Properly shutting down your laptop seems like a pretty easy thing to do, right? Well, you would be surprised at how many laptop owners don’t know how to shut down a laptop properly; or they just simply never do so. For the record, closing your laptop does not shut it down, and that is why it is vital to frequently or consistently shut down your system.

In this article, we will explore the different types of power modes and what each mode does – or doesn’t do – for your laptop. We will also discuss the reasons and benefits that come from powering off your laptop from time to time.Different Power Modes

There are three power modes for most PCs and laptops that you can choose from to turn it “off.” You might be surprised by how each mode affects your performance differently, and let’s dive into what each mode means and what mode might be best for you.

• • Sleep Mode: When your laptop is “sleeping” or in sleep mode, it may look like it is off, but it is not – it’s in a low-power state. A lot of people choose sleep mode because it’s easier and quicker than rebooting your computer back up after you’ve shut it down. Sleep mode stores and saves all of your open files, programs, and other data to your laptop’s RAM. While in sleep mode, your laptop essentially shuts “off” everything but the RAM, which will continue to draw power from the battery.
    
    When you close your laptop, it enters sleep mode. The main benefit of sleep mode is that all of your open files, windows, and apps will be pulled up automatically when you reopen your laptop. The downside is that it uses more power than the other power modes.
  • Hibernate: This power mode was designed for laptops and is not available on some PCs. When your laptop is in hibernate mode, it completely shuts down and draws zero power from the battery. Like sleep mode, hibernate mode will save files, windows, and programs that you had opened before, but these items are stored in a hibernation file on your hard drive when your laptop is in hibernate mode. The main downside of hibernate mode is that it does take longer to boot back up when compared to sleep mode. The main advantage of this mode is that it can preserve battery life by using no power.
  • Shutting Down: When you completely shut down your laptop, all programs, files, processes will close automatically, and the memory in your RAM will be cleared. The benefits of a clear RAM can significantly impact speed and performance, which is why it’s important to know how to shut down a laptop properly. Keep in mind that when you actually shut down your computer, none of the programs that were running before the shutdown will reopen – so make sure to permanently save your work before powering down your laptop or PC.

Why You Should Shut Down Your Laptop Or PC

It is not completely necessary to properly shut down your laptop every single time you use it, but there are many benefits that come from powering down or restarting your system. By powering down your computer, you are allowing your processor, RAM, drivers, and all other components of your computer to rest. When you constantly have your PC or laptop running, you are putting a lot of stress on the previously mentioned components because they are continually running – this could even shorten their life cycles.

It goes without saying that by powering down your computer, you are also being more energy-efficient. When your computer enters other power modes, it still draws some power, and when your laptop is completely shut down, it uses absolutely no power at all.

Your laptop also needs the occasional power down because upon starting up, it will look for system updates or security updates that can improve overall performance.

Powering off your laptop on occasion is essential to the health of your computer. So the next time you think about putting your computer in sleep mode or simply closing it, think of the benefits that come along with knowing how to shut down a laptop properly and how it can improve overall performance.

If powering your laptop does not help with performance, you might need additional help clearing out old files that are slowing down your laptop. If you need help with this process, MyCleanPC stands out from other software cleaners to help improve and optimize computer performance.