Managing your computer’s power consumption is crucial for balancing performance and energy efficiency. Windows 10 offers a range of power plans that you can customize according to your needs. Whether you’re looking to save battery life on a laptop or maximize performance on a desktop, changing the power plan is a straightforward process. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps on how to change the power plan in Windows 10 and offer tips on customizing these plans to suit your specific requirements.

1. Open Power Options

  1. Click on the Start menu and type “Power Options” in the search bar.
  2. Select Power & sleep settings from the list of results.
  3. In the Power & sleep settings window, click on Additional power settings under the “Related settings” section on the right-hand side.

2. Select a Power Plan

  1. In the Power Options window, you’ll see a list of available power plans.
  2. Select the radio button next to the power plan you wish to use (Balanced, Power Saver, or High Performance).
  3. If the plan you want isn’t visible, click on Show additional plans to reveal it.

3. Customize Your Power Plan

  1. Once you’ve selected a plan, you can customize it further by clicking on Change plan settings next to the selected plan.
  2. In the next window, you can adjust settings such as when to turn off the display or put the computer to sleep.
  3. Click on Change advanced power settings to access more detailed options like processor power management, USB settings, and more.
  4. After making your changes, click Apply and then OK to save them.

Handling Missing Power Plans

Sometimes, you might notice that certain power plans are missing from the list of available options in Windows 10. This can happen because some power plans are hidden by default or have been removed. Fortunately, you can view and add these missing power plans using the Command Prompt. Here’s how:

Viewing All Available Power Plans

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator

Press Win + X and select Windows Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin) from the menu.

2. List All Power Plans

In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter:

powercfg /list

This command will display a list of all available power plans along with their unique GUIDs (Globally Unique Identifiers).

Example Output:

Existing Power Schemes (* Active) 
----------------------------------- 
Power Scheme GUID: 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260df2e (Balanced) * 
Power Scheme GUID: a1841308-3541-4fab-bc81-f71556f20b4a (Power saver) 
Power Scheme GUID: 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c (High performance)

Adding Missing Power Plans

If you find that a power plan you need is missing, you can add it using the following steps:

1. Identify the Missing Power Plan

Commonly missing power plans include the Ultimate Performance plan, which is designed for high-end workstations and provides even greater performance than the High Performance plan.

2. Enable the Ultimate Performance Power Plan

In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter:

powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61

This command duplicates the Ultimate Performance power scheme and adds it to your list of available power plans.

3. Verify the Addition

Type powercfg /list again and press Enter to ensure that the Ultimate Performance plan has been added.

Example Output:

Existing Power Schemes (* Active) 
----------------------------------- 
Power Scheme GUID: 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260df2e (Balanced) 
Power Scheme GUID: a1841308-3541-4fab-bc81-f71556f20b4a (Power saver) 
Power Scheme GUID: 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c (High performance) 
Power Scheme GUID: e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61 (Ultimate Performance) *

4. Activate the New Power Plan

To activate the newly added Ultimate Performance plan, use the following command:

powercfg /setactive e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61

Replace the GUID with the one corresponding to your desired power plan if different.

Create a Custom Power Plan (Optional)

  1. If none of the existing plans meet your needs, you can create a custom plan. In the Power Options window, click on Create a power plan in the left-hand menu.
  2. Choose an existing plan to base your custom plan on, give your plan a name, and then customize the settings as desired.
  3. Once you’ve configured the settings, click Create to save your custom power plan.

Managing Power Plans via Command Prompt

For advanced users, power plans can also be managed via the Command Prompt. This is particularly useful for automation or managing multiple computers. Here’s how:

  1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
    • Press Win + X and select Windows Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin) from the menu.
  2. View Available Power Plans:
    • Type the following command and press Enter: powercfg /list
    • This will display a list of all available power plans along with their GUIDs.
  3. Change Power Plan:
    • To change to a different power plan, use the following command: powercfg /setactive [GUID]
    • Replace [GUID] with the actual GUID of the power plan you want to activate.
  4. Create a Custom Power Plan:
    • To create a new power plan based on an existing one, use: powercfg /duplicatescheme [BaseGUID] [NewGUID]
    • Customize the plan further using the Command Prompt or Power Options in the Control Panel.

Tips for Optimizing Power Plans

  • Match the Plan to Your Usage: For everyday tasks like browsing and word processing, the Balanced plan is usually sufficient. Switch to High Performance only when performing resource-intensive tasks, and use Power Saver when you need to extend battery life.
  • Custom Plans for Specific Scenarios: Create custom power plans for specific situations, such as working on battery power during travel, running your desktop as a server, or gaming.
  • Schedule Power Plan Changes: Use Task Scheduler to automate switching between power plans at different times of the day, ensuring your system is always optimized for the current task.

Conclusion

Changing and customizing your power plan in Windows 10 is a simple yet effective way to optimize your system for performance, energy efficiency, or a balance of both. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily manage your computer’s power settings to better suit your daily activities and extend the longevity of your hardware.

Whether you’re a casual user or an IT professional, taking control of your power plan settings can make a noticeable difference in how your computer performs and conserves energy.

Avatar for Marlo Strydom

Marlo, the founder of Computer Info Bits, has over 20 years of IT expertise. He's passionate about technology and aims to demystify it. Since 2019, he's been writing articles covering essential computer tips to complex hardware discussions, helping readers better understand and use their technology. Marlo stays up-to-date with the latest tech developments through extensive research and interaction.