Sleep, Shutdown, or Restart: What's the Difference?

The quick answer

Sleep keeps your session in memory while the computer uses very little power. Shutdown turns the computer off. Restart closes Windows and starts it again, which is often the best first step when something isn't behaving.

When Sleep makes sense

Use Sleep when you're stepping away for lunch or moving your laptop between rooms. Your open documents and windows can remain where you left them. It still uses some battery power, though, and a laptop can wake unexpectedly inside a bag. For longer travel, save your work and shut it down or use Hibernate if your computer supports it.

Why Restart is different from shutting down

On many Windows computers, Fast Startup changes how Shutdown handles part of the Windows system session. Restart performs a fuller shutdown-and-boot cycle. That's why the classic advice to restart a misbehaving computer sometimes works even when you've already shut it down.

Restart after a troublesome update, a driver issue, or a program that refuses to behave. Save your documents first: Restart closes your applications.

When to shut down

Shutdown makes sense before transporting a desktop, unplugging hardware, leaving a computer unused for an extended period, or dealing with a laptop that won't be charged soon. It also avoids keeping an active session running indefinitely. Do not disconnect power while Windows is visibly installing updates.

What about Hibernate?

Hibernate saves the session to storage and powers down, using very little power. It can be useful on supported laptops, although it may not appear in the Power menu by default. Hibernate is not a replacement for saving important documents.

One rule worth remembering

If Windows is acting strangely, choose Restart first. If you simply need to step away, Sleep is convenient. If you're packing the computer away or disconnecting it, Shutdown is the safer choice.