How to Exit Vista's Sleep Mode

Sleep mode can prolong a notebook's battery life.

It is generally unwise to leave a computer on at all times. Leaving a desktop computer on increases your power bill, and leaving a notebook on drains its battery. However, a computer can take a while to start up after being shut down completely. As a compromise, Windows Vista includes a low-power state called Sleep. In Sleep mode, a computer consumes far less power than it does while turned on, and it requires just a few seconds to resume operation when you are ready to use it again. If you have put your Windows Vista computer into Sleep mode, there are a few ways that you can exit Sleep and resume normal operation.

Instructions

1. Open the screen if the computer is a notebook. In some Windows Vista power configurations, opening the screen causes the notebook to exit Sleep mode immediately. If the computer does not exit Sleep mode, continue to the next step.

2. Press the Power button. All Windows Vista computers are configured to exit Sleep mode when the user presses the power button. However, depending on the computer configuration, there may be an better method. Continue to the next step to learn this.

3. Press a key on the keyboard or move the mouse. Depending on the computer's power configuration, this may cause it to exit Sleep mode.

Tips & Warnings

• All Windows Vista computers should exit sleep mode when the Power button is pressed. In the unlikely event that this does not cause the computer to resume normal operation, you can force the computer to shut down by holding the power button down for approximately ten seconds. However, this method will cause any unsaved work to be lost.

References

• Microsoft: Windows Vista: Turn Off a Computer: How Can I Wake My Computer from Sleep?