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Enable Hibernation

I've heard that hibernation is a great way to reduce the amount of energy my PC uses when it's on but idle. How do I make my computer hibernate?

David Woodard, Dorchester, Wisconsin

Hibernation is a cool feature--if your PC supports it. This state differs from sleep or standby mode in that it copies everything in RAM to your hard drive and then completely shuts down your computer so that it uses little or no electricity (modern PCs keep a small trickle going via the front power switch, even when shut off). When you switch it back on, it copies everything back into RAM so you can swiftly return to where you left off.

Not all computers support hibernation. Some can't wake up from it; others seem to wake up completely, but certain peripherals fail to reactivate when the PC does. (On the other hand, many computers will hibernate and wake up just fine.) If you encounter trouble of this sort, try updating the hardware's drivers.

To enable hibernation, first select Start, Settings, Control Panel. (In Windows XP, select Start, Control Panel; if you see Switch to Classic View at the top of the Explorer bar, click it.) Next, double-click the Power Options icon. In the Power Options Properties dialog box, click the Hibernate tab. (If there is no Hibernate tab, your system doesn't support hibernation.) Check Enable hibernation or Enable hibernate support, depending on the version of Windows you're using, and click OK.

Once you've enabled hibernation, you can make your computer hibernate via its shutdown options. In Windows 98, Me, or 2000, select Start, Shut Down. Choose Hibernate and then click OK. In Windows XP, select Start, Turn Off Computer. While the 'Turn off computer' dialog box is open, either hold down the Shift key to see the Hibernate button or just press H.

Want an even easier way to make your system hibernate? Return to the Power Options Properties dialog box and click the Advanced tab. In either the 'When I press the power button on my computer' or 'When I press the sleep button on my computer' drop-down menus, select the Hibernate option and click OK.