Dell Command | Power Manager

User Guide
Notes, cautions, and warnings
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you
how to avoid the problem.
WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.

Copyright © 2015 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. This product is protected by U.S. and international copyright and
intellectual property laws. Dell™ and the Dell logo are trademarks of Dell Inc. in the United States and/or other
jurisdictions. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.

2015 - 06

Rev. A04
Contents
1 Introduction........................................................................................................... 5
Key Features...........................................................................................................................................5
Accessing the Software......................................................................................................................... 5

2 Battery Information..............................................................................................6
Battery Health........................................................................................................................................6
Battery Settings...................................................................................................................................... 7
Selecting A Battery Setting.............................................................................................................. 8
Creating A Custom Battery Setting.................................................................................................8
Battery Charge Status............................................................................................................................8

3 Advanced Charge................................................................................................10
Enabling Advanced Charge.................................................................................................................10

4 Peak Shift..............................................................................................................12
Enabling Peak Shift.............................................................................................................................. 12

5 Thermal Management .......................................................................................14

Changing Thermal Management Settings..........................................................................................14

6 Battery Extender................................................................................................. 15
Extending Battery Charge................................................................................................................... 15
Turning Off Battery Extender.............................................................................................................. 16

7 Alerts Management.............................................................................................17
Enabling And Disabling Alerts..............................................................................................................17
Restoring Alert Defaults.......................................................................................................................17

8 Administration.....................................................................................................18
Installing, Uninstalling, And Upgrading The Software........................................................................18
Group Policy Templates......................................................................................................................19
Installing The Group Policy Management Console.....................................................................20
Installing Group Policy Templates................................................................................................20
Customizing A Group Policy ....................................................................................................... 20
Applying A Group Policy ...............................................................................................................21
Customizing Group Policy Settings....................................................................................................22
Battery Information Group Policies.............................................................................................. 22
Peak Shift Group Policies.............................................................................................................. 23

3
 Advanced Charge Group Policies.................................................................................................24
Battery Extender Group Policies...................................................................................................25
Alerts Management Group Policies.............................................................................................. 25
Thermal Management Group Policies..........................................................................................25
Product Feedback Link Group Policy........................................................................................... 26

9 Troubleshooting................................................................................................. 27
Viewing the Event Log.........................................................................................................................27

4
 1
Introduction
Dell Command | Power Manager software provides simplified and efficient power management
capabilities for Dell notebooks and tablets running Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 operating
systems.

Key Features
• Battery Information – Display health information for up to six installed batteries, depending on system
capabilities, and edit battery settings or create a custom battery setting.
• Advanced Charge Mode – Control battery charging to prolong battery life.
• Peak Shift – Reduce power consumption by automatically switching the system to battery power
during certain times of the day, even when the system is plugged into a direct power source.
• Thermal Management – Control processor and cooling fan settings to manage performance, system
surface temperature, and fan noise.
• Battery Extender – Conserve battery charge by affecting CPU power level, screen brightness and
keyboard illumination levels, and by muting audio.
• Alerts Management – Enable or disable adapter, battery, docking station, thermal, and other types of
alerts.
• Group Policies – Easily apply default settings and/or prevent users from changing power alerts system
events, power management, thermal management, battery extender, and battery settings.
• Product Feedback – Provide feedback on the software.

Accessing the Software

To open the Dell Command | Power Manager user interface, click the Windows Start button, and then do
one of the following:

• Click Control Panel → Dell Command | Power Manager.

• Click Control Panel → Power Options, and then click Dell Command | Power Manager in the left
pane.
• Enter Dell Command | Power Manager in the Search programs and files field.

5
 2
Battery Information
Dell Command | Power Manager provides detailed information about your system’s batteries, including:

• Whether your system is plugged in or using battery power

• Percentage of your system’s total power remaining
• Peak Shift and Battery Extender status, if applicable
• Battery health
• Battery charge status
• Battery setting
• Battery type (Standard, Extended Warranty, or Enhanced)
• Connection (Primary, Battery Slice, or Modular Bay)
• Manufacturer
• Dell battery (Yes or No)
• Serial number

NOTE: PPID may not always display.

• PPID (Piece Part ID)

The software supports a maximum of six batteries. To see the details of a particular battery, click the
battery number (for example, Battery #1, Battery #2). Scroll down to see any additional batteries your
system may contain.

If the option is made available by your system administrator, you can order a replacement battery from
the link on the left pane.

