Let the computer be in sleep mode. How to put your computer to sleep using buttons or hotkeys

Computer standby mode is a special state in which it consumes less energy, but at the same time does not turn off. Many users confuse it with sleeping, plus there is also hibernation. It's really easy to get confused. Knowing how to turn on the modes, how to control them and what they are intended for will save the user from unnecessary fuss and give the opportunity to choose the most optimal settings. To do this, let's look at all of them and the order in which they appear in the Windows system, and at the same time learn how to disable them.

The appearance of standby mode is associated primarily with the emergence of personal computers - before this, machines could only have two positions regarding the power supply: the device could be on or off. But ever since PCs entered the homes of common people, there has been a need for additional power plans. Partly to save energy, partly for the added convenience of ordinary users.

Windows XP

Here the control place is occupied by the original standby mode. To launch it:

Hibernation is a PC state designed specifically for laptops. In it, the laptop also creates a special file, but does not turn off. It simply consumes the least amount of energy. Therefore, firstly, hibernation is a kind of replacement for the waiting state of Windows XP, and secondly, exiting from it is faster. It is recommended for those cases when it will be possible to recharge the battery only later, and the laptop must be in an active state. For example, you work on it with short breaks throughout the day - the best option is to put the laptop on hibernation.

You can disable or enable settings through the power settings.

Windows 10

Standby mode in Windows 10 has undergone almost no changes compared to Seven. Sleep and hibernation also remain here. But the latter has practically lost its meaning, since both stationary PCs and laptops, as a rule, come out of sleep very quickly. Therefore, it is much more convenient to use it. You can configure power settings in much the same way.

What is standby mode in Windows 8? Everything is similar here, the same settings as on the “Ten”. It makes no sense to write about it separately.

Now you understand what the several main computer standby modes on Windows are and how they differ, as well as how to configure them. On other OSes they are not much different. If desired, you can change them in even more detail: set timers, set the exact shutdown time, and for laptops enable or disable sleep when the lid is closed. But more about this in other articles.

Modern Windows operating systems support three power-saving modes: sleep, hibernation, and hybrid sleep. The difference between them lies in the approaches to storing user information. The general idea is to minimize electrical energy consumption during times when the computer is not turned off but is not actively being used. In this case, the user may not complete the current operations and return to them at any time. If your PC use strategy does not involve such interruptions, you can disable sleep mode.

Power saving profiles depend on your computer's hardware configuration. The complete list can be obtained using the command line. Type the line underlined in the screenshot. The system displays a list of available and unavailable power management profiles for the current configuration.

S3 in this list is the same sleep mode (Suspend to RAM).

Configuration

Let's look at all the available modes to understand how the computer works when using them.

Standby mode S3 (Suspend to RAM). All PC components are turned off except RAM. It stores a “snapshot” of the current state of the system before going to sleep.
Hibernate S4 (Suspend to disk). Complete disabling of all components with preliminary recording of the system state to the hard drive in the hiberfil.sys file.
Hybrid mode. Power is supplied to the RAM. A “snapshot” of the state is saved in it and copied to the HDD.
Quick start. The components necessary to speed up the startup of the OS are additionally copied to the hiberfil.sys file on the hard drive.

Armed with theory, let's move on to practical actions.

Disabling sleep mode

To remove sleep mode from the system, you need to change the power consumption rules. Let's open the classic control panel using the "Run" menu.

Let's move on to the point marked in the screenshot.

In the navigation area, select the specified setting for the current power plan.

To the right of the boxed option are drop-down menus. We use them to set the sleep mode when powered from a stationary power supply or battery.

Transition times vary from one minute to five hours. By selecting “Never” in both positions, we completely prohibit the computer from working in energy saving mode.

With these settings, having detected the absence of user activity, the system will be able to turn off power only to the monitor.

Windows 10

In addition to the classic method described, you can disable sleep mode in Windows 10 using the new interface. Call up the options menu using the keyboard shortcut “Win” + “i”. Select the section marked in the screenshot.

In the navigation area we find the specified settings block. We set the transition parameters to “Never”.

To turn sleep mode back on, just set a final time interval.

Setting up sleep on a laptop

For laptops, the autonomy indicator is one of the most important. For this reason, they pay more attention to energy saving profiles than desktop PCs. In the power settings of Windows installed on the laptop, the item indicated in the screenshot appears.

Opening it, we see a set of parameters that allow us to configure additional actions that are unique to a laptop. The drop-down menu contains four items. To disable sleep mode when closing the laptop lid, select “No action required.”

