Standby vs hibernate?

Jerry and Carol Schull · External Since: Sep 26, 2005 Posts: 6

Can someone please explain the difference between stanby and hibernate?
Does either take the place of shutting down the computer at night?

Jerry in Vegas

Wesley Vogel · External Since: Feb 23, 2004 Posts: 17940

I do not use either one, I shutdown at night.

From XP HELP:

hibernation
A state in which your computer shuts down after saving everything in memory
on your hard disk. When you bring your computer out of hibernation, all
programs and documents that were open are restored to your desktop.

standby
A state in which your computer consumes less power when it is idle, but
remains available for immediate use. While your computer is on standby,
information in computer memory is not saved on your hard disk. If there is
an interruption in power, the information in memory is lost.

Standby is a state in which your monitor and hard disks turn off, so that
your computer uses less power. When you want to use the computer again, it
comes out of standby quickly, and your desktop is restored exactly as you
left it. Use standby to save power when you will be away from the computer
for a short time while working. Because Standby does not save your desktop
state to disk, a power failure while on Standby can cause you to lose
unsaved information.

Hibernation is a state in which your computer shuts down to save power but
first saves everything in memory on your hard disk. When you restart the
computer, your desktop is restored exactly as you left it. Use hibernation
to save power when you will be away from the computer for an extended time
while working.

Put the computer on standby when it is idle. While on standby, your entire
computer switches to a low-power state where devices, such as the monitor
and hard disks, turn off and your computer uses less power. When you want to
use the computer again, it comes out of standby quickly, and your desktop is
restored exactly as you left it. Standby is particularly useful for
conserving battery power in portable computers. Because Standby does not
save your desktop state to disk, a power failure while on Standby can cause
you to lose unsaved information.

Put your computer in hibernation. The hibernate feature saves everything in
memory on disk, turns off your monitor and hard disk, and then turns off
your computer. When you restart your computer, your desktop is restored
exactly as you left it. It takes longer to bring your computer out of
hibernation than out of standby.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In news:kUANh.131117$_73.5753@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net,
Jerry and Carol Schull <jschull10.RemoveThis@earthlink.net> hunted and pecked:
> Can someone please explain the difference between stanby and hibernate?
> Does either take the place of shutting down the computer at night?
>
> Jerry in Vegas

Noncompliant · External Since: Feb 09, 2007 Posts: 200

Neither one turns the computer off.

Note, in XP, you have to click start, turn off computer, to get to any of
these...
ONLY one selection within "turn off computer" actually turns off the
computer.
More MS prevarications.
Prior MS 98/ME selections were straightforward and truthful.

--
Noncompliant

Money don't wag the dog's tail.

"Jerry and Carol Schull" <jschull10.DeleteThis@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:kUANh.131117$_73.5753@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> Can someone please explain the difference between stanby and hibernate?
> Does either take the place of shutting down the computer at night?
>
> Jerry in Vegas
>

Mark M Morse · External Since: Feb 19, 2007 Posts: 20

Hi Noncompliant:

Actually, you can bypass the start menu. If the focus is on the
desktop, then hit [Alt]+[F4]. (If the desktop does not have the
focus, then click it first.)

Your point about MS prevarications still applies, however; no matter
how one gets there, the window title still says, "Turn off
computer".

~ Mark

PS: For the reader who wonders why they can't see a Hibernate icon
on the "Turn off computer" window, hold down one of the shift keys;
this causes the Standby icon to change to the Hibernate icon.

"Noncompliant" <spamyourself.RemoveThis@blackworm.net> wrote in message
news:uzchHBBcHHA.2188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Neither one turns the computer off.
>
> Note, in XP, you have to click start, turn off computer, to get
> to any of these...
> ONLY one selection within "turn off computer" actually turns off
> the computer.
> More MS prevarications.
> Prior MS 98/ME selections were straightforward and truthful.
>
> --
> Noncompliant
>
> Money don't wag the dog's tail.
>
> "Jerry and Carol Schull" <jschull10.RemoveThis@earthlink.net> wrote in
> message
> news:kUANh.131117$_73.5753@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...
>> Can someone please explain the difference between stanby and
>> hibernate? Does either take the place of shutting down the
>> computer at night?
>>
>> Jerry in Vegas
>>
>
>

leew [MVP] · External Since: Mar 20, 2007 Posts: 6

Noncompliant wrote:
> Neither one turns the computer off.

I completely disagree. Hibernate, as has been mentioned, saves what is
in RAM to the harddisk and then shuts off the computer. I have swapped
laptop hard drives that were in a "hibernate" state and when swapping
back I get the same point I was at. If you tell the computer to
hibernate, it WILL turn the computer off. (I do this with my laptop all
the time and rarely if ever have a problem - definitely haven't had a
problem with hibernate for at least a year).

-Lee

Noncompliant · External Since: Feb 09, 2007 Posts: 200

A PC or laptop is not off if in hibernate mode.

Standby and hibernate were initially developed for laptops to save power
when not in use and left on. Which is and was an excellent idea for
laptops.

An easy way to tell if a PC or laptop is initially actually off is to
visually account its display during turn-on.

An MVP would not make such a ludicrous statement.
--
Noncompliant

Money don't wag the dog's tail.

"leew [MVP]" <useContactPage DeleteThis @LWComputing.dot.com> wrote in message
news:nD2Ph.86$yI.41@newsfe12.lga...
> Noncompliant wrote:
>> Neither one turns the computer off.
>
> I completely disagree. Hibernate, as has been mentioned, saves what is in
> RAM to the harddisk and then shuts off the computer. I have swapped
> laptop hard drives that were in a "hibernate" state and when swapping back
> I get the same point I was at. If you tell the computer to hibernate, it
> WILL turn the computer off. (I do this with my laptop all the time and
> rarely if ever have a problem - definitely haven't had a problem with
> hibernate for at least a year).
>
> -Lee

Ken Blake MVP · External Since: Feb 19, 2004 Posts: 7325

Noncompliant wrote:

> A PC or laptop is not off if in hibernate mode.

Sorry, you are completely wrong. Read, for example
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/mobility/getstarted/hibernate.mspx

which states "Hibernate saves an image of your desktop with all open files
and documents, and then it powers down your computer."

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

> Standby and hibernate were initially developed for laptops to save
> power when not in use and left on. Which is and was an excellent
> idea for laptops.
>
> An easy way to tell if a PC or laptop is initially actually off is to
> visually account its display during turn-on.
>
> An MVP would not make such a ludicrous statement.
>
> "leew [MVP]" <useContactPage.RemoveThis@LWComputing.dot.com> wrote in message
> news:nD2Ph.86$yI.41@newsfe12.lga...
>> Noncompliant wrote:
>>> Neither one turns the computer off.
>>
>> I completely disagree. Hibernate, as has been mentioned, saves what
>> is in RAM to the harddisk and then shuts off the computer. I have
>> swapped laptop hard drives that were in a "hibernate" state and when
>> swapping back I get the same point I was at. If you tell the
>> computer to hibernate, it WILL turn the computer off. (I do this
>> with my laptop all the time and rarely if ever have a problem -
>> definitely haven't had a problem with hibernate for at least a year).
>>
>> -Lee

DavyWavy · Joined: Jun 05, 2007 Posts: 3

This was very helpful...thank you!