Tech tips: How to turn off or shut down a PC
In Windows 8 and Windows RT, there’s really no need to shut down your PC completely—put it in sleep mode instead. This uses very little power, your PC starts up faster, and you’re instantly back to where you left off. You don’t have to worry that you’ll lose your work because Windows automatically saves it and turns off the PC if the battery is too low. For most laptops and tablets, sleep is the default shutdown mode so all you need to do is close your lid or press the power button. If it isn’t, you can change that.
Here’s how to set sleep mode as the default:
- Open the Search charm, enter power, tap or click Settings on the right, and then tap or click Power options.
- Do one of the following:
- If you’re using a desktop or tablet, tap or click Choose what the power button does and under Power button settings, select Sleep, and then tap or click Save changes.
- If you’re using a laptop, tap or click Choose what closing the lid does. Then, next to When I close the lid, choose what you want your laptop to do, both for when it’s running on battery and when it’s plugged in, and then tap or click Save changes.
If you’re getting on an airplane or don’t plan to use your PC for a while, you might want to turn your PC completely off. Here’s how:
- Close any desktop apps you have open–this will prompt you to save your work.
- Open the Settings charm.
- Tap or click Power, and then tap or click Shut down.
Via Microsoft.com
