Knowledge is power, and knowing how to power your computer properly is fundamental to excelling in a digital lifestyle.
Sometimes it’s good to start with the basics, and one topic that I’ve had a surprisingly large amount of conversations over is the how the power button works on a computer.
The Power Button
Nearly all electronic devices have a power button. While the power button’s function for turning on a computer is (in most cases) straight forward, it’s powering down the device that still mystifies some.
Did you know?
Power buttons and switches are usually labeled with “I” and “O” symbols. The “I” represents power on and the “O” represents power off. This designation will sometimes be seen as I/O or as the “I” and “O” characters on top of each other as a single character.
Why YOU should properly shut down your computer
When you’re done using your computer, it’s important to turn it off properly—not only to save energy, but also to make sure that your data is saved and to help keep your computer more secure. Best of all, your computer will start quickly the next time you use it.
Press Once
Typically, pressing the power button once on your computer will do one of two actions:
- Prompt – The device prompts you for which power cycle to switch to (Usually Shut Down, Restart, Sleep & Cancel).
- Sleep – The device enters sleep mode. Sleep mode remembers how you left your computer and uses much less power.
Press and Hold
This method is the kill switch for the computer. When you press and hold the power button (typically for 10 seconds), the computer will completely power down.
Which method to use?
Let’s be clear about one thing: the best method to shut down is through the computer’s operating system. The press once function is more of a convenience for those of you out there who favor keyboard shortcuts. While the press and hold method is not recommended for normal shut down of a computer, knowing how to is recommended if the computer becomes frozen, or encounters a kernel panic (also known as Blue Screen of Death in Windows).
Further Reading
If you’re a Windows user, Microsoft has guides for properly shutting down your computer for Windows Vista, and Windows 7, as well as a guide for Changing what happens when you press the power button on your computer. Running an older version of Windows? GrownUpGeek has info for shutting down Windows 98 and Windows XP here.
Perhaps your running a Mac? Apple has a few keyboard shortcuts listed for shut down, restart, and sleep.
Feedback
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[Image via Creative Commons, noii.]
