Hybrid Sleep... (and Sleep and Hibernation)

Message

loyukfai · #1 Post by **loyukfai** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 2:03 pm

Some little history first...

During the age of XP, I didn't used the "Standby" mode since it will drain the battery. In case I don't manage to plug-in before the battery is empty, the working state will be lost.

I know that, you can configure the "Hibernate" function so that, after a certain period of inactivity, the machine will wake up and put itself into, well, hibernation.

However, I never seemed to get it work, and the idea that the machine wakes up at an uncertain time at somewhere writing things to the HDD doesn't sit well with me.

Now, enters the age of Vista...

There's now a "Hybrid Sleep" function. Long story short, when it put the machine into "Sleep", it also does what "Hibernate" do - Write the data to the HDD.

When the machine returns from sleeping, if there was enough power to retain the data in memory, it will use it. Otherwise, it will use the data written to the disk.

So, in case the machine lost all power, you can still return the machine to the last working state.

The downside comparing to "Sleep" is that, it takes more time since "Hybrid Sleep" has to write the data to the disk.

According to Microsoft, this is mainly developed for desktops. However, I suppose it could be used for portable PC as well...? They reason that notebook PC should use "Sleep" + "Hibernation" but again, the idea that the machines wakes itself up at somewhere at some point of time doesn't sit well with me. What's your opinion on this...?

Last question, what do you use? Sleep? Hybrid sleep? Hibernation? Or a combination of them?

More information:

http://blogs.msdn.com/justsean/archive/ ... sleep.aspx
http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windo ... ement.aspx

#2 Post by **GomJabbar** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 5:46 pm

For now at least, I am still using XP and I either use Standby or just turn the ThinkPad off. Generally I enter Standby from a nearly fully charged battery state so there is no worry about the the machine powering itself off prematurely. My T42 is on everyday, so not enough time elapses for battery power to be a problem.

When I travel by air, I always just turn the ThinkPad off.

My wife on the other hand prefers Hibernation for her T42. She may enter Hibernation from a low battery state and she sometimes does not use her ThinkPad for some days. She rarely ever just turns her ThinkPad off without hibernating.

EDIT: Sorry, I didn't realize I was in the Vista forum when I posted this. To many distractions.

SHoTTa35 · #3 Post by **SHoTTa35** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 4:37 pm

I like Hybrid sleep but i just rather it going to sleep even if it's overnight. My system only looses about 7% battery over 10hrs, so i'm not worried about loosing data. I'm using Vista on my T42 but i rather the system coming alive in few seconds instead of "booting" up when i want it (hibernating)

skanky · #4 Post by **skanky** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 12:54 am

i use hybrid sleep, i usually keep my t60 plugged in overnight etc.

arni · #5 Post by **arni** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 1:48 am

Alwasy using Hybrid Sleep in Vista and on XP Hibernate. Can't stand the time the laptop uses to boot up from cold and reopening all my day-to-day applications.

Never had any serious problems with either.

loyukfai · #6 Post by **loyukfai** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 2:25 pm

Is it possible to use Hibernation when Hybrid Sleep is turned on...?

Sometimes, I would like to use Hibernation so that, no battery power will be used during the off period, reducing one or two wear cycles.

arni · #7 Post by **arni** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 12:43 am

It is possible. Just use Fn+F12 or select Hibernate in the Shutdown Dialog.

mgo · #8 Post by **mgo** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 1:13 am

loyukfai wrote:Is it possible to use Hibernation when Hybrid Sleep is turned on...?

Sometimes, I would like to use Hibernation so that, no battery power will be used during the off period, reducing one or two wear cycles.

Tell you the truth....just doing the usual FN+F4 for Sleep and Fn+F12 for Hibernate works just dandy on a ThinkPad running Vista. That's what I do. Hibernate seems to take about 5 seconds longer in and out than it did in XP, but that's the only difference that I've noticed. That's probably because there's more to -save- in Vista going to the hiberfile sys. No reason to even fret about Hybrid Sleep since a ThinkPad battery would protect against power failure anyway, unlike a desktop that depended on A/C. That's what Hybrid Sleep is designed for,and that is why it is not even enabled on a laptop.

loyukfai · #9 Post by **loyukfai** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:59 am

arni wrote:It is possible. Just use Fn+F12 or select Hibernate in the Shutdown Dialog.