Similarly, you can change the behavior of the Power and Energy Saver keys. For example, you can set the monitor to turn off completely or turn off only when you press the sleep button.

Hibernation

At the beginning, we explained in a nutshell what hibernation is. In fact, this is the most economical power saving mode available to PC owners. When entering it, the OS makes a copy of user data into a separate file on the HDD and turns off the power. The size of hiberfil.sys ranges from 30 to 75% of the physical RAM capacity. This circumstance is the reason why users do not like the deep sleep mode. Let's figure out how to disable hibernation in Windows 7 and subsequent OS editions if it is not necessary.

Graphics mode

Again we go to the section of the control panel containing power settings. This time, let's go deeper and open additional options using the marked hyperlink.

We are looking for the “Sleep” section. Expand it to open the settings it contains. We change the hibernation transition time to the “Never” position. We set it for the network and battery.

Once the settings have been applied, the computer will not use this power-down mode.

Command line

The method described above has one drawback. By disabling hibernation, we leave the file created for this mode on the disk. You can completely remove hiberfil.sys to free up the space it occupies only through the command line in elevated mode. Use the keyboard shortcut “Win” + “X” to access the Power User menu. Select the marked item.

To delete the hibernation file, enter the command “powercfg -h off”, as shown in the screenshot.

The system does not issue any confirmation of the operation. The file and all hibernation settings are deleted completely and immediately. Switching back on is also quick. Enter the command “powercfg -h on” and return everything to its place.

When performing this operation, do not forget that Windows 10 hibernation mode has a dual purpose. The hiberfil.sys file is used by the system for a quick start. In earlier versions of the OS this feature is not available, and its removal there is painless. To leave the option of fast startup, but disable hibernation, we use additional arguments to the “powercfg” command. The screenshot shows the result of their execution. The “/type reduced” switch allows you to perform optimization, reducing the size of hiberfil.sys by half. Executing with the “/type full” switch returns the file to its initial state, and the ability to use deep sleep is added to the system.

Precisely because of dual use, hibernation in Windows 10 is not recommended for complete shutdown. Using the specified set of commands, you can configure the system so as not to deprive yourself of its beneficial aspects.

Sleep mode errors

Various sleep modes are supported by all equipment manufacturers. Errors occur extremely rarely, but sometimes users encounter them. Conventionally, they can be divided into two main groups.

The computer does not go into sleep mode or wake up on its own.
PC freezes when resuming from sleep or hibernation.

Let's consider the most effective solution options.

Crash when going to sleep

If your computer does not go to sleep, it may be due to a software setting or one of the peripheral devices interfering with it. To deal with the first point, let’s open the advanced power settings, which we accessed to disable hibernation. Let's go to the sleep settings and look for wake-up timers in them. Using the drop-down menus, we move them to the “Disabled” position.

In order not to search at random for a list of peripheral devices that have the right to wake the computer from sleep mode, you can view it in the command line. Launch PowerShell in administrator mode and enter “powercfg /devicequery wake_armed”. All devices cannot be completely disabled. In this case, the PC will stop responding to external stimuli altogether. For example, let's disable one of the two mice registered in the system. Enter “powercfg /devicedisablewake “device name””. Requesting the list again shows that the selected mouse has been demoted. It still works, but moving or pressing buttons will not wake up the PC.

You can return rights to the device with the command “powercfg /deviceenablewake “device name””.

The manipulations performed should be enough for the computer to respond adequately to the transition to energy-saving mode.

Crash when waking up from sleep

If hibernation is stuck at the exit stage, we will see a black screen or an “infinite” “resume from hibernation” message. The culprit for this error is usually the video card driver. It needs to be updated or rolled back to a previous, stable version.

In rare cases, this behavior may be due to incorrect Suspend Mode settings in UEFI/BIOS. We request the list of supported software modes with the command “powercfg /a”. We check them for compliance with the hardware settings set in UEFI.

In conclusion

Power saving modes are mainly used by laptop owners, allowing them to retain battery power longer. If you own a desktop PC and are used to turning it off every time, the steps described above will help you. By following these instructions, you can configure your system to perform optimally without using sleep modes.

Updated – 2017-01-25

In one of the articles I already mentioned in passing how to set up sleep mode, but I began to receive questions about how to do this in Windows 7. Therefore, I decided to devote a separate public to this issue. It's good that you ask questions. At least I know what interests you most. IN Windows XP all sleep mode settings are in the same window Properties: Screen. I wrote about this in the article,

Why do you need sleep mode anyway? In the past, when monitors were cathode ray monitors, sleep mode was used to prevent the phosphor from burning out. Monitor screens were coated with this substance to convert the energy it absorbed into light radiation.

