Read on to find out more.
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What Is Sleep Mode?
This includes any open applications or documents.
The advantages of sleep mode are that it saves power and enables quick resumption of work.
It can also be especially helpful for saving battery life when you know youll be coming back shortly.
Macs have a unique variation of sleep mode called Power Nap.
Power Nap is designed to perform these tasks without spinning up the laptops fans or using much power.
Unfortunately, Windows has no direct equivalent to Power Nap.
If youre going to lunch or taking a short break, sleep mode is a great option.
Sleep mode still drains your battery slightly over time, and isnt effective at helping resolve technical issues.
And while sleep mode is convenient, it can leave your laptop vulnerable to unauthorized access.
Using an antivirus program likeNortoncan help protect your data even when your laptop is in sleep mode.
Keep in mind that your battery will still drain slowly while in sleep mode.
Keep reading to learn how to use sleep mode on Windows and Mac laptops.
Keep this in mind if you want to enter hibernation mode or shut it down.
Is Sleep Mode Safe?
While sleep mode is convenient, it does carry some risks.
When your laptop is in sleep mode, the RAM retains information about open programs and data.
If your laptop has biometric login, I recommend enabling that, too.
Antiviruses likeNortonandBitdefender(or any of my favorites) will flush them out.
should all be unplugged.)
you could turn them off from there.
If those simple steps didnt work, heres a guide on common problems with sleep mode.
Ill even include fixes for both Windows and Mac laptops, so nobody feels left out.
Waking Up Unexpectedly
If your laptop is waking up unexpectedly, background tasks are probably at fault.
Some tasks and background applications are scheduled to run at set times.
External devices may also be causing the issue.
Windows users should check for scheduled tasks.
To do this, fire up the Task Scheduler and ensure none are set to wake your laptop.
Mac users should look into the Wake for connection access setting if their gadget is waking up unexpectedly.
If you use Windows, launch the Start menu and search forPower, sleep, and battery prefs.
Next, click onChange Plan Settingsor fire up the drop-down menu under Screen and sleep.
Ensure that the time it takes for your laptop to go to sleep when left untouched is reasonable.
you’re free to also customize different times for when your laptop is charging versus running on battery.
Typically, the problem has to do with outdated drivers that simply need to be updated.
When it turns back on, upgrade your drivers.
If you use Windows, go toDevice Managerand click onDisplay Adapter.
This should open a drop-down list displaying your drivers.
Right-clickUpdate driver.Windows will take it from there and scan your drivers to see whether they can be updated.
you’re free to also use an antivirus likeAvira, which includes a driver updater.
On Macs, resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) can fix this issue.
Release the button, wait a few seconds, then press it again to turn on your Mac.
Oftentimes, its just temporary files clogging your RAM or applications eating up your memory.
If youre still experiencing instability after waking up from sleep, it may be sparked by outdated drivers.
Mac users should try resetting the SMC and PRAM/NVRAM to fix such problems.
Release the keys after about 20 seconds.
Heavy Battery Drain in Sleep Mode
Background applications can cause excessive battery drain during sleep mode.
If youre experiencing this, try closing all non-essential applications before putting your gear to sleep.
With older devices, hardware issues can sometimes cause this problem.
Unfortunately, if this is the case, there isnt much you’re free to do.
Some applications are set to still run in sleep mode, which can potentially drain your battery.
verify that Power Nap is disabled if you use a Macbook.
What Is Hibernate Mode?
Hibernate mode is a power-saving feature primarily used in laptops.
Hibernate mode is also less effective than a full restart for solving system performance issues.
You also wont get the full benefits of software updates.
The biggest drawback comes when trying to use Hibernation with an SSD.
If you use an SSD, Id recommend just using sleep mode.
In contrast, Macs use a similar feature known as Safe Sleep.
Keep in mind that your PC or Mac is also still prone to cyberattacks while in sleep mode.
Hibernation helps if youll be regularly leaving and going back to your laptop and dont have any power.
However, hibernation is not always the best solution.
Fortunately, Mac Safe Sleep avoids this issue by not requiring extra storage space.
If the issues persist, however,download a good antivirusto confirm it isnt malware.
Nowadays, Windows doesnt show the hibernate option by default.
Once youve done that, the option will appear in the future.
Heres how you go about getting your laptop to hibernate.
Instead, they have a Safe Sleep feature that combines aspects of sleep and hibernate modes.
Its not something you have to manually enable, as it happens automatically when the Mac enters sleep mode.
What Is Shutting Down?
However, shutting down your laptop also has its disadvantages.
The most significant is the time it takes to boot up and get your system up and running again.
When to Fully Shut Your Laptop Down
Shutting down your laptop is beneficial in several instances.
Shutting down your laptop also helps clear up any temporary files, RAM issues, or minor software issues.
You could lose progress on your work, or even worse, it could corrupt your data.
After youve done these 3 things, follow the steps below to turn off your laptop safely.
ClickShut down, and voila, your PC will start its shutdown process.
This ensures all programs close correctly and no data gets lost.
Note that modern PCs dont fully turn off when you shut them down.
This is why major updates require you to restart rather than just shut down and reboot.
punch the Apple menu, which is the icon located at the top left corner of your screen.
A drop-down menu will appear.
Scroll down until you findShut Down.
A confirmation window will appear, clickShut Downagain, and your Mac will begin to power down safely.
This can result in your unit missing important updates and getting bogged down with too many temporary files.
Here are the key reasons you should reboot your laptop.
Its important to regularly save and back up your files just in case.
To start, ensure you regularly preserve your work withCTRL+Sor by clicking theSavebutton in an tool.
Some users might prefer manual backups copying files to an external hard drive or USB stick.
Its simple: copy your files and paste them into your external storage devices directory.
For an automated solution, you’ve got the option to use your operating systems built-in backup options.
Windows offers the File History tool, while macOS has Time Machine.
Both work in the background, making incremental backups to an external drive or web link location.
You simply need to enable these features and select a backup destination.
However, an antivirus with cloud backup features is my go-to solution.
The best antiviruses, likeNortonandBitdefender, offer cloud backup options.
Norton, for example, offers up to 250 GB of cloud storage space.
Automatic backups provide me with peace of mind and feel like a genuine lifesaver in a data disaster.
Always ensure your precious files are safely tucked away and recoverable in the worst-case scenarios.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my laptop turn on so slowly?
When you start your laptop, it runs through a process called booting up.
This involves checking hardware, starting up the operating system, and loading applications.
What can happen if I turn my laptop off incorrectly?
Improperly shutting down your laptop can result in data loss or damage to your system.
Even worse, it might corrupt system files, leading to stability issues or a non-booting system.
I also recommendbacking your data upto avoid losing files.
What happens if I never turn off my laptop?
Keeping your laptop on continuously can lead to reduced performance over time.
Your laptop, like any machine, needs occasional breaks to cool down and perform routine maintenance tasks.
Constantly running can also cause some pretty bad overheating issues, especially for high-performance or modified laptops.
Why did my laptop automatically turn off?
Your laptop may have automatically shut down to protect itself from overheating.
If your laptop often turns off unexpectedly, it might be struggling with heat.
