How to Disable ACPI in an HP

By Michael Batton Kaput

The Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) is a hardware interface used by many computers to regulate a variety of functions. It is supported by most versions of Microsoft Windows, and if you own an Hewlett-Packard (HP) computer, could be installed on your system. ACPI controls the amount of power going to hardware devices and also regulates your computer's resources and provides it with a plug-and-play environment. While ACPI handles valuable functions on your machine, if you want more freedom in how your computer handles certain tasks, you may want to disable it. Fortunately, ACPI can be disabled while you are installing a Windows operating system, saving you the time of going back and disabling it later.

Insert your Windows installation CD into your HP computer.

Press the "F5" key when the screen displays the following message: "Press F6 if you need to install a third-party SCSI or RAID driver." The screen will not mention the "F5" key, but pressing it takes you directly to the menu that regulates ACPI. The "F6" message will appear a few minutes into your typical Windows installation.

Choose the "Standard PC" option. This will install Windows without ACPI. This means that your HP computer will not support Sleep or Hibernation modes. You will also have to shut down your computer manually, instead of having Windows do it for you.

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