Due to long and constant work, the phosphor burned out, and the colors became dull and blurry. Moreover, this radiation was very harmful. That is why there was a need to turn off the monitor during a break in work or display a screensaver that prevents the rapid burnout of the phosphor.

The second advantage of sleep mode was and is that you can step away from your computer for a while and not be afraid that someone will inadvertently or intentionally damage your files.

To do this, just set the time after which your computer, if you are not working on it, will automatically go into sleep mode. And you can exit sleep mode either simply by moving the mouse, or using the password that you set to log in to the system.

Unfortunately, I don't have a computer with the Windows XP operating system at hand right now, so I'll give you a description , no screenshots. But under this description there will be my video on this topic, which I edited earlier when I had Windows XP.

How to set up sleep mode in Windows XP

Right-click on a location free from shortcuts and files in your Desktop
Select the last item from the drop-down menu Properties
In the window that opens Properties: Screen go to the tab Screensaver
Go to the second half of the window and click the button Nutrition
In a new window, open the list in the boxes using the small black arrow next to each entry and set the period of time after which you want your monitor, hard drive to turn off, or go into sleep mode.

Video - How to set up sleep mode in Windows XP:

How to set up sleep mode in Windows 7

In Windows 7, sleep mode is configured a little differently. More precisely, the settings themselves are located in a completely different place, and you won’t find them right away.

In order to get to them you need to open the menu Start - Control Panel.

In the next window in the window Search(in the upper right corner) type the phrase “ Sleep mode". You will see links Power supply, And Requesting a password when resuming from sleep mode.

Click on the entry Setting Sleep Mode.

In the new window, configure the time after which your display will turn off or your computer will go into sleep mode. To do this, click on the small black triangle to the right of the function name.

Pay special attention to the function Require password on wakeup. If you set the value - Yes, then after you move the mouse or press any keyboard key, you will see a window asking you to enter a password.

The password will be the same as when logging into the operating system.

You can also set the exit from sleep mode using a password from the window Power supply.

In a new window you will be able to configure the computer buttons on the front panel. Whatever value you set, this is the action they will perform when you click on them.

To allow you to wake up from sleep mode using a password, set the switch to write Request password.

Don't forget to save all your changes! Otherwise, your settings will be reset and you will think that your system is not working properly.

Video – How to set up sleep mode in Windows 7:

Now you know how to set up sleep mode. I hope they don't cause you any problems.

Of course, there are some peculiarities in using the sleep mode, which we will now consider, for example, why there is sometimes no “hibernation” command in the shutdown menu or how to wake up the computer from sleep by simply touching any key on the keyboard.

Hibernate Windows 7

A lot of letters come with requests to show and tell how to configure it correctly joint ventureoperating mode on a laptop and on a simple computer with installed Windows 7. So let's get started: Start->Control Panel->System and Security->Power Options.

In this dialog box you must select Power plan, for example, I have selected Balanced, press Setting up a power plan

Here we can choose:

Turn off display: you need to set the time when the computer turns off the display when completely idle, for example 15 minutes.
Put the computer to sleep current mode: you can choose any time, for example, you set it to 30 minutes, this means that you were working on the computer, urgently left for other matters, and it was left on, after 30 minutes your computer or laptop will understand that the owner is not there and will go to sleep mode.

When you arrive, you just need to swipe your hand across the keyboard or press the Power button (depending on how you configure it, read on) and your laptop will immediately wake up and you can resume work from the place where you had to leave . For example, I can wake up my laptop from sleep mode by pressing any key on the keyboard and Windows 7 immediately restores operation, but on a desktop computer it’s easier to press the system unit’s power button.
When using a laptop, you and I will still have access to the function Action when closing digging the lid

If you select Sleep in this parameter, then when you close the lid of your laptop, it will go into sleep mode, and when you open the lid and press any key on the keyboard, it will instantly start.

In the Power window, the Request password on wakeup function is available; it is needed so that no one can use your computer without you; when someone tries to wake up your laptop from sleep mode, he will naturally have to enter a password.

Also in the Power Options tab, you and I can configure the parameter Action of the pi buttoncomputer tanning, so that when you press it, the computer goes into sleep mode or hibernation, and also completed his work. Select an option Do nothing and when you press the power button from Windows 7, no action will occur.

