Disable laptop lid switch

**hyedipin** · 03-22-07, 12:25 PM

I have a Toshiba laptop and whenever it is in my bag, I guess the lid moves a little bit and sometimes when I take it out I find that it is running, sometimes drained the battery, and very hot. I am afraid that one day it will burn, but I guess before burning it will be out of battery.

I want to disable the little switch so that it does NOTHING at all. I already disabled it in windows "Do Nothing" but that only applies to when you "close" the lid.. Opening has got to be somewhere in registry or bios...

Does anyone know? before I break that little switch..
Problem is, it is in the locking latch, unlike some of the other laptops I have seen, which placed them near the hinge, which could easily by cut/broken off.. but with mine it is impossible.

Any ideas?

Rsaturn9 · 03-22-07, 12:51 PM

How about just Removing the Battery when in the case?

**hyedipin** · 03-22-07, 01:03 PM

Nope.. I keep it in Hibernation.
When it is Shut Down it doesn't wake up. The problem is with Hibernation. When it is in hibernation, any movement to the lid will activate and cause wake-up! :(

tiggerr129 · 03-22-07, 01:07 PM

I'm confused. does this happen when you've shut windows down?
If you aren't shutting down, why not? That's easier than baking your laptop?
I guess I've never understood, putting windows to sleep. it doesn't work for me. locks it up. I rarely put my mac to sleep,and that is recommended since it is supposed to do maintenance in the early morning
written from my axim sorry

tiggerr129 · 03-22-07, 01:10 PM

we posted at the same time. Your laptop won't turn on after you shut it down?

And how do youu get hibernation to work. I've searched the internet and all I can find is that it does work most of the time. Again I am assuming, you are talking windows XP

**hyedipin** · 03-22-07, 01:11 PM

No, I never use sleep. I am putting into hibernation, which, as you know, saves the state and actually turns off the power (uses just a little bit to save info).

If I actually shut down it will take very long time for me everytime I have to check something in my laptop, and put it back, etc.. I cannot wait for it everytime someone asks me something and I have to take my laptop out..

It doesn't work same as putting your Mac to sleep.. Hibernation is Deep Sleep.. ;)

tiggerr129 · 03-22-07, 01:14 PM

Understood. How about a really low tech solution. a strong rubber band ; )

tiggerr129 · 03-22-07, 01:17 PM

Still curious though how you get hibernation to work. forgot to turn it off on my new laptop, had to use the power switch. got that lovely blue screen and a nasty reprimand

tiggerr129 · 03-22-07, 01:22 PM

I just noticed I said folks said hibernation works, but I meant they said it doesn't, iow they were no help. no one could do it till you. . both sleep and hibernation lock mine up. I set it to do nothing when closed and to shut down normally when the power button is pushed.
boy I wish I had my keyboard.

**hyedipin** · 03-22-07, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by tiggerr129

we posted at the same time.

Yep.

Originally Posted by tiggerr129

Your laptop won't turn on after you shut it down?

No, it works perfectly fine. It will Turn On, and that's my problem. :) You see, after it is in Sleep or Stand By, it will wake up as soon as you open the lid. Which is normal response. There is a tiny switch which tells the computer state of the lid (monitor). I want to disable that tiny switch completely.

Originally Posted by tiggerr129

And how do youu get hibernation to work. I've searched the internet and all I can find is that it does work most of the time. Again I am assuming, you are talking windows XP

Yes, I have XP. Hibernation is just one step above Sleep. (On/Stand By/Sleep/Hibernation/Turn Off). As I said it saves the state into a little "remember file" and puts that file in HDD along with RAM information. Saves and Turns Off computer. When you Turn On, it recovers and extracts, and returns to the same state. For example in the middle of my 34 pages essay which I forgot to save and battery suddenly runs low.. Hibernation will save the essay without a problem, and you continue typing when you turn it back on.'

Edit: I explained hibernation to you, and you may have known about it.. :) sorry! but that's how it works.. :D
Rubber band may work, but really!? In front of the client, I would be removing rubber bands, it breaks and hits the guy in the eye... oh boy!

tiggerr129 · 03-22-07, 01:52 PM

hey it was just a thougt. : ) but that scenario gave me a laugh. I have had some, i'd like to hit with a rubber band . I can think of a way to discreatly slip it off but not put it on.
You're right I know how to set it up for hibernation, but it still locks up. Consider yourself one of the lucky ones.
Mine's a dell, If my toshiba wasn't a relic running 98 I'd use it still. I think I got it just after 98 came out. in late 99? my kids won't even use it.
I guess velcro's out of the question too JK.
I take it that switch doesn't affect hibernation, ie you have that same button I have at the back of the keyboard. Maybe a le
ss conspicuous low tech solution would be a sort of raised area on the lid where the switch hits the lid. silly putty springs to mind. tiny wad taped in place. with a small amount of tape, maybe a piece of double sided foam, folded paper. all the same color as you pc.
Keep in mind in addition to tech support, I am also a teacher, we always have to punt.
Let us know what works. I personally have 5 laptops, and 5 desktops, and Aspergers Syndrome. We obcess on our special interest

03-22-07, 07:49 PM

I use hibernation and sleep and both work fine on my laptop tiggerr. It is a lot nicer than shutting down as it comes on in a few seconds.

