Power Options issue

[MariusLon]

I would like to set my Surface Pro 3 to never go to sleep when plugged in but the display should turn off after 10 minutes (so the computer will work with the display switched off). I cannot do that. When I set "Put the computer to sleep" to "Never" and I go to "Change advanced power settings->Display->Turn off display after" I can see that it says "Never" under the plugged in section. If I change "Turn off the display after" to let's say 10 minutes, click Apply, close the Power Options window and open it again, I can see that the option "Put the computer to sleep" is now set to 10 minutes.

In short, Windows copies the settings "Put the computer to sleep" and "Turn off the display", it seems they cannot be set independently.

I have applied all updates and restarted my computer.

Can anyone try to replicate this please on Windows 8.1 on Surface Pro 3 and confirm what I observed or deny it? Please remember to close the Power Options window after changing the settings and to open it again to check what was saved. I can see that the setting that I changed last (no matter if it is "turn off the display" or "put computer to sleep") overwrites the other.

I tried today again after having installed new updates and observer the same behaviour.

It is really essential to me to be able to leave my computer switched on for longer time (sometimes a night) with the display off for the following reasons:
- compiling programs
- running programs that need time to produce results (like simulations)
- doing backup
- leaving applications connected to the server (the sleep mode disconnects applications and drives)

 

[hughlle]

This is because of Connected Standby.

At present, if you turn the display off, even when plugged in, it will also put the surface to "sleep".

The best thing you can really do is get the surface to just go to screensaver, instead of connected standby. So far as i've seen you cannot simply have the display turn off and the machine continue running as normal.

It is just one of the sacrifices you pay for having a windows machine that can go to sleep and also pull info in the background, but typically the only way you can get the machine to work while in CS is when using MUI apps.

 

[MariusLon]

Even if I use a bank screensaver, the screen is still lit, just dark but still working and emitting some light. I also checked if I could dim the display after some time (then I would dim it to zero), but that option was removed as well. I don't really get it. One of the reasons for such peculiar setup is that there is no other indicator on Surface Pro other than the shining display to show that it's on (and people would leave it by mistake on with the display dimmed and then complain about short battery life). But that option should be possible in the plugged in mode at least.

It seems to be a software setup that can be changed.

As much as I like the device, I find it annoying that Microsoft decides how I can or cannot use it, positioning it more and more as a toy tablet instead of a replacement of a laptop (I wouldn't have such problems on a laptop).

 

[jnjroach]

Even if I use a bank screensaver, the screen is still lit, just dark but still working and emitting some light. I also checked if I could dim the display after some time (then I would dim it to zero), but that option was removed as well. I don't really get it. One of the reasons for such peculiar setup is that there is no other indicator on Surface Pro other than the shining display to show that it's on (and people would leave it by mistake on with the display dimmed and then complain about short battery life). But that option should be possible in the plugged in mode at least.

It seems to be a software setup that can be changed.

As much as I like the device, I find it annoying that Microsoft decides how I can or cannot use it, positioning it more and more as a toy tablet instead of a replacement of a laptop (I wouldn't have such problems on a laptop).

I wouldn't be sure of that claim, Core M Ultrabooks and Tablets will be using Connected Standby as well, this is based on ACPI v. 5a (which is rolled up under the UEFI Working Group now) and most of the public are still using devices that conform to ACPI v. 4 or maybe 5. On mobile devices that use the most efficient SoCs we're going to see Connected Standby. Desktop Replacement, Mobile Workstations and Mainstream will still user the older Power Schemes.

 

[olimjj]

Even if I use a bank screensaver, the screen is still lit, just dark but still working and emitting some light. I also checked if I could dim the display after some time (then I would dim it to zero), but that option was removed as well. I don't really get it. One of the reasons for such peculiar setup is that there is no other indicator on Surface Pro other than the shining display to show that it's on (and people would leave it by mistake on with the display dimmed and then complain about short battery life). But that option should be possible in the plugged in mode at least.

It seems to be a software setup that can be changed.

As much as I like the device, I find it annoying that Microsoft decides how I can or cannot use it, positioning it more and more as a toy tablet instead of a replacement of a laptop (I wouldn't have such problems on a laptop).

In conjunction with going with a Blank Screensaver why don't you close the cover and set the power option on closing to do nothing. Wouldn't that be dark enough.

 

[nipponham]

As much as I like the device, I find it annoying that Microsoft decides how I can or cannot use it, positioning it more and more as a toy tablet instead of a replacement of a laptop (I wouldn't have such problems on a laptop).

As hughlle as already mentioned, this is a constraint of CS. If having the machine run while turning off the display is important to you, disable CS and install one of many utilities that allows this.

 

[zhenya]

As much as I like the device, I find it annoying that Microsoft decides how I can or cannot use it, positioning it more and more as a toy tablet instead of a replacement of a laptop (I wouldn't have such problems on a laptop).

Then turn off Connected Standby and you can do exactly what you want, just like a laptop.

For most of us, it IS a tablet, and we want it to behave as so. Still, I see where you are coming from because of the lack of apps that can continue to work in CS. Try streaming music to a Bluetooth speaker. Can't do it with anything but xbox music. Who uses that?

 

[jnjroach]

Of course we would be remiss if we didn't state clearly, disabling Connected Standby removes any type of Sleep Power State, you will be left with Hibernate and Off....