Power Options

The Windows 10 Creators Update has added a new feature that makes managing power plans easier, but users who still have older versions of the OS often struggle with selecting the right one. What’s more, many users are not happy with the power mode gadget the update has introduced.

Power Options is a small, open-source application that provides you with an alternative method of switching between the three main power plans. It can be accessed from a simple tray menu, and it doesn’t even need to be installed.

First of all, it is worth mentioning that Power Options consists of a single executable file that can be launched from any location. If you want it to be run at startup automatically, simply place it in the “%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup”  folder.

Once it is running, the program can be found in the system tray. In order to select a different power plan, simply right-click the icon and choose the preferred option from the menu.

When you select a different power plan, the look of the system tray icon is also changed, making it easy to tell which plan is selected at a glance.

As you may have noticed, only the three default power plans are available in the menu: High Performance, Balanced and Power Saver. Any power plans created by the user will not be displayed, which can be an issue for some.

Power Options can be a great choice for users who haven’t aren’t happy with the power slider added by the Windows 10 Creators Update, as well as those who are still running older versions of Windows. The lack of support for custom power plans is an issue, but this small tool can certainly prove useful.