Turning off your computer
Windows prepares itself for shutdown by
saving session and system information and
by disconnecting network, dial-up, and other
external connections. Windows still can
recover if you lose power suddenly or yank
your PC's plug from the wall, but you may
get an "improper shutdown" message when
you return (and your unsaved work will be
lost). For peace of mind, always use one of
the official Windows turn-off options.
By default, turning off your computer puts
it in a power-saving state called Sleep. Sleep,
new in Vista, differs from the Shut Down
(power-off) state used by default in earlier
Windows versions.
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To turn off your computer:
- To put your computer to sleep, choose
Start; then click the Power button (
 ).
On laptop PCs, closing the lid puts the
computer to sleep by default.
or
To use a different turn-off option, choose
Start, click the arrow next to the Lock
button (Figure 1.7), and then choose
one of the options listed in Table 1.2.
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Figure 1.7 Choose Restart, Sleep, Hibernate, or
Shut Down.
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Table 1.2
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Turn-Off Options
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Option
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What I t Does
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| Sleep |
Turns off the display, stops the hard disks and fan, and enters low-power-consumption mode. Windows saves
your work automatically, so you don't have to save your files and exit programs before putting your computer
to sleep. A light on your computer case may blink slowly or turn yellow while the computer sleeps. A sleeping
computer springs to life quickly-with your desktop exactly as you left it-when you start working again. Use
Sleep to stop using your computer for a short time and save power (especially useful for laptops). |
| Shut Down |
Ends your session and shuts down Windows so that you can turn off the power safely. Most computers turn
off the power automatically; if yours doesn't, push the power button on the computer after the "It's safe"
message appears. This option quits your programs, prompting you to save any unsaved work. After shutdown,
it may take several minutes to turn on your computer, log on, and then start the programs that you were
using. Use Shut Down when you're done for the day or when you need to muck around inside your computer. |
| Restart |
Ends your session, shuts down Windows, and starts Windows again automatically. This option quits your programs,
prompting you to save any unsaved work. Use Restart if you've installed hardware or software that
requires a restart, or if Windows is acting erratically or sluggishly. |
| Hibernate |
Hibernate saves your session to a file on your hard disk before turning off the power. When you restart the
computer, your desktop is restored quickly and exactly as you left it. Older computers may not support this option. |
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To wake a computer from sleep state:
- Press the power button on the computer's
case, press a key on the keyboard,
click the mouse, or (for a laptop PC)
open the lid. The computer usually will
wake within seconds.
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Tips
- A sleeping computer uses a tiny amount
of power to maintain your work in memory.
Sleeping laptops lose about 1 or 2
percent of battery power per hour. If a
laptop has been sleeping for a few hours
or its battery is low, Windows saves your
work to hard disk and turns off your
computer, drawing no power. To learn
about power options for laptops, see
"Conserving Power" in Chapter 4.
 If the Power button looks like this,
your computer will shut down instead
of sleep because either your hardware
doesn't support the sleep option (possibly
because you have an old video card or
outdated video driver) or an administrator
has set the Power button to always
shut down (see "Conserving Power" in
Chapter 4).
 A shield on the Power button
means that automatic updates are ready
to be installed on your computer (see
"Updating Windows" in Chapter 13).
Clicking this button ends your session,
installs the updates, and then shuts
down your computer. |
Figure 1.8 The old-style Shut Down Windows dialog
box still is available.
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- The turn-off options also are available on
the Welcome screen; see "Logging on"
earlier in this section.
- If the desktop is active, you can press
Alt+F4 to chose a turn-off option
(Figure 1.8).
- For reasons of convenience, parts
wearout, power consumption, power
interruption, and heat stress, it's unclear
whether you should leave your PC on or
shut it down overnight. (I know people
who rarely turn off their PCs.) Either way,
you should always turn off your monitor
when you're done.
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