Stop Shutting Down Your Windows PC
If you're in the habit of shutting down your Windows PC completely on a regular basis, you might end up getting in the way unnecessarily. Windows 10 and Windows 11 include more efficient ways to save energy and also save you time. Here's what to do instead.
In this section:
If you want to save power, sleep or hibernate instead
Some people turn off their PC at the end of the day when they are done using it. It's understandable. If you're not using your PC, it makes sense to want to save electricity, wear and tear, or reduce security risks.
But there is a much better way. If you put your Windows PC into sleep mode instead, your PC will only use a tiny fraction of the power it consumes when it's awake, and it'll also be ready to resume quickly when you need to. use it again.
If you have a laptop, you can put it into sleep mode by closing the lid or pressing a sleep button on the keyboard.
To put a desktop computer into sleep mode, open Start and click the Power icon (looks like a crossed-out circle). In Windows 10, the power icon will be on the left sidebar. In Windows 11, you'll find it in the lower right corner of the Start menu. In the pop-up window that appears, select “Sleep”.
As an alternative, you can use the "hibernation" mode available on some PCs. Hibernate saves your PC's current state (like the contents of your working memory) to the hard drive or SSD and then shuts down. When you turn your PC back on, Windows loads the saved data onto the hard drive and resumes your session exactly where you left off.
Some people may also want to shut down their PC to minimize the risk of getting hacked or their PC becoming a zombie used in DDOS attacks. It's true: an idle Windows PC while connected to the Internet 24 hours a day is a security risk. But if your PC is in sleep or hibernation mode, remote hackers usually can't access your PC, so it's as good as being completely shut down without any of the inconvenience that comes with it.
RELATED: How to Make Windows Hibernate (Instead of Sleep) More Often
Frequent stops waste valuable time
Speaking of inconvenience, every time you completely shut down your PC, you incur a time penalty the next time you turn it back on. This is because your PC needs to boot, which means it needs to reload the operating system into memory from scratch, and it takes a while.
You may also need to take the time to relaunch any apps you were using and load any data you've been working on.
If you put your PC to sleep instead, everything (operating system, apps, work data) will be ready to go quickly when you wake your PC, and you'll save minutes of valuable time and hassle. Plus, your sleeping PC can wake up automatically to perform updates if needed, and they'll be done in the morning by the time you're ready to work.
When to stop anyway
Still, there are times when completely shutting down your PC is a good idea. For example, if you know you won't be using your PC for a considerable period of time, such as a week, month, or more, it's best to turn it off.
(If you leave your desktop computer unused for months, also consider unplugging it from the wall to protect it from lightning strikes or other abnormal power events while you're away.)
Another situation where full shutdown can help is when troubleshooting. Sometimes it's helpful to turn off the PC completely and leave it off for about 30 seconds, letting the circuitry turn off completely. When you turn it back on, Windows will be forced to reload all its pilotes and assistive applications, which will give you a fresh start.
But in general, if you use your PC every day without problems, it is better to use sleep instead when you want to let your machine rest. Good luck!
RELATED: Why does restarting a computer solve so many problems?
