How to Hack the Eco-Button to do other things...

This little guide will quickly show you how to make the Eco button do your own bidding!

I got mine with a new AMD Processor

(This Guide is for Windows XP only! )

Step 1 Uninstalling the "Eco-Button" Software

If you did not install it, you can just go to the next step!

Comments

[Padlock]

Thank you!!! I have pondered a way to do this, because the program that comes with it (In my opinion) is so stupid. Why not just put it in hibernate?

[Datawolf]

What I loved to do with my PackardBell keyboard was to lock and hibernate. You cannot do that with a standard keyboard. Hopefully with the ecobutton I can hit win+L and then hit the ecobutton.

[rushpro1851]

I am with you on that. It IS Stupid!

[HeyJD]

And how would I do this on vista? xD

[ecoproducts]

www.floridaecoproducts.com/Eco-Button-ECOBUTTON.htm

Hi all,

The Eco Button is now available from Florida Eco Products. In stock and ships next day. Thank you, Paul

[vast]

If you're lucky with your choice of computer components you might be able to save a lot of power without the eco-button. Normal standby (s1) turns off parts of the computer, but there is a standby mode called 'suspend to RAM' or s3. This turns off many more components, keeping awake little more then the RAM. This can drop the power consumption to just a few watts rather than over 100W for an s1. On my computer it takes about 3 seconds to get into a s3 deep sleep and about 10 seconds to wake again - these being triggered by the sleep & wake keys on the keyboard. Being so quick it's worth doing every time you're away from the computer for more than 10-15 minutes. If you'd excuse the pun - a power nap. So why is s1 not s3 not the default sleep mode on most computers? The deep sleep mode was not all that well supported by components like motherboards, graphics cards, USB hubs etc. Older graphics cards would often not wake with the rest of the computer or, once in deep sleep, the USB hub would not recognise a USB keyboard for the wake signal, etc. Now, more components do support s3 so if you're lucky it might work for you. To try it you'll need to get into your computer's BIOS and in the Advanced Power Management screen, change the s1 sleep state to s3. There might be some other s3 setting there which depend on what's included on your motherboard. (As always with modifying the BIOS settings, make a note of the things you change so that if it does not work you can change it back)

[rushpro1851]

S3, as you said, is great and I would like to use it, but one reason I never used my eco-button for it's intended purpose was because it PREVENTED my computer from going into stand by, hibernation, heck, I couldn't even turn my computer off! So I made the hack, and set it up for firefox, but after having to unplug it EVERYTIME I wanted to leave my computer so it could shutdown, I got fed up with it and now it's collecting dust. But it's not the eco-buttion that is the problem for me, it's my Mainbord, just got a new USB gaming mouse and BAM same problem! I am waiting for a new mainbord today, so when it gets here, I will be able to go into hibernation without having to hit the switch on the back when it reboots!

[suze61]

I just wrote a blog post about the eco button here: http://www,greenpoma.com/blog
and included a discount code for orders.

[suze61]

or, if you prefer a working link: http://tinyurl.com/d3s6hw

[vast]

(removed by author or community request)

[suze61]

oooh, thanks! thanks very much!!

[MahavishnuMan]

Wow. I had never heard about the "eco-button" until this. Just to satisfy my morbid curiosity, I researched it and found that it is nothing more than a thinly-veiled attempt to drum up money. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about conservation, but there's an eco-button on every standard PC keyboard manufactured since 1998 - only it's labeled "sleep". It turns out that, thanks to the advances in energy efficiency championed by both AMD and Intel, quite a few motherboards support undervolting and underclocking. The power management features are a great start, but since this site is all about squeezing out the last bit of performance/efficiency/savings/&c., I think someone (perhaps me) should post an Instructable on the issue. Using CrystalCPUID (a freeware utility for Windows) I have substantially lowered my CPU temperature and power consumption without sacrificing any performance over AMD Cool 'n Quiet's default settings. Actually, the throttling is snappier. Even at full clock, it's still undervolted and gives me a difference of 12 C from stock temperatures. I like to think I'm ACTUALLY doing my part to offset the carbon footprint left by Mr. Al Gore's refrigerator light when he holds the door open in a hazy 4:20 AM munchie binge.

[rushpro1851]

You are absolutely correct. The Eco button is like adding a lighted fan to your case. It looks cool and you think you are making the world a better place (Or at least your desk) but the old fan works fine. I have a sleep button on my keyboard, and I have it programed to put my computer into hibernation when I leave for an hour or two. As for CrystalCPUID, looks like a great program, but my Processor (820D) lacks any kind of power management and my motherboard has no overclocking (or underclocking) means. (Stupid OEM)

[jamwaffles]

er... can someone explain what an eco button does normally? im guessing it simply underclocks the processor from a daemon running, and it might supress some disk writes to save energy that way to. am i spot on or am i not? thanks

[rushpro1851]

No... It's lamer than that. It puts the computer into Standby. That's it. It also tells you the energy you save... but really, who cares? I don't! The Eco button in my opinion is just a clever gmick to make a quick buck

[jamwaffles]

omg. that is the biggest waste of something vaguely cool since windoze was put on a half decent pc (apologies for the bias here). the button could at least turn off some cores in a multi core pc, or underclock something or minimise disk writes. i mean, how hard can it be?... james

[rushpro1851]

Harder than you might think. Adjusting the motherboard FSB (Clock Speed)/ Multiplier and lowering Vcore voltages to save energy is possible, but every motherboard is different, and it is not even possible on most. The only reason I have it is because it came FREE with my AMD CPU. I would NEVER pay the $15-20 retail for it. Besides, my keyboard already has a stand-by button. Why do I need two? (PS My Ecobutton is collecting dust in my closet right now, waiting for me to take the LED's off for another project and chuck it ;) )

[jamwaffles]

that is true, but i reckon someone should come up with an energy saving standard - some interface that allows control of hardware through software/the button of doom or something like that. you could make millions selling the thing to people - C James Waples, 2009 lol. i am astounded that they can give you a button that is supposed to be eco friendly that just wastes a USB port and sleeps your pc. hibernate at least... james

[millyan]

-brilliant idea and so easy

[w0ot!]

Well, it only opens a command prompt for me, but I s'pose it'll do.

[PKM]

What is this eco-button of which you speak? Where does it come from? Do they come with pre-built AMD computers or something? If it were me I'd have to write some kind of flashy "self-destruct sequence" with sirens and flashing lights... then write "Do not press!" on the button and plug it into someone else's computer...

[rushpro1851]

The Ecobutton is suppose to be a "green" movement for computer. It's a button, that when pressed puts your computer into stand-by. When you fire it back up, it tells you how much energy you have saved. I have a stand-by button on my key board already, so this is ecobutton is completely useless to me!

[explosivemaker]

.....ha ha ha....."push this button for help"......OOHHH NOOO YOUR COMPUTER IS GOING TO EXPLODE!!!!!......

[hcold]

Can't you just go into the program properties>shortcut key and then configure it for the Eco-Button? Seems the easiest way. Unless I missed something. However, the writing batch files has a nice script kiddie thing to it.

[rushpro1851]

The Ecobutton software only allows you to put the computer into stand by. I guess they wanted to make it "User Friendly"

[fwjs28]

step 4 should be go back not got back

[rushpro1851]

Thanks, Fixed

[Koil_1]

This is sweet. It's to bad they don't make input devices like this that are sold separately. Now to make a different cover for it so it doesn't look so off with the computer...

[LuminousObject]

This is cool. This would be a good prank to play on someone when they're away from their computer. And I think my dad has one of those. Possibilites...

[mg0930mg]

pretty cool. However, what's the eco-button.