Hyedipin, I think I found what you are looking for.

Powercfg is run from a command prompt:

Code:

POWERCFG[/LIST | /QUERY [name]| /CREATE name | /DELETE name |
    /SETACTIVE name | /CHANGE name settings |
    /HIBERNATE {ON|OFF} | /EXPORT name [/FILE filename] |
    /IMPORT name [/FILE filename] | /GLOBALPOWERFLAG {ON|OFF} /OPTION flag |
    /BATTERYALARM {LOW|CRITICAL} [settings] |
    /DEVICEQUERY queryflags | /DEVICEENABLEWAKE devicename |
    /DEVICEDISABLEWAKE devicename | /?]

Description:
    This command line tool enables an administrator to control
    the power settings on a system.

Parameter List:
    /LIST, /L    Lists the names of existing power schemes.
    /QUERY, /Q      Displays the configuration of the specified power scheme.
                    If no name is specified, the configuration of the currently
                    active power scheme is displayed.
    /CREATE, /C  Creates a power scheme with the specified name.  The new
                    scheme is created with the properties of the currently
                    active scheme.
    /DELETE, /D  Deletes the power scheme with the specified name.
    /SETACTIVE, /S  Makes the power scheme with the specified name active.
    /CHANGE, /X  Changes settings of the specified power scheme. Additional
                    switches specify the changes as follows:
                        /monitor-timeout-ac <minutes>
                        /monitor-timeout-dc <minutes>
                        /disk-timeout-ac <minutes>
                        /disk-timeout-dc <minutes>
                        /standby-timeout-ac <minutes>
                        /standby-timeout-dc <minutes>
                        /hibernate-timeout-ac <minutes>
                        /hibernate-timeout-dc <minutes>
                        /processor-throttle-ac <throttle>
                        /processor-throttle-dc <throttle>
                    AC settings are used when the system is on AC power.
                    DC settings are used when the system is on battery power.
                    Setting a timeout to zero will disable the corresponding
                    timeout feature.  Supported throttle settings are NONE
                    CONSTANT, DEGRADE, and ADAPTIVE.
    /EXPORT, /E  Exports the power scheme with the specified name to a
                    file.  If no filename is specified, the default is 
                    SCHEME.POW.  This additional parameter is supported:
                        /FILE <filename>
    /IMPORT, /I  Imports the power scheme from a file under the specified
                    name.  If no filename is specified, the default is
                    SCHEME.POW.  If a scheme with that name already exists, it
                    is replaced with the new one.  This additional parameter
                    is supported:
                        /FILE <filename>
    /HIBERNATE, /H {ON|OFF}  Enables/Disables the hibernate feature.  Hibernate
                    timeout is not supported on all systems.
    /NUMERICAL, /N  Allows the power scheme to be operated upon to be specified
                    using a numerical identifier.  When using this switch, in
                    place of the name of the power scheme on the command line,
                    specify its numerical identifier.  This switch may be used
                    in combination with the /QUERY, /DELETE, /SETACTIVE,
                    /CHANGE, /EXPORT, and /IMPORT commands.
    /GLOBALPOWERFLAG, /G {ON|OFF}  Turns one of the global power flags on/off.
                    Valid flags (to be used after "/OPTION ") are:
                      BATTERYICON:    Turns the battery meter icon in the
                                      system tray on/off.
                      MULTIBATTERY: Turns on/off multiple battery display
                                      in system Power Meter.
                      RESUMEPASSWORD: Prompt for password on resuming the
                                      system.
                      WAKEONRING:  Turn on/off wake on ring support.
                      VIDEODIM:    Turn on/off support for dimming video
                                      display on battery power.
    /AVAILABLESLEEPSTATES, /A  Reports the sleep states available on the
                    system.  Attempts to report reasons why sleep states are
                    unavailable.
    /BATTERYALARM, /B {LOW|CRITICAL}  Configures the battery alarm.  The
                    following switches can be specified:
                        /activate <on|off>
                            Enables or disables the alarm.
                        /level <percentage (0 - 100)>
                            The alarm will be activated when the power level
                            reaches this percentage.
                        /text <on|off>
                            Turns the text notification on or off.
                        /sound <on|off>
                            Turns the audible notification on or off.
                        /action <none|shutdown|hibernate|standby>
                            Specifies the action to take when this alarm goes
                            off.  Not all actions are always available.
                        /forceaction <on|off>
                            Force stand by or shutdown even if a program stops
                            responding.
                        /program <on|off>
                            Specifies a program to run.  schtasks.exe /change
                        may be used to configure the program.
    /DEVICEQUERY <queryflags> will return a list of devices that meet the
                    criteria specified in <queryflags>.  Possible values
                    for <queryflags> are:
                    wake_from_S1_supported - return all devices that support
                          waking the system from a light sleep state.
                    wake_from_S2_supported - return all devices that support
                          waking the system from a deeper sleep state.
                    wake_from_S3_supported - return all devices that support
                          waking from the deepest sleep state.
                    wake_from_any - return all devices that support waking
                          from any sleep state.
                    S1_supported - list devices supporting light sleep states.
                    S2_supported - list devices supporting deeper sleep.
                    S3_supported - list devices supporting deepest sleep.
                    S4_supported - list devices supporting system hibernation.
                    wake_programmable - list devices that are user-configurable
                          to wake the system from a sleep state.
                    wake_armed - list devices that are currently configured to
                          wake the system from any sleep state.
                    all_devices - return all devices present in the system.
                    all_devices_verbose - return verbose list of devices.
    /DEVICEENABLEWAKE <devicename> enable the device to wake the system from a
                    sleep state. <devicename> is a device retrieved using
                    the '/DEVICEQUERY wake_programmable' parameter.
    /DEVICEDISABLEWAKE <devicename> disable the device from waking the system
                    from a sleep state. <devicename> is a device retrieved
                    using the '/DEVICEQUERY wake_armed' parameter.
    /HELP, /?    Displays information on command-line parameters.

