Computer and Web Articles

Question: I’m having a hard time understanding the difference between my computer’s “Hibernate” and “System Standy” energy-saver options. Can you please help me out?? -Andrea, Breckenridge

Answer: Sure thing, I’d be happy to help. Hibernate and Standby are different sleep options found on computers with Windows XP. People can set their computers so that after a determined amount of idle-time, the computer enters one of these energy-saving modes.

A computer entering Hibernate mode saves an image of your desktop (including open files and windows), then powers down your computer–just as if you’d shut if off. When you turn your computer on again, however, you don’t need to wait for your computer to run through its standard (and often lengthy) startup process; instead, your windows and files are open just as you left them.

When a computer enters Standby mode, the power to your computer’s “non-critical systems,” such as the hard drive, monitor, fans, and peripheral devices (mouse, printer, etc.) gets cut. Power to your computer’s memory (RAM) is not shut off, though, so you’re essentially running your machine in a very looooooow power mode – and your computer *is* still on.

A computer in Standby mode will wake upon mouse, keyboard, or other peripheral activity whereas a computer in Hibernation mode requires a push of the power button. Computers in Standby mode also wake and restore more quickly than those in Hibernation. On the other hand, if there’s a power outage, unsaved files on the Standby machine could potentially be lost or corrupted, whereas files on the Hibernate machine would be saved.