What is Hibernate Mode and its advantage over StandBy Mode.. Posted by Prince Prasad on 10:45 PM No comments

Hibernate mode works in a way that is a bit different from standby mode.

When a computer enters StandBy mode, OS turns off most of the devices in the computer (including the display, hard disks, and peripherals), but keeps just enough power flowing to keep the information in memory intact—information that includes open windows and running programs. When you exit standby mode (typically by moving the mouse or pressing a key), Windows is returned to the state in which you left it. However, when a computer is in standby mode, it is still reliant on a power source. If the power source is interrupted (for example, if the battery runs out), information in memory is lost.

When your computer enters Hibernate Mode, Windows saves the information in memory (including open programs and windows) to your hard disk, and then your computer shuts down. When you start the computer after it has been hibernating, Windows returns to its previous state. Restarting to the previous state includes automatically restarting any programs that were running when it went into hibernate mode, and it even restores any network connections that were active at the time.

The advantage of hibernation mode over standby mode is that when a computer is in hibernation mode, it is not reliant on a power source—the computer is completely shut down.

To configure your computer to use hibernate mode, use the Power Options Properties dialog box. Click the Hibernate tab and select the Enable Hibernation check box. If the Hibernate tab is unavailable, your computer does not support this mode. Hibernation works by saving the information currently stored in your computer’s memory to hard disk. To do this, Windows creates a hibernation file on the root of your system partition. This file changes size, depending on the amount of memory you have, but always consumes the amount of space it will need—even if you have never hibernated. Unless you plan to use hibernation, you should disable this option to save disk space.