One of the biggest inspirations for colorful swear words since we started using Windows 7 has been when trying to put the computer into sleep mode, but instead accidently hitting the big shut down button on the start menu rather than the little arrow beside it. Lo and behold, there is actually a very simple remedy for this problem.

First, click the start button. Right click directly on the button where it currently says Shut Down. The only link available says Properties—click it.

In the menu that appears, click the selection menu next to Power button action. From there you can choose the power function you use the most often. In our case, that option is Sleep, but if you are using a networked computer, you might want to choose Log Off. If you share a family computer, you might want to choose Switch User.

Click Apply and OK. If you click the start menu now, you will see the power button with the option you just selected. We predict far fewer four-letter-word utterances in your near future.

Bonus Tip: In the menu above, if you click Customize, you have complete control over what appears on your start menu. If your start menu is displaying too many recent programs, you can minimize the number shown in the selection box at the bottom of the menu.

If you would rather not search through all of your programs to find the ones you use most often, you can also increase this number.

For those of you who are minimalists, you could go through the entire list of possible things to display on the start menu and select don’t display this item and your start menu would look far less cluttered.

A question most energy conscious folks have! Should I hibernate or turn off my Windows PC at night?

If you’re a Windows user, Microsoft suggests that you just set up your PC to “hibernate” overnight. “Hibernate” powers down your monitor to about 5 watts of energy and your PC to 2.3 watts—virtually the same as turningyour PC off (your monitor uses zero watts when turned off. Either way, you save as much as $90 a year in power costs compared to a PC left on with a 3-D screen saver running.

If you use the “hibernate” feature of Windows XP (and previous versions including Windows 2000 and WindowsMe), or even the “sleep” feature of most new Dell and other PC models, it really doesn’t however matter much, if you shutdown or hibernate.

Even the folks at Energy Star agree you save almost as much energy as you do turning off your computer for the night (minus unplugging it). And you won’t have to endure a lengthy “re-booting” process the next morning; your computer should “wake up” in 30 seconds or less.

Those at Energy Star still prefer that you turn your computer off at night, for maximum energy savings. “We are all about energy savings, and when you shut off your computer at night, you save the most energy,” says Craig Hershberg, program manager for office equipment and consumer electronics. “Every little bit helps. It all adds up.”

 However, here are some consumer “myths” that are worth addressing:

- Turning your PC off uses more energy than leaving it on. Not true. The small surge of power you use when turning it on—which varies per PC make and model—is still much smaller than the amount you use in keeping it on for lengthy periods.

- Turning your PC on and off wears it out. A decade ago, there was something to this, but not today, say Hershberg and others. It used to be that PC hard disks did not automatically park their heads when shut off, and that frequent on/off cycling could damage the hard disks. Today’s PCs are designed to handle 40,000 on/off cycles before a failure, and that’s a number you likely won’t reach during the computer’s five-to-seven-year life span.

- Screen savers save energy. Not true. Screen savers, at a minimum, can use 42 watts; those with 3-D graphics can use as much as 114.5 watts. It’s absolutely wrong thinking that a screen saver will save energy.

- Your computer uses zero energy when “off.” That’s true only if it is unplugged. Otherwise, the PC utilizes “flea power,” or about 2.3 watts, to maintain local-area network connectivity, among other things. In “hibernate” mode, your PC uses the same 2.3 watts; in “sleep” mode, your PC uses about 3.1 watts. Monitors do use zero energy when turned off.

What do you do normally? I usually Hibernate everyday, but make it a point to shutdown on weekends on when I am sure that I’m not going to be using my PC the next day.

If you hold down your Shift key, you’ll see the Stand By option changes to Hibernate.

If you still can’t see the option, you should check your Power Options Properties in your Control Panel.

Configuring a Windows XP Power Scheme

Most Windows XP systems allow you to set various power options. This is ideal for notebook users who wish to conserve power after a certain period of inactivity. It’s also useful for desktop owners who wish to conserve power. As example, you might want to create a profile that first puts your computer into Stand By mode and then goes into Hibernate after another time.

