Question… is it better to power the computer down completely or just close the cover and sign in when I open it next time. I’ve seen people do it and I tried it once and it is a lot quicker.
Thanks! John in NY
John – I get this question a lot and I wish I had a straight forward answer for you but the jury is still out as to which is better for your computer. Some people say that you should “shut down” every time so that you get a fresh boot to start with, while others say that by putting the computer to sleep (shutting the lid) is better as it saves on hard drive wear and tear. Both views have their merits but this is what I think.
If you are going to be using the computer more than once in a day, then I would just shut the lid, and put the computer to Sleep, when you finish your first session and then just re-awaken the computer when you want to use it later. However, if you are not going to be using the computer for a day or two, then I would shut it down or put the computer into hibernation (more on that later). The reason for this is that when a program opens, it uses a certain amount of RAM (operating memory) which it returns to the computer when it shuts down. Unfortunately, some programs do not return this memory or Windows refuses to take it back. This is called “Memory Leakage”. By closing the lid and reopening it again, you may notice that the computer will slow down over time. This is because the RAM has not been returned or Windows refused to take it. For this very reason, you should shut down and restart the computer at least once a week.
Now when you put the computer to sleep. What is happening is the computer is simply powering down all the devices (ie. hard drive, monitor, etc) but everything that you are doing with the computer is being held in RAM, which is known as “Volatile Memory”. Volatile Memory is memory that is erased every time you turn off the computer. However, when you put the computer to sleep, everything is put into the RAM and minimal power is used to keep that RAM alive. When you awaken the computer, everything powers back on and it looks the same as before you closed the lid.
Hibernation, on the other hand, even though appears to be the same as Sleep, is very different. What happens when you put a computer into hibernation is that all of the RAM is written to the hard drive, and the RAM will shut down and get erased. The computer will then turn off and use no power at all. But, when you return the computer from hibernation the memory is then rewritten from the hard drive back into RAM, thus your computer screen and everything running will look the same as before you put it into hibernation.
The difference being that the computer is completely powered down during Hibernation, but is not during Sleep. Both have there up and downsides. Sleep is prone to the aforementioned memory leakage and the computer is still using power, but is faster to return. Hibernation is using virtually no power, but is slower to return, and more prone to a failure when the memory is written back to RAM, in which a reboot will be required anyway.
To put your computer into hibernation, simply act like you are a going to shut down, but choose Hibernate instead of Shut Down. This choice may not be available on some computers, as it may be disabled, it is easy to turn on. This is how you do it.
In XP, click on Start>Turn off Computer and when the option box opens, asking you whether you want to Standby, Shut Down, or Restart, simply hover your mouse over the Standby button and press the Shift key, the Standby will change to Hibernate. Click on that button without letting go of the Shift Key.
In Vista and Windows 7, it is a little bit more involved, but is not too difficult. Click on Start and in the Search Dialog Box type in ‘cmd’ (no quotes). You will then see a search results list, right click on the Command Prompt option and select Run as Administrator. You will then be prompted by the User Account Controls, just click Continue. You will now be at a command prompt. Type in “powercfg.exe /hibernate on” (again, no quotes) and hit enter.
It should look like this:
You will now have the option to Hibernate when you turn off your computer.
Which is better? I prefer sleep to hibernation for short term rests, and hibernation for longer term rests. In either case, the computer should be completely ‘Shut Down’ and re-booted at least once a week. Always make sure you save any documents or work that you are doing before you put the computer either to sleep or into hibernation, just to be on the safe side.
Thanks for the Great Question!!
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