How can I make my computer play dead?

Possible Duplicate:
Disable power LED blinks during Vista hybrid sleep?

I have a laptop that when sleeping is perfectly quiet, which is great. What isn't so great is trying to sleep with led lights that get brighter and brighter, then dim, then get brighter... all to let me know the computer is sleeping.

Well I also want to get some sleep.

How do I make my computer play dead (Dark and silent)? Eg: appear hibernated, (no lights, no moving HDD...) without hibernating, or shutting down my PC.

It would be even better if I could have the status lights work normally between the hours of 8 AM to 8 PM but I don't expect such an elaborate solution.

I do however want the answer to only affect the computer's software, not the hardware. No cutting cables or masking tape...

wizlog

Posted 2011-12-09T20:36:10.190

Reputation: 12 320

Laptop model may help here... – soandos – 2011-12-09T20:41:31.857

Sony F series laptop. – wizlog – 2011-12-09T20:42:30.543

@soandos Are you sure there isn't a registry key or a setting that would apply to all computers? – wizlog – 2011-12-09T20:44:58.890

13@wizlog - I would be shocked if there were such a thing. The operating system doesn't control those lights period, let alone when the machine is in a low power state. – Shinrai – 2011-12-09T20:46:14.537

@Shinrai So the "caps lock" and the "num lock" lights aren't controlled by Windows? – wizlog – 2011-12-09T20:53:40.163

@wizlog - Not in the sense you mean, no, and those are still very different from the system power and activity LEDs. Think of the analogous situation on a desktop. – Shinrai – 2011-12-09T20:54:37.933

1@Shinrai What do you mean? Can you please cite something? – wizlog – 2011-12-09T20:56:13.067

@wizlog - AFAIK (and I may be slightly off here but I think the jist is right), the way the lights work is that you press the appropriate key, the system reacts, and sends a signal back to the keyboard to enable that light. The other lights are completely controlled at a firmware level by the motherboard, though. (This is why on a desktop chassis they're plugged directly onto headers on the motherboard.) – Shinrai – 2011-12-09T21:05:20.470

9The real key takeaway is that when your computer is asleep, the operating system isn't responding to anything anyway. So there's nothing in the operating system that'll be able to do this. – Shinrai – 2011-12-09T21:05:57.460

I have Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Pi model which have 3 leds, one blinking (while sleeping) and one turned on (when on AC). So when I went to bed I had one bright blinking led and one lighting at full. I had to put book before it so I could sleep. You'll have to do something similar. – Dalibor Filus – 2011-12-09T21:50:10.070

1Since you don't want a hardware solution, and Windows is asleep, I don't see much you can do. Maybe you can reprogram the BIOS? But perhaps you can train yourself to sleep anyway? I have been sleeping for a number of years in various rooms with one and sometimes two computers, and other things with blinking lights, and even though I am a light sleeper I usually manage to sleep anyway. (And just wait until you get small children. Blinking lights? Ha!) – Thomas Padron-McCarthy – 2011-12-10T09:44:37.853

Why not switch to using hibernate rather than sleep? The few extra seconds to wake up aren't a big deal IMO. – Steve314 – 2011-12-10T10:45:45.823

@Steve314 -- I've tried using hibernate on my Vaio. It does not go down or come up quickly, and often it will wake itself up after several hours anyway. – Daniel R Hicks – 2011-12-10T14:16:48.360

Brilliant question - my HP laptop has the brightest dang LEDs, and I often have this problem. – nhinkle – 2011-12-10T19:26:33.650

How is this exactly the same question? Does my question also refer to Windows Vista's Hybrid sleep? – wizlog – 2011-12-11T05:19:26.670

2@wizlog It's the same question because they're asking how to control the chassis LEDs from their OS while in a sleep state, just as you are. The answer is the same: you can't, because it's beyond the OS' control. Aside from the exact OS and exact choice of sleep state, how is your question different? – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 – 2011-12-12T05:18:04.670

cut a piece of sponge(kitchen sponge serves well), tape it all around with black tape and place it over the annoying leds and there you go. no glue leftovers on the laptop from the tape and you have the desired effect. also, a piece of black plastic (from a plastic bag?) may prove useful.

< – Lorenzo Von Matterhorn – 2013-03-09T21:24:46.420

Answers

I found out that a piece of black electrical tape, taped over the LEDs strip on your laptop, dims the lights wonderfully. The lights are still visible through it, but they are way dimmer and much less irritating. You can buy such tape in the electrical section of a general hardware store (Home Depot, Ace, etc.) anywhere in the world.

As far as I know, there is no generic way to disable these lights or change the way they act through software. Your laptop may have a way to control it, but I highly doubt it. I owned several Sony Vaio laptops and they lacked such function.

haimg

Posted 2011-12-09T20:36:10.190

Reputation: 19 503

I did this, too. Very effective. – LarsTech – 2011-12-10T03:26:09.640

1If there is a way to control the light behavior when asleep, it would be in the BIOS. – Ben Richards – 2011-12-10T04:23:57.700

3Question says "no masking tape". Top answer says "electrical tape". So - you think he's OK with tape on his laptop, just so long as it isn't masking tape? Seems unlikely to me. – Steve314 – 2011-12-10T10:40:39.073

2The original question didnt say no masking tape... – Mauro – 2011-12-10T18:17:23.960

@Mauro - It was in the original question, according to the revision history. But I do agree that opaque tape is the most pragmatic solution.

– Mark Booth – 2011-12-10T21:55:00.010

I recommend LightDims (not affiliated). They help me slumber deeply. They are fairly cheap and easy to peel off again. I have done some research on this a while ago and I was not able to come up with technical solution. My worries were with my modem. Before that I used a cardboard box, which is not practical for notebooks and such.

user 99572 is fine

Posted 2011-12-09T20:36:10.190

Reputation: 3 173

Regardless what brand/model laptop you have, not sure there is an easy way to make the lights stop. But a simple way to solve the problem (light bothering you) is to put it in another room or in a drawer. Or maybe cover it with a box or towel.

CharlieRB

Posted 2011-12-09T20:36:10.190

Reputation: 21 303

I can't really move my laptop (I have tons of cables going in and out, and strings tied to the screen...). I also try to keep my room looking clean, so... I don't think a towel wouldn't really work.

Can you please find a way? – wizlog – 2011-12-09T20:52:39.760

2If you really want the possibility of an answer, you should edit your question to include the brand and model of laptop you have. – CharlieRB – 2011-12-09T21:00:07.793

1But I don't want the solution to only pertain to my specific make and model, then the question would be meaningless to anyone who has a different computer than me (aka everyone). All Sony F series laptops have the same lights in the same places. They all come with the exact same manual... – wizlog – 2011-12-09T21:03:28.273

Yeah, I've got a Sony. Dunno why they don't offer some configuration option to turn off the blasted "snoring" light that goes on and off, on and off, on and off.

What I do is place a few sheets of paper under the front of the keyboard, fold them over onto the keyboard, and shut the lid.

Daniel R Hicks

Posted 2011-12-09T20:36:10.190

Reputation: 5 783