Battery Health
Battery health indicates the amount of charge that is available to a system. In general, a battery’s health
decreases over time at a rate that depends on how often the battery is used and the conditions under
which it is used.

To indicate battery health, Dell Command | Power Manager uses a set of four circular icons. The number
of circular icons that are filled indicates the battery health.

6
Table 1. Battery health indicator codes

Code Description

Excellent — Battery is operating at maximum

capacity.

Good — Battery can charge normally; however,

you may notice reduced operating time because
long-term battery life is decreasing.

Fair — Battery can charge normally; however, it is

near the end of its usable life. It is recommended
that you purchase a new battery soon.

Poor — Battery no longer provides sufficient

power. It is recommended that you replace this
battery.

Battery no longer operates, or battery status

cannot be determined. It is recommended that you
replace the battery.

Battery Settings
Dell Command | Power Manager enables users to select a battery setting that is optimized for specific
system usage patterns. For example, some settings focus on extending battery life, while others provide
fast charge times.

Available settings may be limited depending on the battery. Possible battery settings include:

• Standard — Fully charges the battery at a moderate rate. This setting provides a balanced approach to
extending battery life while still providing a reasonably fast charging time. Recommended for users
who frequently switch between battery and external power sources.
• ExpressCharge™ — Quickly charges the battery using Dell fast-charge technology. Recommended for
users who need the battery to charge quickly. If the system is powered off, then the battery typically
charges to 80 percent within one hour and 100 percent in two hours. Charge time may be longer if
the system is powered on.

NOTE: The ExpressCharge setting may cause battery health to diminish more quickly than other
settings.
• Primarily AC — Extends battery life by lowering the charge threshold, so that the battery never
charges to 100 percent capacity. Recommended for users who primarily operate the system while
plugged into an external power source.
• Adaptive — Automatically optimizes battery settings based on the user’s typical patterns.
Recommended for users who want to “set it and forget it.”
• Custom — User selects when the battery starts and stops charging. Recommended for advanced
users.

7
Selecting A Battery Setting
1. On the Battery Information page, click the battery that you want to change (such as Battery #1 or
Battery #2).
NOTE: If Advanced Charge is enabled, you can only affect battery settings through the
Advanced Charge screen.
2. Click Settings.
3. Select a pre-configured battery setting, or select Custom to define your own settings.
NOTE: Available settings may be limited depending on the battery.
4. Click OK to save your changes, or click CANCEL to discard them.

Creating A Custom Battery Setting

The Custom battery setting enables users to define when a battery starts and stops charging. This setting
is recommended for advanced users who are familiar with battery charging cycles.
NOTE: A minimum difference, specified in your systems BIOS, is required between the Start
Charging and Stop Charging values.

1. Go to the Battery Setting page, and then click Custom.

2. Under Start Charging, move the slider to the percentage threshold at which the battery begins
charging, or enter a number in the text box.
For example, entering 60 causes the battery to start charging when it depletes to 60 percent of the
total available charge.
3. Under Stop Charging, move the slider to the percentage threshold at which the battery stops
charging, or enter a number in the text box.
For example, entering 90 causes the battery to stop charging when it reaches 90 percent of the total
available charge.
4. Click OK to apply your settings, or click CANCEL to discard your changes and return to the Battery
Information page.

Battery Charge Status

View a battery’s Charge Status quickly by referring to the battery charge status indicator codes displayed
beside the battery number on the Battery Information page. For precise information on the percentage
charged as well as the battery’s charging and AC connection status, see the Charge Status information
displayed below the battery number as well as directly below the battery graphic.

Table 2. Battery charge status indicator codes

Code Power Remaining

80–100 percent

60–79 percent

8
 40–59 percent

20–39 percent

0–19 percent

To purchase a new battery, click at the bottom of the left panel.

9
 3
Advanced Charge
Advanced Charge is an optional feature that prolongs the usable life of a system’s batteries by charging
them to full capacity only once per day, prior to the Start of day you establish when you enable
Advanced Charge. For the remainder of the day, Advanced Charge keeps batteries in a lower charge state
that is better for storage, even when the system is plugged into a direct power source.

NOTE: If the hours assigned to Peak Shift and Advanced Charge overlap, then Peak Shift takes
priority. Batteries will not charge during Peak Shift hours.

