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So you try to do your bit to conserve energy by shutting down your computer at the end of each day--only to find yourself drumming your fingers impatiently while waiting for Windows to give permission to turn off the PC. The next day you wait all over again for the system to boot and Windows to launch. Then you open your applications and arrange your active windows just the way you like them. By this time you've been at your desk several minutes and have accomplished very little. There's a better way, at least for most Windows users.

The trick is to send your computer into a state of hibernation after a period of inactivity, either on demand or automatically. It's just like shutting down except that your current Windows state is saved on your hard disk. You still have to boot up, but Windows will start faster, and all the apps that were running when the snooze began will open automatically in the same position. But first, you have to find out if your PC supports hibernation and understand your options if it does.

Determine compatibility: Whether your computer supports hibernation depends on various hardware and software issues. In Win 9x, the feature is not available if your hard disk uses the FAT32 format. To find out if hibernation is available, choose Start, Settings, Control Panel, Power Options and look for the Hibernate tab. If you don't see it, you're out of luck. Even if you do see it, you must have enough hard disk space on your boot drive to store your current Windows state. To see if you have sufficient space, click the Hibernate tab and look in the box labeled "Disk space for hibernation." If you don't have enough, do some housekeeping and, if necessary, move files to another drive.

If you're using Windows 2000 on a network, check to see whether you can actually enable hibernation. Log on as the administrator and return to the Hibernate tab in the Power Options Properties dialog box. Check Enable hibernate support, then click Apply. If you receive an error message, your system may be on a network whose policies conflict with this feature. Otherwise, you're all set.

New shutdown/start-up options: Once the hibernation feature is enabled, you may notice several new options on various menus and dialog boxes. For example, when you click Start, Shut Down, you'll see the Hibernate option has been added to the Shut Down Windows dialog box. You will probably want to choose this method of powering down your computer. The next time you boot up, Windows will resume more quickly, and all your apps will be just as you left them. You may have to enter a password, depending on how your system is configured, but the process is still quicker than going through the standard Windows start-up.

The power-button option: Another hibernate option gives you more control over shutdowns. Return to the Power Options Properties dialog box (via Control Panel, as noted) and click the Advanced tab. Under "Power buttons," choose Hibernate in the "When I press the power button on my computer" drop-down list.

Hibernate automatically: If you tend to wander away from your computer for hours at a time, you can save energy and trouble by setting Windows to hibernate automatically after a period of inactivity. Return to the Power Options Properties sheet and click the Power Schemes tab. At the bottom of the Properties sheet, choose a time period from the "System hibernates" drop-down list. Skip the low amounts on the list and choose something more reasonable--for example, After 2 hours. Since restarting after hibernating takes longer than canceling a screen saver or using the standby mode (a low-power state in which the hard disk and monitor are shut down), you'll want an option that shuts your system down after a significant period of time. For shorter intervals, use standby and other System settings in this panel.

Make your schemes come true: If you want your system to hibernate automatically only at specific times or after a different interval, try one of the canned "schemes" from the "Power schemes" drop-down list at the top of the Power Options Properties' Power Schemes tab. The schemes are most useful when you're switching between battery and plugged-in mode with a portable PC, but they work with desktop hibernation as well. (Users of Windows Me and 2000 needn't settle for one of the prepackaged schemes, however. Set up the options you want in this Properties sheet, click Save As, type a name, and click OK. Repeat these steps for each situation you need.) To simplify switching from one scheme to another, click the Advanced tab and check Always show icon on taskbar. Click OK. Any time you want to change to another scheme, click the taskbar icon (near the clock) and choose the one you want. To open the Power Schemes Properties dialog box at any time, double-click the icon (or right-click it and choose Adjust Power Properties).

Deal with the downside: If your computer is set up for multiple users, hibernation is pointless. Only the last user's Windows settings will be restored, and only if that user's password is entered at restart. When the administrator logs on, the last user's window settings and unsaved work will be lost. Windows can't store hibernation settings for more than one user.