By default, the computer wakes up from sleep mode when you turn on the power button, if you want, you can configure it to wake up when you press any key on the keyboard or touch the mouse. To get out of hibernation Wind ows 7 using a keyboard or mouse, you need to go to the device manager and double-right-click on the desired device and go to the properties tab Power management and check the box Allow this device to wake the computer from standby mode.

If this number does not work for you, it means your peripheral devices do not support this function, but you can find out for sure by typing in the command line powercfg -devicequery wake_from_any and all devices that can be used to wake the computer from sleep mode will be displayed.

What is the difference between sleep mode in Windows 7 and hibernation and what is hybrid sleep mode?

Sleep mode: The computer stores information about your open applications in RAM and enters a low power mode, doing this quite quickly, but if your laptop's battery is completely drained, the computer will simply turn off and your open applications will simply close without saving the work.
Hibernation: The computer saves all information about your open applications on the hard drive in a file called hiberfil.sys and shuts down completely. The only difference is that during hibernation the computer does not consume any electricity at all, whereas during sleep mode energy is still consumed. But to enter and exit hibernation mode, the computer needs much more time than when using sleep mode.
Hybrid sleep mode: combines sleep mode and hibernation, the results of your work in open applications are stored in RAM, but also on the hard drive and the computer goes into low power consumption mode, so that when the battery is completely discharged, the results of your work will not be lost.

The simple answer is this: The computer enters sleep mode faster than hibernation, and it also exits sleep mode faster than hibernation.

You really need to be careful when using sleep mode with some programs, for example, if you process or encode video files for several hours and at this time the computer goes into sleep mode, the process will naturally be interrupted by an error. And when the computer wakes up from sleep mode, you will have to start encoding again, in such cases you need to turn off sleep mode completely while such a program is running.

Conclusion: It is preferable to use hibernation mode if you are away from the computer for quite a long time. If, when using the hibernation mode, you completely de-energize the computer, for example, remove the battery, then there is no risk of losing open and unsaved data, since the computer is completely turned off. Sleep mode does not provide such a guarantee.

In the shutdown menu, sometimes there is no "hibernate?" command.
Hibernation may not appear in this menu if Hybrid Sleep is enabled in Power Options. Power->Setting the power plan->Change additional power settings, in these settings, we can prohibit the use of hybrid sleep mode, remove the password for waking the computer from sleep, and more.

To find out which modes your computer supports, type powercfg /a at the command line
Hibernation and sleep mode can doesn't work in Windows 7, if they are disabled in your BIOS, read our articles How to get into the BIOS. They may also not work due to outdated drivers for the video card.

The Windows operating system has several computer shutdown modes - these are normal mode (which completely turns off the PC), hibernation mode and sleep mode. The last two shutdown methods are justified when the user wants to interrupt work for a while, but there is no need completely, and he wants to immediately return to his work environment, with all open programs and documents. What sleep mode is and how it differs from the one discussed earlier will be discussed in this article.

Computer sleep mode. What is it?

Hibernation or sleep mode is a state of a computer that is turned off, in which information about the current state is stored in, applications remain running and wait for operations from the user. At the same time, the screen goes dark, the hard drive and the central processor stop. Power remains on the RAM and other electronic components that ensure the system starts from this state. We can say that the computer is not turned off, but paused, and at the same time consumes very little electricity compared to full operation. To “wake up” the computer, simply move the mouse or press a key on the keyboard, after which the user can continue working from where they left off.

What is the difference between sleep mode and hibernation mode?

At first glance, hibernation looks similar to sleep mode and is intended to do the same thing as sleep mode. But the processes that occur when the computer turns off into hibernation are somewhat different. When a user issues a hibernation command, the computer saves the current system state not in RAM, but in . After which the monitor, hard drive and cooling system turn off. Those. hibernation is an even deeper sleep with even lower energy consumption, because... here there is no need to apply voltage to the RAM, but only to the internal clock and a minimum of components needed to start the system.

Hibernation mode is more designed for laptops in order to maximize battery conservation in this mode. If for a desktop computer power consumption in sleep mode is not so important, then for a laptop this aspect comes to the fore. The price for such savings is a longer start from deep sleep compared to simple sleep mode. But in any case, the system startup time is much faster than startup after a complete shutdown.

How to put your computer to sleep

Let's look at turning off the computer into sleep mode using Windows 7 as an example, as the most common system at the time of publication of the article.