "Yes, and opening the lid!!" ... As they day turned into night, piles and piles of meeting note-paper began accumulating, with complex drawings, with sophisticaed power flow-charts, arrows, circles, squares, etc.etc....

So this think-tank continued for quite a long time, all the while, nobody thinking of the most simplest and useful of options, SCREEN SHUT OFF. lol!!!
 

jnjroach

Administrator
Staff member
Or they were creating a platform for modern computing moving beyond legacy computing. Move to Modern Apps and if properly coded it should work.
 
OP
ChrisPanzer

ChrisPanzer

Active Member
Or they were creating a platform for modern computing moving beyond legacy computing. Move to Modern Apps and if properly coded it should work.
You mean use the Metro(sexual)UI windows? nah, I think not. Im doing my best to completely exclude Metro from my day to day comings and goings. Just dont like it, not my cup o tea, cats meow, etc etc...

That .exe appears to have been made for a dell laptop a while ago.
 

jnjroach

Administrator
Staff member
You mean use the Metro(sexual)UI windows? nah, I think not. Im doing my best to completely exclude Metro from my day to day comings and goings. Just dont like it, not my cup o tea, cats meow, etc etc...

That .exe appears to have been made for a dell laptop a while ago.
Well you will be wrestling with Connected Standby as Legacy Win32 Code is written for desktop class machines and ACPI power management.
 

mohcho

Active Member
ChrisPanzer, I've been watching this thread and thinking the same thing that it would be a great feature, not for a "boss key" idea to hide your screen, but for power savings, while keeping the SP3 but not letting it burn the battery with the screen on.

Sometimes, I'm using the SP3 on the kitchen counter and have to walk away for a few minutes, but don't want to turn it off, or have to wait for the sleep to turn back on, but simply turn off the screen and be able to resume where I was.
 

nipponham

Active Member
I think the reality is that you have to give up the notion of using CS as a function of legacy Windows. There are many areas where the two are not compatible and power management is one of them. If you cannot/do not want to move to the new ecosystem, you can disable CS and use SP3 as a regular Windows device. You will then be able to turn off power to the monitor without having the machine go to sleep. But you can't do this and keep CS at the same time. You'll just have to choose which is more important to you.
 

GreyFox7

Super Moderator
Staff member
I think the reality is that you have to give up the notion of using CS as a function of legacy Windows. There are many areas where the two are not compatible and power management is one of them. If you cannot/do not want to move to the new ecosystem, you can disable CS and use SP3 as a regular Windows device. You will then be able to turn off power to the monitor without having the machine go to sleep. But you can't do this and keep CS at the same time. You'll just have to choose which is more important to you.
That may be true or maybe not. I don't know why, 'it is what it is', but probably it's like there were 200 power management changes but only time for 100 of them, maybe next time. Maybe it was a hardware issue, power management chip limitation, whatever. The verbiage is a clue that it's not likely to change soon or in the SP3 despite all the Monday quarterbacks derisions.

Captn Kirk: Dr. McCoy how's the patient?
Dr. McCoy: Jim, he's dead.
 

zhenya

Active Member
I agree. Connected Standby is designed to do exactly what you want. Screen is off, but computer is still on for all intents and purposes.
 
Top