You probably don’t take much notice of the power button on your computer or other devices. After all, isn’t it really just a button to switch it on and off…? In fact, it’s a lot cleverer than that. The power button can do more than you might realize. Think of smartphones. On most, a quick press and it turns off the display. A long press and you get a menu with various options (shut down, restart, flight mode, and more). Computers are similar, and you can reprogram (‘remap’) your power button to do different things – so let’s see what it can do.
The Meaning of the ‘Power’ Symbol
It may not make much sense until you think about it further. It’s just a ‘power button’ label. But look closer and it’s actually two symbols put together. The vertical line (‘|’) stands for on and the O stands for off.
Uses of the Power Button
You probably know that under normal circumstances you don’t really use the power button for anything other than switching your device on and off. But you probably also know that if you run into problems (if your computer freezes, for example) then pressing the power button will allow you to reboot your computer.
This is something you shouldn’t do routinely, because you’ll lose unsaved work. You should always use your operating system’s ‘shut down’ command – it’s there for good reasons. Powering off the wrong way can lead to corrupted files as well as problems when you try to start it again.
Changing the Way the Power Button Works
An IT technician who knows what to do can alter, or remap, your power button so it functions differently. And you can even do some of it yourself in the Windows Control Panel. Check it out to see what remap options you have available. Go to Control Panel and look for ‘Hardware and Sound’. Look for ‘Power Options’ and then select ‘Choose what the power button does’. Here are the choices it will bring up:
- Do nothing
- Sleep
- Hibernate
- Shut down
- Turn off the display
Note that the last two options apply specifically to laptops. When you’ve made your choice, press ‘save’ to apply your changes. It’s that simple.
Do you need more information on your technology and how to optimize it use for your business usage? Call Quikteks at (973) 882-4644 for help and advice.