With the advent of Windows Vista, Microsoft praised the boost in energy consumption efficiency in comparison with Windows XP. Still, there are exceptions to every rule. And while Vista indeed uses less energy over XP, users of the operating system can still experience excessive power use. One such example involves Vista SP2 and earlier during sleep or hibernation, and the HD audio controller, the Redmond-based company explained. The software giant has noted that there are two scenarios in which Vista SP2 sucks more power than it should.

“If you put the computer to sleep or into hibernation when it is running on AC power, the high definition (HD) audio controller continues to use power. Additionally, even after the computer transitions to DC power while the computer is asleep or in hibernation, the HD audio controller still uses power. This behavior persists even though you disable the ‘Allow this device to wake the computer’ option in the HD audio controller properties,” Microsoft explained.

In addition, the company has revealed that there is also an issue associated with the Wake on Ring properties not responding to the configuration introduced by users. “After you disable the ‘Allow this device to wake the computer’ option in the HD audio controller properties, the Wake on Ring feature still wakes the computer from sleep or hibernation,” Microsoft stated.

A hotfix is currently being offered specifically to customers affected by this issue, the company underlined. Users that have experienced problems with high levels of power consumption because of the HD audio controller running Windows Vista SP1 or SP2 need to contact Microsoft and get the hotfix.

“If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix,” the software giant added.