Shutdown Hibernate or Sleep

We recommend shutting down your computer once a week.  This does not include rebooting a computer.  There is a slight difference between the two but a shutdown clears all the gremlins.

You should use hibernate at the end of the day and sleep mode if you are going to be away from your computer for an hour and not plugged in.  Below explains the differences between sleep and hibernate.

Hibernate and sleep modes are power-saving states in Windows, but they serve different purposes and have distinct advantages. Here's a brief explanation of why someone might choose to use Hibernate instead of Sleep mode:

Hibernate

1. Power Saving: Hibernate uses significantly less power than Sleep mode. It saves the state of your computer (open documents, running applications, etc.) to the hard drive and then completely powers down the computer. This makes it an excellent option for conserving battery life, especially for laptops.

2. Session Preservation: Hibernate is useful when you need to preserve your session for an extended period without using any power. Since the state is saved to the hard drive, you can unplug your computer or let the battery run out without losing your current session.

3. Resuming Work: When you turn your computer back on, it resumes from where you left off, with all your applications and documents open as they were before hibernation. This can save time compared to shutting down and then reopening everything.

Sleep Mode

1. Quick Resume: Sleep mode allows your computer to enter a low-power state while keeping everything in memory (RAM). This makes it much quicker to resume working, usually within a few seconds.

2. Short-Term Use: Sleep mode is ideal for short breaks or when you plan to return to your computer within a short period. It balances power saving with quick access to your session.

When to Use Each

• Use Hibernate if you need to conserve battery life for an extended period, won't be using your computer for a long time, or need to completely shut down your computer without losing your current session.
• Use Sleep Mode if you need to step away from your computer for a short period and want to quickly resume your work when you return.

Choosing between Hibernate and Sleep mode depends on your specific needs for power saving and quick access to your session.