Tried and tested. If you have enabled Hybrid Sleep (HS), Fn+F12 will enter HS mode instead of Hibernation.

jamess · #10 Post by **jamess** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 5:56 am

If I disable HS will that mean that putting my laptop into hibernation it WON'T drain my batteries? Is there a way I get my good old WinXP style Hibernate function back again?

loyukfai · #11 Post by **loyukfai** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 7:43 am

jamess wrote:If I disable HS will that mean that putting my laptop into hibernation it WON'T drain my batteries? Is there a way I get my good old WinXP style Hibernate function back again?

Supposedly yes.

loyukfai · #12 Post by **loyukfai** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 12:59 pm

An update...

It seems that, for whatever reason, now my box with Hybrid Sleep enabled, it can still go into Hibernation (not Hybrid Sleep) by Fn + F12.

Weird.

Anyway, nice weekend.

jamess · #13 Post by **jamess** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 1:02 pm

I too can go into hibernation, but still - it drains power - a lot !

pae77 · #14 Post by **pae77** » Tue Nov 27, 2007 3:54 pm

Does sleep still drain battery power even if the machine is plugged in to AC power source while sleeping?

I'm having a hard time figuring out what power settings to use. In XP I always used to just hibernate. I like the speed of resuming from sleep but I don't like the idea of gradually putting more unnecessary wear cycles on my battery if that's what sleep does even when plugged in to an AC power source.

#15 Post by **RonS** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 12:21 am

I disabled Hybrid Sleep because it was taking a LONG time for my system to go into sleep or hibernation. Now, my Vista system sleeps and hibernates just like XP which is perfect for me.

jamess · #16 Post by **jamess** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 5:43 am

If hybrid sleep is disabled and I press Fn+F12 to hibernate, will my computer (still) drain battery power?

pae77 · #17 Post by **pae77** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:27 pm

I would say no.

loyukfai · #18 Post by **loyukfai** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 12:55 pm

pae77 wrote:Does sleep still drain battery power even if the machine is plugged in to AC power source while sleeping?

Should be "no".

ejr · #19 Post by **ejr** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 11:24 pm

Hibernation is hibernation is hibernation. It matters not a whit if one uses hybrid sleep or normal sleep. Everything is written to the hiberfil.sys and the computer is turned off. In other words, it uses no current at all while still plugged in, other to monitor the charge of the battery. If the battery has been removed, it uses no power at all.

Of course you can go into hibernation, if you wish or by default if this is set to do so after a specified amount of time, whether you have your system set to sleep or hybrid sleep.

The advantage of using hybrid sleep is in case of unexpected power outages, or for someone who might grab his laptop to go somewhere else. However, the disadvantage is the longer time required to go into hybrid sleep because of the writing to the hiberfil.sys file. But awakening should be as fast as from the normal sleep since it only involves the ram, not the hiberfil.sys file.

If there is a danger of a power outage where you are located hybrid sleep is the wiser choice.

However, one problem with vista is that it will arbitrarily upgrade and shut down your system though you have put the system into sleep mode. It is thus a good idea to save anything you need to when using sleep, either one.

-er

loyukfai · #20 Post by **loyukfai** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 9:40 am

ejr wrote:However, one problem with vista is that it will arbitrarily upgrade and shut down your system though you have put the system into sleep mode. It is thus a good idea to save anything you need to when using sleep, either one.

You means the automatic updates from Microsoft (e.g. Windows, Office...)? I thought it only runs when the machine is on...?

What if I turned off the automatic update?

ejr · #21 Post by **ejr** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 11:13 am

It is difficult to to turn off automatic update, and microsoft has of late overriden this disabling, then admitted it. In some very critical cases ms might be justified in doing so.

-er

loyukfai · #22 Post by **loyukfai** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 11:32 am

BTW, is it new for Vista? Because I don't remember my XP box waking up by itself in the night to install updates.

ejr · #23 Post by **ejr** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 1:29 pm

Yes, this seems unique to vista.

-er

Hybrid Sleep... (and Sleep and Hibernation)

Hybrid Sleep... (and Sleep and Hibernation)

Who is online