Enabling Advanced Charge

Advanced Charge is not enabled by default. When Advanced Charge is enabled, the feature applies to all
batteries in the system, and individual battery configuration is disabled.

1. Click the Advanced Charge tab in the left pane.

NOTE: Hover your cursor over the icon if you later want to see further information on
Advanced Charge.
2. To enable Advanced Charge, click the toggle at the top of the page to the On position.
3. Click the toggle for each day of the week to enable or disable Advanced Charge for each day.
If you enable the Advanced Charge feature, you must configure the feature for at least one day.
4. To set the times of day when Advanced Charge is active and inactive, click Settings.
NOTE: If you have not enabled Advanced Charge for a particular day, that day will not display
on the Time Settings page, and you will not be able to set the Advanced Charge schedule for
that day. Go back to the main Advanced Charge page and enable Advanced Charge for that
particular day.
5. In the Time Settings screen, click a day of the week. In the main portion of the page, you can use
either the circular slider or the drop-down menus to set the time.
NOTE: You can select times in 15-minute increments—for example, you can enter 11:15 AM
or 9:30 PM.

The circular slider represents a 24-hour period. To use the circular slider:

a. Slide the Start of day thumb control to the start time of a typical workday.
b. Slide the End of day thumb control to the end time of a typical workday.
NOTE: The segment of time displayed in blue represents the work period, or when the
system is active.
Alternatively, you can use the drop-down menus to set the times:

10
 a. Select a time for Start of day.
b. Select a time for End of day.
6. Select the Copy the same settings to multiple days check box. In the left pane, select the days to
which these settings apply.
7. Click OK to save your settings, or click CANCEL to discard them.

11
 4
Peak Shift
Peak Shift is an optional feature that reduces power consumption by automatically switching the system
to battery power during certain times of the day, even if the system is plugged into a direct power source.
After Peak Shift begins, the system will run on battery power until the combined charge level of all
batteries reaches a minimum threshold. See Enabling Peak Shift for instructions on how to change these
settings. At that time, if the system is plugged in, it will be powered by the direct power source; however,
the battery will not charge until Peak Shift ends.

Users can program the start and end times at which the Peak Shift feature is active and inactive each day.

NOTE: If the hours assigned to Peak Shift and Advanced Charge overlap, then Peak Shift takes
priority. Batteries will not charge during Peak Shift hours.

Enabling Peak Shift

1. Click the Peak Shift tab in the left pane.

NOTE: Hover your cursor over the icon if you want to see further information on Peak
Shift.
2. To enable Peak Shift, click the toggle at the top of the page to the On position.
NOTE: Your system BIOS already has a minimum threshold setting below which the system
always draws AC power if it is available; this BIOS setting always takes precedence over any
setting you enter here.
3. To select the percentage at which the system will Restore AC power if available system charge falls
below, move the slider.
For example, selecting 15 percent causes the system to switch from battery to AC power during Peak
Shift if the power remaining falls below 15 percent.

While the system runs as normal on AC (direct) power, the battery does not charge until Peak Shift
ends.
4. To enable or disable Peak Shift for a specific day, click the toggle next to each day of the week.
NOTE: If you have not enabled Advanced Charge for a particular day, that day will not display
on the Time Settings page, and you will not be able to set an Advanced Charge schedule for
that day. Go back to the main Advanced Charge page and enable Advanced Charge for that
particular day.
5. To set the time of day when Peak Shift is active, click Settings.
6. On the Time Settings screen, click a day of the week. Using either the circular slider or the drop-
down menus:

12
 NOTE: You can select times in 15–minute increments—for example, you can enter 11:15 AM
or 9:30 PM.

NOTE: The circular slider represents a 24-hour period.

• Activate Peak Shift: Select the time you want Peak Shift to begin.
NOTE: If you enable Operate only on AC, then the time between starting Peak Shift and
operating on AC power is indicated in blue, and the time between starting to operate on AC
power and ending Peak Shift is indicated in yellow. Green indicates the period of operation
on AC power without charging the battery.
• Set a time at which the system begins to operate only on AC power without charging the
battery: Select the Operate on AC power without charging battery check box, then select the
time that you want the system to start operating on AC power without charging the battery.
• End Peak Shift: Select the time you want Peak Shift to end.

NOTE: The Copy the same settings to multiple days check box is automatically cleared once
you leave the page.
7. Select Copy the same settings to multiple days. Then, in the left pane, select the days to which these
settings apply.
8. To save your changes, click OK, or to discard them, click CANCEL.