1. From the Start menu, select Control Panel

2. Select Performance and Maintenance

3. Select Power Options.

Your system should display the Power Options Properties dialog with various tabs. The number of tabs will vary based on your manufacturer and if you have a UPS. Notebook systems have extra settings so you can set a scheme for when you’re using direct power or batteries.

4. Click the Hibernate tab. Check the box if you wish to enable this feature.

5. Click the Power Schemes tab.

6. Set your options to suit your needs. If you’re on a notebook, make sure that your hibernate time is less than your battery time. Otherwise, your battery will drain before the option can kick in.

7. Click OK.

If you want to select one power scheme that works well in most situations, we recommend using the Portable/Laptop power scheme as the default power scheme and making the following adjustments: Change the Turn off hard disks, System standby, and System hibernates settings for Plugged in to Never. These settings combined with the default settings for battery power give you optimum power performance for most situations, whether you are at your desk, in a meeting room, on the manufacturing floor, in a client's office, on an airplane, or anywhere you care to take your Tablet PC.

Although these power management settings for the Portable/Laptop are the recommended settings for most Tablet PC users in most situations, you may choose to select different power schemes throughout the day.

For example, if you are at your workstation all day, you could choose the Home/Office Desk power scheme. This power scheme is appropriate when you are plugged into AC power for long periods of time and conserving your battery power is not important.

If you are on the go, you could choose the Portable/Laptop power scheme. This power scheme minimizes the use of power to conserve your battery, but adjusts to your processing needs so that system speed is not sacrificed.

When conserving battery power is the highest priority, you could choose Max Battery Power. Keep in mind, however, that unlike the Portable/Laptop power scheme, the settings under Max Battery Power do not adjust as your processing demands change. The Max Battery Power settings will affect your computer's processing speeds, so reserve this setting for situations that require minimal processing, for example, reading documents and checking e-mail messages.

Power Scheme Settings
The following table shows the power schemes available on your Tablet PC and some scenarios where these power schemes are appropriate.

The following table shows the power schemes available on your Tablet PC and the default settings for both AC and DC power.

Choosing a Power Scheme
How to choose a power scheme

1. On the taskbar, tap the Start button, and then tap Control Panel.

2. Tap Performance and Maintenance, and then tap Power Options.

3. On the Power Schemes tab, under Power schemes, select the power scheme you want. The power settings you see will change depending on the power scheme you choose.

• If you change your power schemes frequently, you may want to put the power options icon on the taskbar. This gives you a shortcut to changing your power scheme.

How to put the power options icon on the taskbar

1. On the taskbar, tap the Start button, and then tap Control Panel.

2. Tap Performance and Maintenance, and then tap Power Options.

3. Tap the Advanced tab.

4. Under Options, tap the Always show icon on the taskbar check box.

Tap OK.

• The icon or the icon will appear depending on which power state you are in.

5. Tap the power options icon, and select the power scheme from the menu.

Creating a Power Scheme
How to create a new power scheme

1. On the taskbar, tap the Start button, and then tap Control Panel.

2. Tap Performance and Maintenance, and then tap Power Options.

3. On the Power Schemes tab, under Power schemes, select one of the power schemes.

4. Change the settings for your new power scheme.

5. Tap Save as and enter a name for your new power scheme.

6. Tap OK, and then tap OK again.

In Windows Vista you can choose the way Power Button is akting. You can set the following options: Do Nothing, Sleep, Hibernate, Shut Down. It is set to Shut Down by default.

To change Power Button action you need to do the following:

1. Click on Start and then Control Panel.

2. Click on the Hardware and Sound link.

Note: If you're viewing the Classic View of Control Panel, you won't see this link. Simply double-click on the Power Options icon and proceed to Step 4.

3. Click on the Power Options link.

4. In the Select a power plan area, click on the Change plan settings link under the preferred plan for your PC.

5. Click on the Change advanced power settings link.

6. In the Advanced settings window, click on the + next to Power buttons and lid to show the available options.

7. Under the Power buttons and lid option, click on the + next to Start menu power button.

8. Click on Setting: under the Start menu power button option to reveal a drop-down box.

9. Choose either Sleep, Hibernate, or Shut down.

10. Click OK and then close the Edit Plan Settings window.