What exactly is Hibernation?

[ispote]

Hello Everybody,
I have recently changed all my PCs (3 PCs) from Pentium-IV to i-3 (2 PCs) and i-5 (1 PC). These PCs are running Windows XP SP2 and one PC with dual boot option, running Windows 7 also.
The question arises in my mind because after replacing hardware, I found following changes in the process of hibernation:
With old PCs:
1) Hibernation was successful. I was hibernating PCs most of the times and rebooting them once in a week only.
2) Hibernated PCs were not starting again by pressing any keyboard key (Not tried mouse).
3) After hibernation, I used to switch off power (UPS connected to PC). After restarting, Windows XP was resuming normally and I was able to continue my work.

With new PCs:
1) PC hibernates normally. But If I switch off UPS and thereafter I start the PC, the Windows gives me message: "Windows was not shut down properly..."
2) If power is not switched off, PC resumes just by pressing any keyboard key (Not tried mouse). But this is surprising to me.
3) If I resume from hibernation, Windows or other applications won't perform properly as they should (or as they perform if PC is rebooted)

Please help me regarding these issues and if possible, please explain me what exactly happens when we hibernate our PC. Why old computer were not starting with keyboard and why new computers starts? Why new PCs give problems if I switch off them?

Old PCs configuration:
(Don't remember exactly): P-4 3.2 Dual Core (2 PCs)and P-4 2.4 GHz (1 PC), Intel 915GAV and Intel 845 MoBo (1 PC), 768 MB DDR2, 160 GB SATA Seagate, CRT Monitors

New PC Config:
1 PC:
i-5, Asus P7P55D, 2 GB DDR3, Seagate 500 GB SATA
2 PC:
i-3, Intel DH55TC, 4 GB DDR3, Seagate 500 GB SATA
2 PC:
i-3, Intel DH55TC, 4 GB DDR3, WD 250 GB SATA

Thanks,

 

[whitestar_999]

i hope you are aware that in windows 7 by default hybrid/sleep mode is used & to use the traditional hibernation one has to specifically enable it in power plan advanced setting options.

in hibernation all the contents of RAM is copied onto the hard disk & after that power is turned off.during resume windows loads the saved RAM contents again to present the same state as time of hibernation.

in hybrid/sleep mode all other pc components are turned off/put in low power state except RAM.power is not turned off because RAM contents are lost as soon as power to RAM is off unlike hard disk.pressing any key wakes system from sleep while turning off the power will result in sudden data loss of RAM resulting in "improper shutdown" message during next startup.

 

[ispote]

Dear Whitestar_999,

Thanks for your reply. I am aware of hybrid mode and therefore, I have chosen pure hibernation (traditional) mode in Windows 7. But still the computer resumes with keyboard invoked. Also, the same happens even if I hibernate from win XP. Your help in this regard is appreciated...

 

[whitestar_999]

see here.it seems usb devices can wake up system from a hibernation state.
Desktop starts up from hibernation on key press or mouse move?

also just to confirm you hibernate pc by selecting "hibernate" option from shutdown menu.

 

[CyberKID]

You seem to be using SLEEP mode. It is in sleep mode that the computer resumes with a key press or a mouse move/click event. No matter what, you cannot start a computer from a hibernation mode by pressing a key on the keyboard or moving a mouse. The Sleep Mode in Windows 7 is such that it turns off event the Power and HDD lights. Once you shut down the computer from the UPS in such a case,you're liable to see "Windows was not shut down properly" message.

HIBERNATION specifically creates a file in the system drive and dumps all the data of your system memory (RAM) in that file (with the name hiberfile.sys). When you restart your system from hibernation, the system loads the contents of hiberfile.sys in the system RAM, thus enabling you to resume work from where you left it.

 

[Minion]

Go to power option in win 7 edit profile disable hybrid sleep now you can find hibernate option.

 

[ispote]

Dear All,

Thanx for your replies. But please note that hybrid sleep is disabled in Windows 7. Two PCs are only having Windows XP and not Win 7, still these PCs starts just with keyboard when hibernated. I also re-confirmed this yesterday. The only USB device connected to these two PCs is USB Logitech Keyboard (Mouse being PS2). Please help.

ThanQ,

 

[Abhishek_Z]

Well I respect you way of using computer but as you upgraded to i3-i5 your boot time must have reduced so just using your 2 min from 24 hrs should not be a tiring job so I recommend you to shut down your PC rather than Hibernating it. Well it saves your battery and increases life of you machine.

But if you want to customize behavior of your PC's Hibernation Mode then.
.
1. Have a look at taskbar (windows) there have a look at Power Icon.
2. Right Click and choose "Power Options"
3.Now select any power option and click "Change Plan Settings"
4. Don't do anything, just find "Change Advanced Power Settings"
5. Expand "Sleep"
6. Expand "Allow Hybrid Sleep"
7. Change status to "Yes" (as you prefer 'On Battery' or 'Pluged-In' or both)

Hope this helped. !!!

 

[whitestar_999]

i am using a PS/2 keyboard & usb mouse & in device manager under their properties-->power management tab there is the option "allow this device to wake the computer" which is checked by default.did you try unchecking it?

to all others here who have posted besides me & the op please do not post replies without paying attention to what op's problem is.none of you have posted a reply which can be considered as a correct reply to what op is asking.probably why op has to use red color in his previous reply.

 

[ithehappy]

Let me get this straight, a background task will continue if i hibernate a PC?
So can i download something and if i hibernate it will continue? Unlike sleep mode which stops it?

 

[arijitsinha]

^Nope.. you can continue after resuming from hibernation only.. all the processes will be stop when you hibernate/sleep.

^OP :- Have you reinstalled XP again ? Or you have continue with the same setup? As you have said after resuming, some application are not working properly, there might be the hibernation is not successing properly. Maybe the hardware changes, xp is not able to handle it propely.

 

[Zangetsu]

Let me get this straight, a background task will continue if i hibernate a PC?
So can i download something and if i hibernate it will continue? Unlike sleep mode which stops it?

no...the process state is saved in hibernation & resumed from there on restart.the same principle is used in virtual OS machines where program state is saved & resumed on restart
but do note that hibernate files takes lots of space on HDD

 

[sling-shot]

but do note that hibernate files takes lots of space on HDD

Probably as much as the installed RAM.

 

[ispote]

Dear whitestar_999,

Thanks, at-last, your solution of disabling the option "Allow this device..." worked. I have done this in Windows XP, now I will try in Window 7 also.
But I have one doubt in my mind. If we hibernate PC instead of shutting down, does it mean that at-least some power remains supplied to computer even after hibernation? And in that case, is it safe to power off the UPS after hibernation?
Last, should we use hibernation or not?
I have all desktops... not any laptop.

Thanks again.....

 

[kisame]

Everything is powered down when system is hibernated.So it is safe to power off UPS.
Hibernation is not harmful in any way.

 

[ithehappy]

Thanks arijit and zangetsu.

 

[whitestar_999]

in hibernation you can safely turn off the ups since ram contents are now saved on hard disk just like any other file unlike sleep mode where some power to ram is required to keep ram contents saved.

btw even if you shutdown the pc using menu there is always a small power flow to pc(mainly lan port).this is used because there are commands available to turn on the pc remotely(wake on lan feature) after it is shutdown but ups is on & is used in big organizations.

 

[ispote]

Thanx everybody for the information...