13
 5
Thermal Management
NOTE: If your system does not support thermal settings, then the Thermal Management feature is
not available.
Dell Command | Power Manager allows you to manage your system’s processor and cooling fan settings
so that you can manage performance, system surface temperature, and fan noise. Each option represents
a different balance of these three elements. Choose the configuration that best suits the way you use
your system.

CAUTION: If a fan has failed, the Thermal Management feature is disabled.

Setting Description
Optimized Balances performance, noise, and temperature.
Cool Cooling fan speed is raised to maintain a cooler
system surface temperature. Your system may
produce more noise and experience reduced
performance.
Quiet Cooling fan and processor speeds are lowered to
reduce fan noise. This configuration may also
reduce system performance and raise system
surface temperature.
Ultra performance Both processor and cooling fan speeds are
increased to produce higher system performance.
This configuration may also produce more noise
and higher system surface temperature.

Additional thermal setting options may be available through your operating system. Click Control Panel
in the Operating System Power Plan box in the upper right of the Thermal Management page.

See Changing Thermal Management Settings for instructions on changing the thermal settings on your
system using Dell Command | Power Manager.

Changing Thermal Management Settings

To change the Thermal Management setting, do the following:

1. Click the Thermal Management tab.

2. Click the radio button beside the thermal management setting you want to select.

14
 6
Battery Extender
Dell Command | Power Manager’s Battery Extender feature allows you to conserve battery charge.

NOTE: If your system does not support Reduce CPU Power (Quiet Thermal Setting), then Dell
Command | Power Manager’s Battery Extender feature will not be available.
NOTE: Battery Extender only reports setting changes you make within the Battery Extender feature.
Changes you make within the BIOS and operating system settings that affect battery charge
consumption are not reflected within Battery Extender.

NOTE: Battery Extender cannot be turned on when you have plugged the system into an electrical
outlet.

Use Battery Extender to affect the following:

• Reduce CPU power level

• Screen brightness level
• Keyboard illumination level
• Mute audio

From the Battery Extender tab you can:

• Turn on or off Battery Extender

• Access the Battery Extender Setting screen
• View your battery settings summary

Extending Battery Charge

Dell Command | Power Manager’s Battery Extender feature allows you to change the settings of some
system functions that affect your system’s battery consumption. To access Battery Extender:

1. Click the Battery Extender tab in the left pane.

2. Click the Settings button.
3. Click in the box beside the feature you want to affect, and where available, slide the slider or enter a
percentage number to adjust the level of change you want to apply.
4. Click OK to apply your changes, or click CANCEL to discard your changes.
5. Click the toggle to the on position.

To restore any settings you have changed using Battery Extender, click Restore Defaults.

15
Turning Off Battery Extender
To turn off the Battery Extender feature:
NOTE: Turning off Battery Extender will cause any setting changes you made to revert back to those
in effect at the time you turned on Battery Extender.

1. Click the Battery Extender tab in the left pane.

2. Slide the control to the Off position.

16
 7
Alerts Management
Dell Command | Power Manager allows you to enable or disable the following types of alerts:

• Adapter Alerts
• Battery Alerts
• Docking Station Alerts
• Other Alerts
• Thermal Alerts

Enabling And Disabling Alerts

To enable or disable alerts, do the following:

1. Click the Alerts Management tab in the left pane.

2. To expand the alert list, click the expansion icon next to the category.
3. Click the toggle beside the alert On or Off.

Restoring Alert Defaults

To restore alert defaults for any of the alert categories:

1. Click the Alerts Management tab in the left pane.

2. Click Restore Defaults for the relevant category or categories.

17
 8
Administration
This chapter provides details about Dell Command | Power Manager administrative features, including
installing, uninstalling, and upgrading the software, and enabling and customizing Group Policies.

CAUTION: The tasks in this chapter should be performed only by a System Administrator.

Installing, Uninstalling, And Upgrading The Software

Dell Command | Power Manager is factory-installed on supported systems and and also released as a Dell
Update Package (DUP, available at [Link]/support). The installer is OS-specific, and a different DUP is
required for 32–bit and 64–bit systems. System administrators can install, uninstall, and upgrade the
software using the DUP installation wizard.

CAUTION: Dell Command | Power Manager and Dell Feature Enhancement Pack (DFEP) cannot
exist on the same system. To prevent conflicts, before installing Dell Command | Power Manager,
you must first uninstall DFEP.

