Dynamic Power Plan Switcher

Automatic power plan switcher for Windows 10 and Windows 11. A desktop application for Windows (.exe provided, but can be built) that dynamically changes the power plan based on CPU usage. This application can actually control your operating system's power settings, providing real automated power management. Please read especially the "Configuration" secction.

Screenshots

Main Interface

The clean, modern interface shows live status, configuration options, and event log in a single view

Active Monitoring

Real-time CPU monitoring with automatic event logging - settings are locked during monitoring to ensure consistency

Table of Contents

• Screenshots
• Features
• Desktop Application (Recommended)
• Running with Docker (Web Version)
• Local Development
• How It Works
• Configuration

Features

• Real CPU Usage Monitoring: Monitors actual CPU usage on your system
• Automatic Power Plan Switching: Switches Windows power plans based on configurable CPU thresholds
• Desktop Application: Native Electron-based desktop app with system integration
• Activity Log: Real-time monitoring of power plan changes and CPU usage
• Customizable Settings: Configure CPU thresholds and monitoring intervals
• Cross-platform UI: Modern, responsive interface built with React and Tailwind CSS
• Web Version Available: Also runnable as a web-based simulation for demonstration

Desktop Application (Recommended)

The desktop application provides full functionality with real system control on Windows.

Prerequisites

• Windows 10 or later (for power plan control)
• Node.js 18 or higher (for development only)

Download and Install

1. Download the installer from the Releases page
2. Run the installer and follow the installation wizard
3. Run as Administrator for best results (required to change power plans)

Building from Source

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/jrcramos/dynamic_power_plan_switcher.git
   cd dynamic_power_plan_switcher

2. Install Dependencies:

   npm install

3. Build the Application:

   npm run electron:build

   The installer will be created in the release directory.

Running in Development Mode

To test the application during development:

npm run electron:dev

This starts both the Vite dev server and Electron in development mode with hot reload.

Running with Docker (Web Version)

The web version is a simulation and cannot control actual system settings. For full functionality, use the desktop application.

Prerequisites

• Docker Desktop installed and running on your system

Quick Start

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/jrcramos/dynamic_power_plan_switcher.git
   cd dynamic_power_plan_switcher

2. Build the Docker Image:

   docker build -t power-switcher-app .

3. Run the Docker Container:

   docker run -d -p 7376:80 --name power-switcher power-switcher-app

4. Access the Application: Open your web browser and navigate to:

   http://localhost:7376
   

Managing the Container

Stop the container:

docker stop power-switcher

Start the container again:

docker start power-switcher

Remove the container:

docker rm power-switcher

Local Development

For web-based development without Electron:

Prerequisites

• Node.js (version 18 or higher)
• npm (comes with Node.js)

Steps

1. Install Dependencies:

   npm install

2. Start Development Server:

   npm run dev

3. Access the Application: Open your browser to http://localhost:5173

4. Build for Production:

   npm run build

How It Works

Desktop Application

1. CPU Monitoring: The application continuously monitors CPU usage using Node.js system APIs
2. Threshold Detection: When CPU usage exceeds the configured threshold, it switches to High Performance mode
3. Power Plan Switching: Uses Windows powercfg command to change power plans
4. Return to Balanced: When CPU usage drops below the low threshold, it returns to Balanced mode

Administrator Privileges

The application requests administrator privileges because changing Windows power plans requires elevated permissions. You can run it without admin rights, but power plan switching will fail (CPU monitoring will still work).

Supported Platforms

• Windows: Full functionality (CPU monitoring + power plan control)
• macOS/Linux: CPU monitoring only (no power plan control)
• Web Version: Simulation mode only

Configuration

Power Plan GUIDs

The application uses Windows Power Plan GUIDs to switch between plans:

• High Performance: 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c
• Balanced: 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260df2e

To find your system's power plan GUIDs, run in Command Prompt:

powercfg /list

Configurable Settings

• CPU Threshold: CPU usage percentage to trigger High Performance mode (default: 50%)
• Low CPU Threshold: CPU usage percentage to return to Balanced mode (default: 35%)
• Monitor Interval: How often to check CPU usage in seconds (default: 5s)

Troubleshooting

Issue: Power plan won't switch

• Solution: Run the application as Administrator (right-click → Run as Administrator)

Issue: Application won't start or shows a blank screen

• Solution: Ensure you have the latest version of Windows and all updates installed
• Check the log file for detailed error information (see "Log Files" section below)

Issue: High CPU usage from the app itself

• Solution: Increase the monitor interval to reduce checking frequency

Log Files

The application creates log files to help diagnose issues. Log files are stored at:

• Windows: %APPDATA%\Dynamic Power Plan Switcher\logs\app.log

You can access the log folder directly from the application footer when running the desktop version. The log file contains:

• Application startup information
• CPU monitoring data
• Power plan switching events
• Error messages and warnings

Project Structure

.
├── electron/              # Electron main process files
│   ├── main.ts           # Main process (system integration)
│   └── preload.ts        # Preload script (IPC bridge)
├── components/           # React UI components
├── hooks/                # React hooks (including power monitoring)
├── App.tsx               # Main React component
├── index.html            # HTML entry point
├── package.json          # Dependencies and scripts
├── tsconfig.json         # TypeScript config for React
├── tsconfig.electron.json # TypeScript config for Electron
└── vite.config.ts        # Vite build configuration