Windows operating systems have a hibernate feature that saves the desktop and RAM before shutting down, restoring it on next boot. It’s useful for laptops to prevent data loss from battery failure and saves battery power. Standby mode conserves electricity and is configurable in the BIOS settings. Both options are available in the Control Panel under Power Options.
Microsoft Windows operating systems include a power feature called hibernate that saves the state of the desktop and the contents of random access memory (RAM) before shutting down. On next boot, the hibernate feature restores the desktop to the way it was at the end of the previous session. This is different from Shutdown, which flushes RAM and closes all programs and files. On startup after a standard shutdown, the desktop is intact. If you want to continue working on a previous project, the associated programs and files must be reopened manually.
While hibernation is useful on desktops, it has been prompted by the needs of laptop users. Designed to ensure that work isn’t lost to battery failure in mobile environments, Hibernate monitors battery health. Before the battery runs out, all programs and files are automatically saved and the system is shut down. The next time the machine starts up, the desktop is automatically restored with all programs open where they left off, all work in progress intact.
While safety in the event of a battery failure is a key benefit of setting hibernate, it is useful in many other situations as well. For example, using Hibernate instead of Shutdown on a laptop saves battery power if the user starts up where they left off. Unnecessarily closing programs and files, only to reopen them on the next startup, wastes precious battery energy.
Hibernation can also be a time saver when a user is interrupted, whether on a laptop or desktop, at home or in the office. For example, imagine you’re in the middle of a research project with several browser windows open, a document in progress, and a reference spreadsheet. Suddenly you are called to an impromptu meeting, or it’s time to pick up the children from school. When using hibernation, all open programs and documents (plus RAM contents) are saved with a single click. The next time you turn on your computer, everything comes together effortlessly.
Alternatively, you may be called away from the computer assuming you are alone for a minute or two. One thing can lead to another, and it can be hours before it comes back, if it ever comes back. The hibernation feature has an optional setting that will direct it to activate only after a user-set period of inactivity. For example, a laptop might be set to 15 minutes of inactivity before hibernation begins. A desktop might be configured for a somewhat longer period of time. If you get called away, no problem. The computer will go into hibernation for you, saving any work in progress and shutting down.
Another power feature of the Windows operating system is Stand By mode. In this mode, hardware devices are brought to a low-power state to conserve electricity or battery, but still provide a small amount of power to the system and RAM. To enter Stand By, you can press the Sleep key on a Microsoft compatible keyboard or choose “Stand By” from the Windows shutdown menu. To bring the system out of Stand By, you can press the Wake key, or use the mouse. These options are configurable in the motherboard Basic Input-Output System (BIOS) settings.
The Hibernate and Standby options are available from the Control Panel in Windows under Power Options. It can also be accessed in Windows XP by right-clicking an empty part of the desktop, choosing Properties, clicking the Screen Saver tab, and then clicking the power button.
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