If I were you, I would completely disable the sleep mode/hibernation and shut it down as per normal. There are more problems with sleep mode etc than you can shake a stick at.

I agree.

I also agree I always disable that feature on my computers, it tends to lead to more problems than it is worth.

Thank all of you so much for your replies. Ummm, how exactly do I disable the feature? I hate to sound like such an idiot, but I guess I am. Thanks in advance....suffering from another senior moment! - Elaine

Hi, lainielady see the link I've posted below

Paddy..

Here is a link that might be useful: here

Hmmmm.... Interesting comments re: hibernation, etc. Most of the "computer guys" I talk with tell me (a virtual ignoramus) that they leave computers on all the time, or only put them in stand-by or hibernation status. I've had several tell me that always shutting down (even for the overnight) is harder on the computer because of the power it takes to boot-up when doing a 'cold start.' Ironically on my HP Pavilion desktop I run into more troubles with shut down and stand-by than with hibernate. I sometimes run into a "disk boot error" when starting up fresh after a shut down, and I have gotten a "kernel page error" (or something like that) several times when trying to get my computer out of stand-by.

I guess it all depends on the the 'personality' of the computer one is using. :-)

Sorry lainielady this link here relates to Vista

Paddy...

Here is a link that might be useful: here

Not2bright I also never use hibernate. However, I do set my hard drives and monitor to go into Snooze mode after a given number of minutes of inactivity. I also never use a screensaver. That was an essential way back in another life

My laptops (never had desktops) are always on unless power goes out. I go into the power setup in control panel and change everything ie. monitor, harddrive to "Never" while on a/c and to shutdown if on battery (power goes out) after 10mins or so of no activity.
I never use a screensaver either, I guess for the same reason that owbist gave. It was a problem way back when and so I never ever got used to having one.

I also leave mine on at all times unless I am leaving town or the weather is bad then they are shut down and fully disconnected from the power source and phone line.

I now do use the screen saver on my windows boxes since I have Avast antivirus and it has that wonderful feature of doing the scan when the screen saver comes on, love that so I know it is always freshly scanned.

Hi,

I read padd_y's helpful link, but I'm having trouble understanding the difference between, say, putting my computer on "stand-by" (called "sleep" in Vista, I take it; but I have XP) and leaving one's computer 'on' while having -- as owbist suggested -- only the monitor and harddrive(s) set to turn off. Is it strictly an issue of how much power/current the computer is drawing when not in use ?

And, with a DSL hook-up, are 'hibernate,' 'stand-by/sleep' and 'on' (with harddrive + monitor set to go off) all equally (un)safe compared to a complete shut-down ?

Thanks. :-)

If you feel comfortable with your security settings while you are at the computer then you are equally protected when you walk away. I never leave a browser open but my email is always iconised and set to look for emails every 5 minutes. This is a throw back to my dialup days when my wife and daughters would get excited if the girls could not get through on the phone because the old fool was on that new fangled internet thing again wasting his time.

With the hard drives stopped there are only the fans that are using 12 volts, the rest use from perhaps 1.8 to 3.3 volts while the computer is idle.

If you feel comfortable with your security settings while you are at the computer then you are equally protected when you walk away. I never leave a browser open but my email is always iconised and set to look for emails every 5 minutes. This is a throw back to my dialup days when my wife and daughters would get excited if the girls could not get through on the phone because the old fool was on that new fangled internet thing again wasting his time.

Well, I don't know if I am comfortable with my security settings, though they may very well be sufficient. I keep feeling like I have to hurry up and finish what I'm doing on the computer so I can go offline. That's a throw back to my dial-up days where I always felt rushed to get my internet stuff done so I could free up our one and only phone line !! :-D

Also, I always felt (or was under the impression) that if anything happened while I was at the computer (i.e. if there was a sudden virus attack, spyware attack, attempt to download something I didn't request, etc.) I was right there and could stop it if it somehow got by my security software. But if things are all "hooked up" while I'm away from the computer, I worry (paranoid as I am) that something could get through w/o my being there to stop it. (I even unplug the DSL line when I go offline !!)

Perhaps I need high-speed therapy or something. :-)

Thanks for the comments, owbist !

Scott

Hi,

Thanks you so much for all your replies. I think some of this is beginning to make a little sense to me. I haven't changed anything quite yet, however I did find last evening under Power Options, in "Choose What Power Button Does" the following: (this is desktop running on Vista)

There is an option "When I Press Power Button" (across from pic of power button)..... and it is set on "Shut Down", rather than other options of Sleep, Do Nothing, and Hibernate. I'm assuming this is what I need to perhaps change to Do Nothing or Sleep? Could this have been my problem all along as several times I used this computer button because I was told that would put it to sleep, and maybe it just turned it off without closing windows. Is this the section where I need to be? Or, does this pertain to the Power Button on computer tower only, or to both?

I guess I'm just checking once again to make sure I'm doing the right thing. Thanks you so much for all your help so far.

By default, Windows puts your computer to sleep when you click the Power button. However, you can change the default setting so that clicking the button causes your computer to sleep, hibernate, or shut down. (Any changes you make will also apply to the physical power button on the computer itself.) To change the default setting:

1. Open Power Options by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, and then clicking Power Options.
2. On the Select a power plan page, click Change plan settings under the selected plan.
3. On the Change settings for the plan page, click Change advanced power settings.
4. On the Advanced settings tab, expand Power buttons and lid, expand Start menu power button, and then do one of the following:

 If you are using a mobile PC, click On battery or Plugged in (or both), click the arrow, and then click Sleep, Hibernate, or Shut Down.
 If you are using a desktop computer, click Setting, click the arrow, and then click Sleep, Hibernate, or Shut Down.

5. Click OK, and then click Save changes.

Paddy..

Here is a link that might be useful: Click here again

Paddy,

Thanks so much for all the links. Yes, I have looked at the sites provided by you and really appreciate all your help. We had an ice storm come through last evening so I shut down the computer for fear power would be lost. I am going to use the step by step directions...thanks for providing these... as soon as I can. Today is going to be pretty busy, for all of us I imagine, and try to get this problem fixed as soon as there are a few quiet moments.

Paddy, thanks once again for your help and efforts, and thanks to all who have responded to help me with this problem

Merry Christmas to all, and thank you very much!!! - Elaine