How to Configure APC's Powerchute software:
Configuring Powerchute is also simple and straightforward- Simply open the
application from your ‘Start’ button, and ‘All programs’
list, then click the ‘Add New’ button to initiate a scan for attached
APC UPS devices. After your UPS is found, click the ‘Apply’ button
to save the changes. Your UPS is now in communication with your PC. If you do
not find the unit in your scan for new devices, check that the unit is powered
on, and that your cable connection is snug and secure.
After establishing communication with the UPS, you will now want to configure
the unit to deal with power loss situations. To do this, simply double click
the Icon for your Unit to display the device properties page. This page shows
a tree menu on the left hand side. In that menu, first select ‘Power Failure’,
and the right side of the properties page will display the current power failure
instructions. Here you can select if you want the unit to shut off the attached
computer immediately upon losing line current, after a specific number of minutes
of battery run time, or when the run time limit is exceeded.
We recommend using the ‘Runtime limit” option, as an ‘Immediate
shutdown’ can be inconvenient if you experience momentary outages, since
the system will be shutdown each momentary event. Setting the unit to run for
a specific time on batteries can also be problematic, since your power load
may change as devices are added, and also your runtime will change as your batteries
age. We recommend replacing mission critical UPS batteries at least every 24
months, and sooner if extended outages occur several times a year. You can find
a replacement battery solution for all your APC UPS needs at the RefurbUPS.com
APC replacement battery center.
After configuring the power failure options, you will want to set one more
thing- the ‘Shutdown type’. Select ‘Shutdown Type’ from
the tree menu, and you can select either ‘Shutdown’, or ‘Shutdown
and Off’. We recommend using the ‘Shutdown’ option. Shutdown
will cause the system to shutdown, but save to a file the system state, so that
when you restart, the system will return to exactly the same state as when it
was shut down, similar to the ‘Hibernate’ function on many laptops.
Shutdown and off will shut the system down as if you had selected ‘Shut
Down’ from the start menu, and any unsaved documents may be lost.
Next Article; Additional
Features |
