Power Management is controlled entirely by the Power Options in Windows Control Panel and, in most cases, power management features in the computer's BIOS. The two methods can conflict, which often results in Windows Control Panel Power Option settings being overridden by the settings in the BIOS. It is therefore very important to adjust the settings in both the Windows Control Panel and the BIOS.

Windows XP is used in this example. Click START, Control Panel, then double-click Power Options and you will see:

If you want the monitor to always stay on, as in a public Kiosk application, set "Turn off monitor" to "Never." Proceed to the BIOS section.

As a general rule, the BIOS can only be entered when the computer is booting up, usually by pressing a keyboard key. The DEL key is commonly used; sometimes the F2 key is used. If neither of these brings up the BIOS screen on boot-up, consult your computer's user manual.

The BIOS options screen varies according to the version used; again, consult the computer's user manual for specifics. An example screen is shown below. BIOS Power Management is usually called ACPI. Setting ACPI to Disabled will prevent the BIOS from overriding the Windows Control Panel settings.