Skip to content

TechRepublic

  • Top Products Lists
  • Developer
  • 5G
  • Security
  • Cloud
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Tech & Work
  • Mobility
  • Big Data
  • Innovation
  • Cheat Sheets
  • TechRepublic Academy
  • CES
  • TechRepublic Premium
  • Top Products Lists
  • Developer
  • 5G
  • Security
  • Cloud
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Tech & Work
  • Mobility
  • Big Data
  • Innovation
  • Cheat Sheets
  • TechRepublic Academy
  • CES
  • See All Topics
  • Sponsored
  • Newsletters
  • Forums
  • Resource Library
TechRepublic Premium
Join / Sign In
Microsoft

Create an energy use report in Windows 7 with powercfg

By Mark W. Kaelin May 26, 2010, 5:42 AM PDT

Image
1
of 7

428183.png
428183.png
Create an energy use report in Windows 7 with powercfg

Type cmd into the search box

Type cmd into the search box

With a renewed interest on global warming, carbon footprints, and green technology, the power consumption of your personal computer is not a trivial matter. And if your PC happens to be a notebook, the amount of power consumed has a direct relationship to battery life. Minimizing power consumption will maximize battery life.

But how do you know how much power your PC is consuming? How do you troubleshoot the problem power draining functions?

Well, with Microsoft Windows 7, you can use a small applet called the Power Configuration Utility. Run from the command line with the right switch, it will create a detailed file that thoroughly examines power usage on your personal computer. Here is how it works.

Create the report
To create your energy report you will need to type a specific instruction on an elevated administrator-rights command line. Click the Start Menu button and type cmd into the search box as shown. The first application shown should be the command line executable file. Right-click on that file name.

This gallery is also available as a TechRepublic blog post and download.

Image created by Mark Kaelin for TechRepublic.

Create an energy use report in Windows 7 with powercfg

Run cmd.exe as administrator

Run cmd.exe as administrator

That right-click will reveal an additional menu where you can select to run the command line executable in the administrator mode as you can see.

This gallery is also available as a TechRepublic blog post and download.

Image created by Mark Kaelin for TechRepublic.

Create an energy use report in Windows 7 with powercfg

Type the energy report command

Type the energy report command

Once inside the command line box, type this command and hit the Enter key:

powercfg -energy

This gallery is also available as a TechRepublic blog post and download.

Image created by Mark Kaelin for TechRepublic.

Create an energy use report in Windows 7 with powercfg

Testing

Testing

The computer will take about 60 seconds to run the tests.

This gallery is also available as a TechRepublic blog post and download.

Image created by Mark Kaelin for TechRepublic.

Create an energy use report in Windows 7 with powercfg

Creating the report

Creating the report

This gallery is also available as a TechRepublic blog post and download.

Image created by Mark Kaelin for TechRepublic.

Create an energy use report in Windows 7 with powercfg

Finding energy-report.html

Finding energy-report.html

Exit out of the command line box and start Windows Explorer. Navigate to the Windows\System32 folder and look for a file named energy-report.html.

This gallery is also available as a TechRepublic blog post and download.

Image created by Mark Kaelin for TechRepublic.

Create an energy use report in Windows 7 with powercfg

Power consumption analysis

Power consumption analysis

When you open the report you will find Analysis Results broken down into Errors, Warnings, and Information. For example, under the Errors category on my test machine, you can see where I have modified the power settings to prevent display dimming.

Bottom line
The Energy Report created using this method will give you a starting point for troubleshooting excessive power consumption, but how you apply what it tells you will vary depending on personal preferences and usage patterns. And while making some small modifications to your PC power profile will not necessarily save the Earth from doom, it couldn’t hurt.

This gallery is also available as a TechRepublic blog post and download.

Image created by Mark Kaelin for TechRepublic.

  • Microsoft
  • Account Information

    Share with Your Friends

    Create an energy use report in Windows 7 with powercfg

    Your email has been sent

Share: Create an energy use report in Windows 7 with powercfg
Image of Mark W. Kaelin
By Mark W. Kaelin
Mark W. Kaelin has been writing and editing stories about the information technology industry, gadgets, finance, accounting, and tech-life for more than 25 years. Most recently, he has been a regular contributor to BreakingModern.com, aNewDomain.net,
  • Account Information

    Contact Mark W. Kaelin

    Your message has been sent

  • |
  • See all of Mark W.'s content

TechRepublic Premium

  • TechRepublic Premium

    Shadow IT policy

    Shadow IT is a concept whereby an organization’s employees use technology, services or systems without the knowledge of or approval from the IT department. It has arisen due to several reasons: Advances in cloud computing, which involve the usage of applications or sharing of data in public environments previously owned by IT. The evolution of ...

    Published:  February 2, 2023, 11:00 AM EST Modified:  February 3, 2023, 2:00 PM EST Read More See more TechRepublic Premium
  • TechRepublic Premium

    Auditing and logging policy

    Auditing and logging are essential measures for protecting mission-critical systems and troubleshooting problems. This policy outlines the appropriate auditing and logging procedures for computer systems, networks and devices that store or transport critical data. From the policy: Many computer systems, network devices and other technological hardware used in the enterprise can audit and log various ...

    Published:  February 2, 2023, 11:00 AM EST Modified:  February 3, 2023, 3:00 PM EST Read More See more TechRepublic Premium
  • TechRepublic Premium

    Vendor contract renewal planner

    Determining how and when to renew support contracts can be tedious and time-consuming. Our vendor contract renewal planner will help you schedule support renewals and budget the related costs. From the planner: Some companies schedule their support contract renewals to take effect all at once, such as on January 1. This provides a convenient renewal ...

    Published:  February 1, 2023, 11:00 AM EST Modified:  February 2, 2023, 12:00 PM EST Read More See more TechRepublic Premium
  • TechRepublic Premium

    Access management policy

    Without appropriate access management controls, businesses are at significant risk from the loss or theft of both physical and digital assets. Access management controls establish who is allowed the appropriate level of access in order to do their jobs, while reducing the potential for damage or harm to the company. The purpose of this policy ...

    Downloads
    Published:  February 1, 2023, 11:00 AM EST Modified:  February 2, 2023, 4:00 PM EST Read More See more TechRepublic Premium

Services

  • About Us
  • Newsletters
  • RSS Feeds
  • Site Map
  • Site Help & Feedback
  • FAQ
  • Advertise
  • Do Not Sell My Information

Explore

  • Downloads
  • TechRepublic Forums
  • Meet the Team
  • TechRepublic Academy
  • TechRepublic Premium
  • Resource Library
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • TechRepublic
  • TechRepublic on Twitter
  • TechRepublic on Facebook
  • TechRepublic on LinkedIn
  • TechRepublic on Flipboard
© 2023 TechnologyAdvice. All rights reserved.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Property of TechnologyAdvice