After Power Failure

Definition - What does After Power Failure mean?

After power failure is a power management setting option found in the computer BIOS for Intel desktop motherboards. The after power failure feature offers three power setting options:

Stay Off: The system stays off until the power button is pushed.
Last Stable (Default): The system reverts to its state ("On" or "Off") before the power failure.
Power On: The system restarts the computer.

When there is a power failure, the system will behave depending on how the user select from the above three power management settings.

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Techopedia explains After Power Failure

Power management setting helps to automatically switch to power conserving modes when the computer is idle. There are two main classes of power management:

Advanced power management (APM)
Advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI)

APM was used in systems up to 1998. Systems that were sold after 1998 support the more advanced ACPI type of power management. With APM, the hardware controls the actual power management, while the operating system has little control over power settings. With the more advanced ACPI power management, the operating system and BIOS control the power management, while the hardware has no control over the power settings. This type of power management makes the control more centralized and helps the applications to run smoothly with the power management system. In modern operating systems it is much easier to manage power just by ensuring that the ACPI is enabled.