Hibernate, sleep or shut down?

[Ho-Oh]

Pretty simple question tbh. When it comes to your computer, do you hibernate, or do you just straight off shut down, or put it in sleep mode until you use it?

Orrrrr do you do all three, or two out of the three, depending on the circumstances?

As for me, I always use hibernate, I very rarely shut down tbh. In fact, I'm more likely to get a BSOD than actually shut down myself, lool.

(actually tbh I can't remember what computers can do, so hey if it only applies to laptops, then only apply the question to laptops!)

Edit okay apparently prior to windows 7 you could only sleep or hibernate, go with either of those options to make your choice then.

 

[Shining Raichu]

I'm not sure whether this is hibernation or sleep mode, but basically I lock the laptop so noone can get in past my password and then I shut the lid.

 

[Zeffy]

AHEM, using XP so I'm going to ignore "hibernate".

Anyways, it depends on what I have open at the moment. When I have an important web page up and I don't freakin' know where I found it, I'd leave it on sleep. Otherwise, I just shut it down.

 

[Palkia]

My laptop takes a long time to start up, so I put it in sleep mode instead of shutting it down. The only time I turn it off is when there are updates.

 

[Zet]

I use shutdown, I've tried hibernate and sleep but my machines wigs out and boots up normally.

 

[Kikaito plush]

I always tend to use Shut the computer down than hibernate

 

[Binary]

Shut Down.
I almost always shut down. I use Sleep only sometimes, when the situation calls for it.

 

[Zanacross]

I normally just leave my PC on. No sleep mode/hibernate. Only time I shut down is when my PC crashes.

 

[Hybrid Trainer]

Shut down, unplug.

My parents are always whining about power and stuff. But tbh thanks to the awesomeness that is Windows 7 it doesn't take long to start back up x]

 

[donavannj]

AHEM, using XP so I'm going to ignore "hibernate".

Anyways, it depends on what I have open at the moment. When I have an important web page up and I don't freakin' know where I found it, I'd leave it on sleep. Otherwise, I just shut it down.

Hibernate is an option in XP. And last I checked, sleep mode was called Stand By mode in XP, at least in terms of how they work. So all three options are there, just under different names.

Anyways, I use a combination of Sleep mode and Shut downs depending on the time of day and where I am. Sometimes I just lock my computer if it's in the middle of something.

 

[Gerri Shin]

I use sleep mode most, the only time I shut down my computers is when it's required after an update, I'm restarting into another OS, or when there's a fairly large lightning storm going on.

 

[Elite Overlord LeSabre™]

Hibernate. It's the best of both worlds... completely shutting off power while still saving what was on the computer before I shut it off.

 

[Tsutarja]

I never shut down my desktops.. (one of which runs as a web server) but I do shut down my laptops overnight if i run them.. however I never hibernate and I will occasionally use Sleep mode on my laptops if Im gonna be inactive, have no hard surface to put it on, but know I will be back at it later...

 

[melfice7]

I always shut my computer down, and then unplug. we need to consider the earth's health.

 

[Harmonie]

With my (current) laptop I always shut it down.

I learned to never put a laptop to sleep with my last laptop. Sure, it had plenty of other issues, but I do believe it would still be working today if I had got in the habit of just shutting it down (and with that, I might still have Wi-Fi -_-).

 

[JP]

I always turn it off and unplug. There was a time when I would hibernate it constantly, until I realized it made my computer slower over time. I hear it's a bad thing to always hibernate your PC, shutting down is what's best for it.

 

[alisaie]

Hibernate if I'm getting off for a long period of time but I have stuff open/not saved. Shut Down if I'm getting off for a long period of time and I saved everything. Sleep if it's plugged it and I'm only leaving for a little bit, or switching from a classroom to the cafeteria (at college, that is).

 

[Rogue planet]

I shut down every single time. I absolutely hate it when people leave electrical appliances on, there really is no need for it whatsoever and it wastes energy.

 

[NurseBarbra]

Hibernate. It's like shutting down, but without all the loading time BS.

 

[Sweet Candace]

I shut my computer down every time I'm done with it. Saves electricity and my dad chewing me out if I keep it on and the electricity bill keeps rising.