To download and extract the DUP:

System administrators can install, uninstall, and upgrade Dell Command | Power Manager using the Dell
Update Package (DUP) available at [Link]/support.

NOTE: “[Link]” is a representation of the DUP file you will download.

1. Download the [Link] file from [Link]/support.

2. Double-click the *.exe file to start the installation wizard.
3. Follow the steps in the wizard until you complete installation, unistallation, or upgrade.

To install Dell Command | Power Manager using the DUP:

• Silent install
[Link] /s
• Extract the DUP
[Link] /s /e=C:\extractedDir
• Change the default log file location to a user-specified path
[Link] /l=”<C:\log path\[Link]>"

To install Dell Command | Power Manager using the [Link] file, use one of the following options:

NOTE: You will need first to extract the DUP, and then navigate to the [Link] file before
proceeding with the following procedures.

18
 NOTE: Variables are italicized and enclosed in angle brackets. For example, for <os arch> enter 32
or 64 to indicate whether you are installing on a 32–bit or 64–bit operating system.

• Standard install with verbose logging

DCPM_Setup<os_arch>_2_0_0.exe /v"/l*vx <log_file_path>"

For example:

DCPM_Setup64_2_0_0.exe /v"/l*vx C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop

\[Link]"
• Silent install

DCPM_Setup<os_arch>_2_0_0.exe /s /v”/qn”

For example:

DCPM_Setup64_2_0_0.exe /s /v”/qn"
• Silent install with verbose logging

DCPM_Setup<os_arch>_2_0_0.exe /s /v"/l*vx <log_file_path> /qn”

For example:

DCPM_Setup64_2_0_0.exe /s /v"/l*vx C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop

\[Link] /qn”
• Uninstall
DCPM_Setup<os_arch>_2_0_0.exe /x

For example:

DCPM_Setup64_2_0_0.exe /x
NOTE: Dell recommends uninstalling the application using the Windows Program and Features
screen available from the Control Panel.

Group Policy Templates

Administrators can quickly and easily apply the same Dell Command | Power Manager settings across
multiple systems using the Group Policy feature in Windows Server. For more information on Windows
Group Policies, see the TechNet article at [Link]
[Link].

After applying a Group Policy Template to a system, end users cannot change the settings associated
with that template.

To use Group Policy Templates:

1. Install the Group Policy Management Console.

2. Install the Group Policy Templates.
3. Optionally, customize one or more policies.
4. Apply policies to specific systems, groups, or users.

19
 NOTE:
If all of the available settings are restricted by the administrator, the user will not be able to change
any configuration components. However, if the administrator stipulates only some of the settings,
the remaining settings will be available for the user to configure.

Installing The Group Policy Management Console

Dell Command | Power Manager uses the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) in Windows Server
to administer Group Policies. The GPMC feature is included in Windows Server 2008 and newer;
however, it does not automatically install with the operating system. An administrator must install the
GPMC on the domain server using Server Manager or Windows PowerShell. For detailed instructions on
installing the GPMC, see the TechNet article at [Link]
[Link].

In addition to installing the GPMC, an administrator must set Active Directory as a server role. In Server
Manager, right-click Roles, and then click Add Roles. On the Server Roles screen, select Active Directory
Domain Services, and complete the wizard.

Installing Group Policy Templates

Before creating, applying, or changing Group Policy Templates, an administrator must first make the
templates available in the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC).

1. Obtain and extract the Dell Command | Power Manager DUP.

• You can download the Dell Command | Power Manager DUP for your system from [Link]/
support.
• Once you have downloaded the package, run it and choose the Extract option to extract the files.
2. On the domain server, go to the directory where you have extracted Dell Command | Power
Manager in previous step.
3. Open the PolicyDefinitions folder.
4. Copy the .admx files in the PolicyDefinitions folder to the default Windows
PolicyDefinitions folder—typically, the default path is C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\.
5. Copy the .adml files in the PolicyDefinitions\<language>\ folder (for example,
PolicyDefinitions\En\) to C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\<language>\.

The Group Policies will now be available in the GPMC under Administrative Templates.