Examples:
    POWERCFG /LIST
    POWERCFG /QUERY scheme
    POWERCFG /QUERY
    POWERCFG /CREATE scheme
    POWERCFG /DELETE scheme
    POWERCFG /SETACTIVE scheme
    POWERCFG /CHANGE scheme /monitor-timeout-dc 15
    POWERCFG /CHANGE scheme /monitor-timeout-dc 0
    POWERCFG /HIBERNATE on
    POWERCFG /EXPORT scheme /file file
    POWERCFG /QUERY number /NUMERICAL
    POWERCFG /GLOBALPOWERFLAG on /OPTION BATTERYICON
    POWERCFG /AVAILABLESLEEPSTATES
    POWERCFG /BATTERYALARM low
    POWERCFG /BATTERYALARM critical /ACTIVATE on /LEVEL 6 /ACTION hibernate
    POWERCFG /DEVICEQUERY wake_armed
    POWERCFG /DEVICEENABLEWAKE "Microsoft USB IntelliMouse Explorer"

From: http://www.msfn.org/board/lofiversio...hp/t17081.html

I think you could use the /DEVICEDISABLEWAKE variable to set it so that your laptop does not wake on the lid switch. You would have to find out what that device is via the device query.

For example, I ran:

Code:

powercfg /devicequery wake_from_s1_supported

This spat out a list of devices. Try and find the lid switch in there (it might have an odd name, I think mine is "ACPI Sleep Button") and then use the device disable thing to make it not able to wake your computer :)

Try it out and report back!

Rsaturn9 · 03-22-07, 09:41 PM

Well I am glad Hybernation works for you guys as for me,
My experience with Hybernation is that is doesnt wake up!!
It takes me twice as long to reboot computer when I accidentally put it to sleep.
Either way I must be doing something wrong,
But what do I know, I'm just a Duck lol!!

03-22-07, 09:53 PM

I will say hibernation is much better on Vista. It is a bit flawed in XP at times and will sometimes lock up. I use Standby more (which I have never had an issue with). It is not as battery friendly though :p

tiggerr129 · 03-23-07, 12:00 AM

I thought I'd try hibernation on my newest desktop. I stoped using it on the desktops when I found out that diskeeper wasn't able to defrag this huge block of files. a little digging and I found out it was the files reserved for the hibernation feature that I didn't care about on a desk top
When I woke it up, Windows worked sluggishly but my wireless adapter program was doing those illegal things and just wouldn't stop. So I had to reboot. I guess Hibernation is not in the cards for me. No loss in my situation but I hope you get yours fixed.

I still have that silly putty JK