Windows 10: Remover Power Supply during Hibernation or Hybrid Sleep?

Hello all,

I have 3 questions regarding putting a PC into a lower energystate.

1. Can the PC be damaged if I turn off and remove the Power Supply and opening the case to clean the PC, while the PC is in Hibernation Mode instead of having it fully shut down?

2. I've seen in the energy options that there is a Hybrid Sleep state as well. How can I determine if my PC is in Hibernation or in Hybrid Sleep mode? I usually select the option in the start menu Power icon, but since the language is in Dutch, I'm not sure which is which. I can press a key on the keyboard to turn the PC back on if that info is of any use.

3. If my PC is in Hybrid Sleep mode, will it do any damage to the PC if I remove the power supply, open the case and clean the PC?

:)

 

Battery drain with windows 10 on surface pro 2

The easiest solution for me was to change the power button settings when on battery. I changed the option from "Sleep" (which I have been told in Windows 10 is really "Hybrid Sleep") to "Hibernate". It appears to me that the default Hybrid Sleep mode on
the SP2 eats the battery. Now I just hit the power button when I am done. My battery lasts 3-4 days again.

Comparing Sleep, Hibernation, and Hybrid Sleep on Windows - TekRevue

HTH,

M

 

black screen

http://www.tomsguide.com/answers/id-2797800/pow...

The solution on that page:

You may be having difficulty with a Windows feature called hybrid shutdown, which performs a hibernate-like dump of important running processes and kernel components during each shutdown. To disable hybrid shutdown, type "Power plan" in Start and choose the
first option. Click "Choose what the power buttons do" on the sidebar. Click "Change settings that are currently unavailable." Uncheck "Turn on fast startup."

Also another solution from the same page:: Remove the BIOS/CMOS Battery for 1-2 Minutes and put it in again.

With laptops this is usually under the memory module cover.

 

Either will be OK as both hybrid sleep and hibernation write contents of RAM to disk. Hybrid sleep keeps contents in RAM as well - that is the difference.

These pictures might help: Comparing Sleep, Hibernation, and Hybrid Sleep on Windows - TekRevue

I'd unplug it from the wall before opening the case anyway though.

 

Thanks for the reply. I've indeed found that article before. But, if Hybrid Sleep still uses RAM while RAM needs power, how can it be ok to turn off the power supply during that mode?

 

You can't. Once you remove the power supply anything in memory vanishes? Nothing will happen if you just turn your PC off and the clean it.

 

In that case, it shouldn't also be a problem if you remove the power supply during a normal sleep state?

Wouldn't that be a risk to corrupt or damage the RAM memory?

 

Because Hybrid Sleep has two copies of the RAM data - one in the RAM itself, the other written to disk. It uses the RAM if available, or restores the RAM from disk if not. The key line in the article is...

 

That clears it up. So if I understand correctly, it shouldn't be a risk of RAM damage if I remove the power supply while RAM is receiving power? The same thing happens if you completely shut down the pc?

 

That's right. When the power is lost the contents of the RAM are lost. It doesn't damage it.

When you restart if it was in Hybrid Sleep it will see the RAM is empty and restore the contents from the disk.

If it was in Sleep there would be nothing in RAM and nothing to restore from disk so it would do a cold boot which probably wouldn't damage anything (certainly not hardware). You would however lose what you were doing and could potentially corrupt Windows although it never happened to me.

Do unplug it from the wall though - don't just open the case and remove the power supply with it still plugged in to the mains.

 

Thanks for clearing this up lx07. I always unplug everything from the wall and discharge myself before cleaning it, thanks for the advice nonetheless.

 

No, you have never turned off your PC? you have never lost power? Anytime I mess with a power supply I remove AC to. I have worked on some huge power supplies and or inverters that backed up a DMS 100 Switch. Nothing will happen to your PC. what is stored is temporary files. I have cleaned my PC about once a month and I never had to remove the PS to do it

 

I have turned it off before, but it didn't immediately came to mind that turning off a PC empties the RAM the same way as removing a power supply during a Hybrid Sleep. Wanted to be sure on that. *Smile

 

I have a slightly off-topic question but I noticed something weird.

Before cleaning up the PC, if I completely shut down the PC, I'd always have to press the Power button several times before the PC finally boots up. It then boots up normally as if nothing happened.
At first I thought this might be a problem with the PSU but here's the weird part; When I put the PC into Hibernation Mode instead of shutting it down, pressing a key on the keyboard makes the PC boot up immediately, even if I've left the PC for a whole night in Hibernation Mode.

After cleaning up the PC, the PC boots up immediately even if I shut it down completely.

Is this still a problem with the PSU or could dust in the PSU (that I've cleaned) really be the cause of these symptoms?

 

Hi Johnny, first you should always turn the computer off, remove power and drain the capacitors by holding the power button down for several seconds before entering the case to clean it or work on any components.

Once you restore power, the capacitors have to restore power and supply power to the Motherboard and components before it will start. That usually occurs within a matter of a few seconds. It doesn't hurt anything and will damage nothing.