Customizing A Group Policy

Dell Command | Power Manager includes a number of Group Policy settings that administrators can
customize based on their domain and environment requirements. To configure Dell Command | Power
Manager Group Policy settings:

1. Open the Group Policy Management Editor.

a. Click Server Manager → Features → Group Policy Management → Forest:<DomainName> →
Domains → <DomainName>

20
 b. Right-click the Default Domain Policy and select Edit.
2. In the left pane, expand Computer Configuration → Policies → Administrative Templates → System
→ Dell → Command Power Manager.
3. In the left pane, select one of the categories to configure the settings you want to apply to the
domain.
For a complete list of available group policy settings and their values, see the Group Policy
Management Editor on your domain server.

Applying A Group Policy

Administrators can apply a Group Policy to specific systems, groups, or users by associating the Group
Policy Object (GPO) with an Active Directory Organizational Unit (OU) in the Group Policy Management
Editor.

1. Create a new Group Policy Object (GPO).

a. In Group Policy Management for your domain, expand the tree to Group Policy Objects.
b. Right-click the Group Policy Objects group and create a new GPO.
c. Enter a Name for the GPO, and then click OK.
2. Add a policy to the new GPO.
a. In Group Policy Management for your domain, right-click on the new GPO you created in
previous step and select Edit.
b. In the left-hand pane, select Computer Configuration → Policies → Administrative Templates →
System → Dell Command | Power Manager.
c. Set the desired policy.
3. Create an Active Directory OU, if one does not already exist.
a. In Active Directory, right-click the domain, and then select New → Organizational Unit.
b. Enter a Name for the organizational unit, and then click OK.
c. In the right pane, right-click the new OU, select New, and then select the system, group, or users
to which this policy will apply.
4. Link the GPO to the OU.
a. Close Active Directory and the Group Policy Management Editor, if they are open.
NOTE: You must restart the Group Policy Management Editor to see new OUs.
b. Reopen the Group Policy Management Editor.
c. Select Group Policy Management → Domains → <DomainName>
d. Right-click the OU, and select Link an existing GPO.
e. Select the GPO created in a previous step, and then click OK.

Immediately Applying Group Policy Template Changes To Client Systems

Changes to Group Policy Templates don’t immediately apply to systems, because they must first replicate
to the domain controller. Also, client systems can take up to 90 minutes to refresh Group Policy Objects.
For detailed information, see the TechNet article at [Link]
cc782584(v=ws.10).aspx.

21
Administrators can take manual steps to force updates to take effect immediately:

1. On the client system, open the command window.

2. Enter the following command.
GPUpdate /force
3. Press Enter.

In Windows Server 2012, administrators can also force client updates from the Group Policy Management
Console (GPMC). For detailed information, see the TechNet article at [Link]
us/library/[Link].

Customizing Group Policy Settings

This section provides additional information regarding group policies and any special notes you may need
to consider as you customize their settings.

Each policy contains settings and values for options which are honored by the application GUI. If the
value for a setting is User Controlled, then the administrator has given the end user full access to that
setting in the GUI. This has the same effect as having no policy for that specific setting.

The following group policies are available in Dell Command | Power Manager:

• Battery Information
• Peak Shift
• Advanced Charge
• Battery Extender
• Alerts Management
• Thermal Management
• Product Feedback Link

Battery Information Group Policies

Two policies are available within this group:

• Battery Settings

• Order Battery Link

Battery Settings Group Policies

Customize Battery Settings using this policy group. Select a battery setting, and then select an option
(User Controlled, Standard, ExpressCharge™, Adaptive, Custom, or Primarly AC Use) from the drop-down
list.

Start/stop values can be set if the Charge Mode setting is set to Custom. Values may vary between
different systems. If a specified value is not within the client system’s minimum or maximum capabilities,
the client system's minimum or maximum value will be used. When specifying minimum and maximum
values, keep in mind:

22
• Minimum start value is 50%
• Maximum stop value is 95%
• Start and stop values must differ by more than 5%

NOTE: Invalid settings will be ignored, and not honored.

NOTE: When Custom is selected, both the Start Charging and Stop Charging values must be set.

NOTE: When Lock current BIOS setting is selected, the UI displays the current BIOS battery setting
as read-only.

NOTE: Restricting settings via group policy does not change the current battery settings in the Dell
Command | Power Manager UI or system BIOS.

The system administrator can configure the Battery Settings policy to display or hide the available battery
settings on the UI.

Order Battery Link Group Policies

This policy customizes the order battery link. The default is a URL link to [Link]
batteryhealthmeter.

