It's baa-aaack!

Last month I explained how to shut down Windows 8, an option you wouldn't expect to require step-by-step instruction. And yet.

One thing you might have noticed, especially if you're a laptop user, is that the Power menu, once you finally reach it, has no Hibernate option. You can click Sleep, Shut down, or Restart, but if you want to hibernate your machine, well, you're outta luck.

Why on earth would Microsoft remove this option? I have no idea. It probably came from the same logic-defying committee that decided eliminating the Start button was a smart move. (Seriously, if you can think of any good reason Microsoft removed Hibernate from Windows 8, I'd love to hear it. I'll keep an open mind, promise.)

Thankfully, it's fairly simple to restore that valuable option. Here's how:

1. You'll need to access your system's power settings, which you can do any number of ways. My preferred method: press Win-W (that's the Windows key and the letter w) to bring up the Settings Search menu, then type power.

2. Click Change what the power buttons do.

3. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable.

4. Scroll down to the bottom of that window to find the "Shutdown settings" section.

5. Click the box next to Hibernate to enable the option.

6. Click Save changes.

Presto! Now, when you go to power down your system, you'll see the Hibernate option in your list of choices. Also, in that same System Settings window (step 4), you can choose Hibernate for any of the "Power and sleep buttons and lid settings" options.

In other words, if you want your system to hibernate when you press the power button or close the lid, this is where you can configure that setting. Good stuff!

Contributing Editor Rick Broida writes about business and consumer technology. Ask for help with your PC hassles at hasslefree@pcworld.com, or try the treasure trove of helpful folks in the PC World Community Forums. Sign up to have the Hassle-Free PC newsletter e-mailed to you each week.