Advantages to Inactive Devices in XP 'Device Manager'

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#1 Post by **Harryc** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 7:47 pm

Over the years I have had the chance to sit at many TP's configured by others. (I was an IBM Field engineer for 15 years). Many of those machines had devices deliberately deactivated in device manager. Most common being fast infrared, communications port (COM1), and printer port (LPT1). On older models I used to run into IRQ sharing issues occasionally, and I could understanding disabling some of them to free up IRQ's. But on the newer machines running APIC (IRQ routing/sharing) I don't understand this habit, yet I still see it done on machines I buy from others. Why is this still a common practice?

#2 Post by **tomh009** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 7:55 pm

I have disabled the infrared device because (1) I never use it and (2) it's highly annoying when it keeps detecting other infrared devices in a meeting.

#3 Post by **jdhurst** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 8:27 pm

For the infrared, I can understand disabling it. I don't because I use it. Otherwise, I don't disable any device. They ALL get used at one time or another. Serial and parallel devices remain in active use, dial-up is not widely used but I still need it. The list goes on, so I just keep everything enabled. ... JDH

bonestonne · #4 Post by **bonestonne** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 8:35 pm

sometimes its a battery issue with laptops...if you don't use it, why would you want to have it wasting your battery? i disable modem, infrared and various other things i don't use because i have a short battery life, i can't be having random features making that any shorter.

#5 Post by **rkawakami** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 8:53 pm

tomh009 wrote:I have disabled the infrared device because (1) I never use it and (2) it's highly annoying when it keeps detecting other infrared devices in a meeting.

And like JD, I'm just the opposite... I usually keep the IR port enabled, first for my Palm Zire 71 and now recently with my Sony Ericsson W810i cell phone. I find it's easier to point the phone at the laptop and transfer files back and forth then it is to carry the proprietary phone-to-USB cable or to buy a Memory Stick adapter.

#6 Post by **tomh009** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:04 pm

rkawakami wrote:And like JD, I'm just the opposite... I usually keep the IR port enabled, first for my Palm Zire 71 and now recently with my Sony Ericsson W810i cell phone. I find it's easier to point the phone at the laptop and transfer files back and forth then it is to carry the proprietary phone-to-USB cable or to buy a Memory Stick adapter.

I understand ... but my phone (BB 8800) has no IR, and I have no separate PDA. I carry around a USB cable as that will charge the BB (sync is wireless anyway), charge my TomTom GPS and connect my external HD. And, in a pinch, connect to my camera, too.

For file exchange I have a little USB stick floating somewhere in the bottom of my computer bag. IR is slow, and half the time the other person's laptop isn't set up right for it anyway. And then you get all those "sproing" sounds when people move their laptops around on the meeting table ...

#7 Post by **rkawakami** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:09 pm

tomh009 wrote:And then you get all those "sproing" sounds when people move their laptops around on the meeting table ...

LOL! That's also why I always keep my systems muted (I'm not invited to too many meetings at work and the ones that I do attend, I don't bring a laptop).

tebore · #8 Post by **tebore** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 3:52 pm

I do it for Battery conservation. Disabling all those devices shaves about 2 watts. Why have IR on if I don't have IR devices? Why Have the modem on when I don't use it ever(I removed it completely). I even disable my DVD drive when I don't use it. Everything is disabled if I don't use.

#9 Post by **Harryc** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 4:43 pm

I can see doing it for battery conservation. What does 2 watts translate into as far as a percentage of total battery up time?

#10 Post by **tomh009** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 4:56 pm

Assuming 2W (which I personally think is pretty high) ... it depends on your notebook. On a 14"WS T61 with integrated graphics, your power consumption would be around 15W. Saving 2W would give you 13% additional battery life, or around 45 minutes.

I suspect the savings is smaller than that, but I'm willing to be proven wrong.

tebore · #11 Post by **tebore** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 7:59 am

I suggest you guys try it out. Get Mobilemeter and watch the wattage gage. When the machine was new out of the box it would draw around 17 watts doing nothing, after some tweaking it would draw in the relm of 15watts. This is with the DVD disabled too. Remember when you disable the DVD it allows the IDE to power down and starts a chain effect allowing the PCI bridge to enter in to a lower power state.

#12 Post by **tomh009** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:23 am

As I said, I'm willing to be proved wrong ... and on my X31, I have no way to disable to DVD drive!

boofoo · #13 Post by **boofoo** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 9:01 am

Anyone know if disabling the Firewire port saves power? I've done so, on the hope that it might (and because I don't have and had never had any Firewire hardware).

Advantages to Inactive Devices in XP 'Device Manager'

Advantages to Inactive Devices in XP 'Device Manager'

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