You can enter a URL or a mailto: address (for example, [Link] A mailto:
address will require an email client to be installed on the client system.

Peak Shift Group Policies

Three group policies are available for this group:

• Feature Enablement

The system administrator can choose from the following options, available in the left pane:

– On—Turn on the feature, and apply the individual day and time settings to the system (default)
– Off—Turn off the feature
– Hide Feature—Remove the feature tab from the GUI

• Day of the week (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday)

To disable a specific day, set all the hour and minute fields in that template to 0 (zero).

To set time to operate on battery power only:

– Set Hours: 0–23

– Set Minutes: 0, 15, 30, 45

NOTE: To disable this setting, set the Hours and Minutes the same as Set the time to resume
normal power/charge operation Hours and Minutes.
To lock the time to operate on AC power without charging the battery:

– Set Hours: 0-23

23
 – Set Minutes: 0, 15, 30, 45

NOTE: This setting will be disabled if the time is not set within the Operate on battery power
only and Resume normal power/charge operation period.
To lock the time to resume normal power/charge operation:

– Set Hours: 0-23

– Set Minutes: 0, 15, 30, 45
• Restore AC Power Threshold

To set a range for the threshold limits, enter the Minimum (1 - 100) and Maximum (Minimum - 100)
values. If a minimum or maximum limit is not within the client system's minimum or maximum
capabilities, the client system's minimum or maximum limit will be used.

NOTE: The system will use default values if invalid values are set.

NOTE: If selected minimum or maximum limits are not within the client systems minimum or
maximum capabilities, the client system’s minimum or maximum limit will be used.
Typical uses for these settings are:

– Set the minimum and maximum threshold limits and leave the Threshold value field blank. This
sets a limit for the range, but allows the threshold value to be modified in the UI.

OR:

– Set Threshold value and leave the Minimum threshold limit and Maximum threshold limit blank.
This value will be locked and cannot be modified in the UI.

Advanced Charge Group Policies

Two group policies are available for this group:

• Feature Enablement

The system administrator can further choose from the following options, available in the left pane:

– On—Turn on the feature, and apply the individual day and time settings to the system (default)
– Off—Turn off the feature
– Hide Feature—Remove the feature tab from the GUI

• Day of the week (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday)

To disable a specific day, set all the hour and minute fields in that template to 0 (zero).

To configure Start Time for the day:

– Set Hours: 0-23

– Set Minutes: 0, 15, 30, 45

24
 To configure End Time for the day:

– Set Hours: 0-23

– Set Minutes: 0, 15, 30, 45

Battery Extender Group Policies

The system administrator can choose to hide the Battery Extender feature from the user, removing the
feature from the UI altogether:

NOTE: If this policy is enabled, the policy can only be enforced on systems where the BIOS supports
the Battery Extender feature.

Alerts Management Group Policies

A group policy is available for each of the following alert categories:

• Adapter Alerts
• Battery Alerts
• Docking Station Alerts
• Other Alerts
• Thermal Alerts

Setting options available for each specific alert included in the alert policy category are:

• Off—This alert must be suppressed if its condition is detected

• On—This alert must be displayed if its condition is detected
• User Controlled—Allow the system user to select whether this alert is displayed or suppressed
(default)

NOTE: Adapter alerts apply to both single and dual adapter messages. A single adapter is an adapter
plugged into either the notebook or docking station, while a dual adapter is an adapter plugged
directly into the notebook together with an adapter plugged into the docking station while the
notebook is docked.

Thermal Management Group Policies

Thermal Management Group policies include:

• Feature Enablement
• Thermal Settings

Using this policy a system administrator can display, hide, or lock in place any of the following
settings:

– Optimized
– Cool

25
 – Quiet
– Ultra Performance

Product Feedback Link Group Policy

You can hide or show the Product Feedback link on the GUI using this policy.

26
 9
Troubleshooting

Viewing the Event Log

Dell Command | Power Manager logs errors and events in the Windows Event log.

1. Click the Windows start button.

2. Click Control Panel → Administrative Tools.
3. Double-click the Event Viewer to open the application in a new window.
4. In the left pane, expand Windows Logs, and then click Application.
5. In the right pane, click Filter Current Log....
The Filter Current Log window displays.
6. In the Event sources drop-down menu, select Dell Command | Power Manager.
7. Optionally, select one or more Event level options.
8. Click OK to display Dell Command | Power Manager errors and events of the specified levels.

27