Hibernate is useful because it saves the status of your Windows XP "session" (all the programs and documents you have open) to the hard drive, so it can automatically restore it the next time you power up. This "session" information is what is stored in RAM. So what ever amount of RAM you have is the amount of space hibernation will use on your hard drive. I feel it is much safer to close down all the programs you have been using and save the data as normal, then use the normal Windows shutdown. This is just in case anything goes wrong when you reboot > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > Sent: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:33:43 +0800 > To: [email protected] > Subject: [GEN-COMP-TIPS] HIBERNATE IN WINDOWS XP > > I am in the habit of using the Hibernate function on my PC when shutting > down, either for a short time, or overnight. > Someone has suggested that this may not be the best or safest thing to > do for computer security. > Any advice welcome. > Thanks, > > Mal in WestOz > -------------------------------------- > Having trouble with your subscription? Contact the List Admin at > [email protected] > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I didn't know that hibernate shut down and rebooted your computer, and since the contents of the screen reappear instantly, I doubt whether that is true. I think the question really asked whether hibernating overnight is safe from the standpoint of security. Can others hack into your computer in hibernate mode? Again, I do not believe that the comptuer is shut down in hibernate mode, though I think it is powered off. I think that for maximum security the computer should be booted up only when you are working on it. I for one keep my computer on much of the time. And I think that is kinder to the hard drive. There are alternative ways to protect your computer - just unplug the Internet cable or phone cord. Yours, Dora Smith Austin, TX [email protected] ----- Original Message ----- From: "n.east" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 3:17 AM Subject: Re: [GEN-COMP-TIPS] HIBERNATE IN WINDOWS XP > Hibernate is useful because it saves the status of your Windows XP > "session" (all the programs and documents you have open) to the hard > drive, so it can automatically restore it the next time you power up. This > "session" information is what is stored in RAM. So what ever amount of RAM > you have is the amount of space hibernation will use on your hard drive. I > feel it is much safer to close down all the programs you have been using > and save the data as normal, then use the normal Windows shutdown. This is > just in case anything goes wrong when you reboot > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [email protected] >> Sent: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:33:43 +0800 >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: [GEN-COMP-TIPS] HIBERNATE IN WINDOWS XP >> >> I am in the habit of using the Hibernate function on my PC when shutting >> down, either for a short time, or overnight. >> Someone has suggested that this may not be the best or safest thing to >> do for computer security. >> Any advice welcome. >> Thanks, >> >> Mal in WestOz -- Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.3/395 - Release Date: 7/21/2006

Perhaps you are confusing "hibernate" with "sleep-mode". As I explained in my message, hibernate is a process that can be applied when you shut down your computer - completely. Sleep-mode on the other hand, powers down your computer but it is still switched on and ready to go into action when needed. Sleep-mode is usually a good way for notebook users to save on battery power. In hibernation the computer is completely switched off, Internet disconnected and no power is flowing through. Therefore the hackers you are concerned about would have no way of knowing the computer even exists. So the computer is just as safe if it was closed down in the normal fashion. Hibernate does not reboot a computer. The user has to turn the computer back on as normal. But when that is done, the computer goes back to the state it was in before it was placed in hibernation with everything in place ready to go. What users need to know is that if hibernate is enabled on their computer, a hidden file - hiberfill.sys - is created in the root of the system drive (usually C:\), which is around the same size as the system's memory (RAM). This file can't be moved to another drive, it has to be in the root of the system drive. If hibernate is not used, this file can be removed by going to the Power Options in Control Panel, and on the Hibernate tab un-check Enable hibernation. Sleep mode, on the other hand, should save a ton of power world-wide, it is a very good idea, and essential, especially for portable devices. The problem is that Windows XP lets any program override the sleep function. So if, for example, you have an anti-virus program running in the background, it might not allow the computer to sleep. This flaw is the cause of countless failed laptop batteries, and causes the complete avoidance of the sleep function by the majority of desktop users. Sleep mode does mean your computer is "live", so there is the remote - ever so remote - possibility that it could be "visible" to hackers. Even so, if proper preventitive systems are in place, the computer will be no more vulnerable in sleep mode than it would be in normal use. > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > Sent: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 07:13:30 -0600 > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [GEN-COMP-TIPS] HIBERNATE IN WINDOWS XP > > I didn't know that hibernate shut down and rebooted your computer, and > since > the contents of the screen reappear instantly, I doubt whether that is > true. > > I think the question really asked whether hibernating overnight is safe > from > the standpoint of security. Can others hack into your computer in > hibernate mode? Again, I do not believe that the comptuer is shut down > in > hibernate mode, though I think it is powered off. > > I think that for maximum security the computer should be booted up only > when > you are working on it. I for one keep my computer on much of the time. > And I think that is kinder to the hard drive. > > There are alternative ways to protect your computer - just unplug the > Internet cable or phone cord. > > Yours, > Dora Smith > Austin, TX > [email protected] > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "n.east" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 3:17 AM > Subject: Re: [GEN-COMP-TIPS] HIBERNATE IN WINDOWS XP > > >> Hibernate is useful because it saves the status of your Windows XP >> "session" (all the programs and documents you have open) to the hard >> drive, so it can automatically restore it the next time you power up. >> This >> "session" information is what is stored in RAM. So what ever amount of >> RAM >> you have is the amount of space hibernation will use on your hard drive. >> I >> feel it is much safer to close down all the programs you have been using >> and save the data as normal, then use the normal Windows shutdown. This >> is >> just in case anything goes wrong when you reboot >> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: [email protected] >>> Sent: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:33:43 +0800 >>> To: [email protected] >>> Subject: [GEN-COMP-TIPS] HIBERNATE IN WINDOWS XP >>> >>> I am in the habit of using the Hibernate function on my PC when >>> shutting >>> down, either for a short time, or overnight. >>> Someone has suggested that this may not be the best or safest thing to >>> do for computer security. >>> Any advice welcome. >>> Thanks, >>> >>> Mal in WestOz > > > > -- > Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.3/395 - Release Date: 7/21/2006 > > -------------------------------------- > Having trouble with your subscription? Contact the List Admin at > [email protected] > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message