Tips for using Smaart continuously

*This article affects all versions and editions of Smaart*

If you're using Smaart for an extended period of time without interacting with it, such as SPL monitoring an area over the course of a few days, it is important that the computer stays on and active. We have noticed various issue and crashes that can occur with Smaart whenever the device goes to a sleep or "hibernate" state.

In general, please make sure that your device does not go to sleep/hibernate while Smaart is running.

There are a few power settings you can change to prevent this, though they are OS-specific:

Windows

Both Windows 10 and 11 have two states for most devices: On Battery and Plugged In. We always recommend using Smaart on a device that has continuous power, as we cannot guarantee that your data will be safe in the event of a sudden power loss. If you are worried about losing power while Smaart is running, consider investing in a UPC or backup power supply.

To edit either power plan, go to the Windows Search bar and type "Control Panel". This will open the classic Windows Control Panel -- from here, select Power Options.

Accessing the Power Options may differ slightly on Windows 11

Depending on your device and OS version, you may see multiple power plans. Typically we recommend selecting Maximum/High Performance, though with whatever plan you choose click the "Change plan settings" link to the right of it.

First, change "Put the computer to sleep" to 'Never", then select "Change advanced power settings"

Within Advanced Power Settings, you will want to set the following:

• Hard Disk - "Turn off hard disk after" -- Set this to 0 (Never)
  
  
• Wireless Adapter Settings - "Power Saving Mode" -- Set to "Maximum Performance" (really only useful if you are remoting into the device or if the device requires an active Internet connection)
  
  
• USB settings - "USB selective suspend setting" -- Set to "Disabled" (this can cause your audio interface to stop functioning)
  
  
• Multimedia settings - "When sharing media" -- Set to "Prevent idling to sleep" (this should ensure the device does not go from idle to sleep when Smaart is running)

Once set, click Apply then OK. You may need to restart your device before these settings will take effect.

MacOS

Unlike Windows, the MacOS power settings differ slightly between each version (more specifically between Mojave to Monterey). You can use this official Apple support guide to determine which settings are in your MacOS version.

Regardless of version, MacOS power settings should be located in System Preferences > Energy Saver.

Energy Saver location in macOS Monterey and older

Energy Saver location in macOS Ventura

The important settings to change are:

• Set the computer to never sleep
  
  
• Enable "Prevent computer from sleeping automatically when the display is off"
  
  
• Disable "Put hard disks to sleep when possible"
  
  
• Enable "Wake up for network access"
  
  
• Enable "Start up automatically after a power failure"
  
  
• Disable "Automatic graphics switching"

You may need to restart your device before these settings will take effect.