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Log Off: Tells Windows that you are done without having to turn the computer off and on.
Stand By: Puts your computers into a power-saving Sleep mode, a low-power use state.
Hibernate: The computer turns off, but when you turn it back on, it comes back to life much faster. A sort of suspended animation condition.
Restart: Turns the computer off and on again in one, mainly used for installs, upgrades of software or fixing minor issues.
Shut Down: This really turns the computer off.
Used usually when multiple users access the same computer. IF you are the only one using your computer, you should rally never need to log off.
Logging off allows users of the same PC to get in and use their accounts. If so, ensure that your computer session has ended properly.
How to log off:
Click the Start button.
Click Log Off button at the bottom of the Start panel.
If you see the Log Off Windows dialog box, go to
Click the Log Off button.
As the computer logs you out, you'll see a prompt to save any unsaved files and open programs or windows are closed.
If you see the Switch User button, you can use it to quickly log out and let someone else log in. This option is faster than logging out as it does not require you to save or close programs.
When you log in again, all your content is waiting just as you left this.
A quick way to log out and lock the computer is to press the Win+L key combination.
The Win key is the Windows key on your keyboard; L stands for Lock. To unlock the system just log in to Windows as you normally would.
Many users use this Win+L trick when they step away from the computer to ensure that no one can spy on this while you are away.
Stand By is known as Sleep or Suspend mode and is designed as an energy-saving measure.
What it does is to place your PC into a special low-power mode. The monitor goes blank, the hard drive spins down, and the computer sits there saving electricity.
To enter Stand By mode, do the following steps:
Save your work!
This step is important: You must save your documents or files to disk before putting the PC into Stand By mode. To be extra safe, close your programs or you may lose data if a power outage occurs while the computer is in sleep mode.
Click the Start button.
Click the Shut Down button at the bottom of the Start panel.
The Turn Off Computer dialog box appears.
Click the Stand By button.
The computer appears to have turned off, but it's just at rest.
To awake the computer press a key on the keyboard or move the mouse. The PC comes back to life, readt to resume where you left off.
Sleep mode is controlled by the Power Options icon, in Windows Control Panel. This can set options to automatically put the PC into Sleep mode or control which parts of the PC sleep and which don't.
Rather than turn off your computer, you can use Hibernation instead. It can be better than turning the computer off, especially if you're always in a hurry.
Here's how:
Click the Start button.
Click the Shut Down button at the bottom of the Start panel.
You will see the Turn off computer dialog box but no Hibernate button!
Press and hold either Shift key
Shift key activates the Hibernate button, which is in the same place as the Stand By button. Keep holding Shift key
Click the Hibernate button.
The computer's hard drive spins for a few seconds and then shuts off.
Moving the mouse or using the keyboard wont wake the PC.
To unhibernate, hit the console power button. Unlike in a normal startup, the computer will come to life and return to its former state, restoring as it was thelast time you used the PC.
Not all PC's can hibernate.
If you do not see the Hibernate option in Step 3, your PC may not have this.
Check with the Windows Control Panel; open Power Options icon and check the dialog box for a Hibernate tab.
Hibernation saves electricity and time, in that the computer is really turned off and takes less time to turn the computer on again.
You need to reset or restart Windows in two instances. Windows tells you to restart after you install something new or make some change, or whenever some strangeness happens. A restart refreshes a computer and it wil usually return to normal.
To restart Windows:
Click the Start button.
Click the Shut Down button at the bottom of the Start panel.
The Turn Off Computer dialog box appears.
Click the Restart button.
Windows shuts down - just as though it were turning the computer off. But, just at the time the system would have turned off, it starts back up again - restarting.
If any files are unsaved, you'll be asked to save these before shutting down.
As the computer shuts down, you may encounter various End Now dialog boxes.
These are programs that need instructions to quit. If you see any, click End Now button to complete the restart process.
Click Start button.
Click Shut Down button at the bottom of the Start panel.
You see the Turn Off Computer dialog box.
After time, the computer turns off.
If you have unsaved documents or files, Windows will ask you to save these before it shuts down.
After turning off console, turn off other components of your computer system: monitor, scanner, speakers or other external devices. Or, if you use a power strip for these, simply switch this off.
Leave your UPS (uninterruptible power supply) on, if you have one, so its battery remains charged.