How to Get Hard Drives to Hibernate

"Hibernate" mode is a power-saving mode that laptops and desktop computers running Windows use to power off virtually all components of the computer, including the hard drive. Placing a computer in hibernate mode saves all of your data and open programs for fast recovery. To place your computer in hibernate mode, you can manually select the mode from your computer's power options, or set the computer to automatically hibernate after a certain amount of time.

Select "Hibernate" from the shut down options. Click the "Hibernate" button in the Shutdown menu to put your computer into hibernate mode. If the Hibernate button is not visible in your Shutdown menu, you will need to enable hibernation by taking the following steps.

Open "Power Options" in the Control Panel. To access the Control Panel, click the "Start" button to load the Start menu. Click the "Control Panel" link found on the right side of the Start menu. In the Control Panel, double-click the "Power Options" icon.

Enable the "Hibernate" option. Double-clicking the "Power Options" icon loads a dialog box called "Power Options Properties" that contains five tabs. Click the "Hibernate" tab---the last tab in the dialog box. To enable hibernation, click the "Enable hibernation" checkbox so that it is checked. Click "Apply" to save your changes, and "OK" to exit the dialog box.

Activate the standby mode. After enabling hibernation, a "Hibernate" button will appear in your computer's shutdown menu. If you see a "Standby" button instead of the "Hibernate" button, hold down the "Shift" button on your keyboard to change the Standby button into a Hibernate button. Clicking the "Hibernate" button will turn off your hard drives and put the computer in hibernate mode.

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