There are many ways to shut down your PC—you can turn the PC off completely, you can make it sleep, or you can hibernate the PC.

Move your mouse to the lower left-hand corner of the screen and right-click the Start button or press Windows logo key + X on your keyboard. Tap or click Shut down or sign out and choose Shut down .

Sleep

This uses very little power, your PC starts up faster, and you’re instantly back to where you left off. You don’t have to worry that you'll lose your work because of your battery draining, because Windows automatically saves all your work and turns off the PC if the battery is too low. Use sleep when you’re going to be away from your PC for just a little while—like when you’re taking a coffee break.

For a lot of PCs (especially laptops and tablets), your PC goes to sleep when you close your lid or press the power button.

To make your PC sleep:

Open power options: For Windows 10, select Start , then select Settings > System > Power & sleep > Additional power settings .

For Windows 8.1 / Windows RT 8.1, swipe in from the edge of the screen, tap Search (or if you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Search ), enter Power options in the search box, and then tap or click Power options .

For Windows 7, click the Startbutton , click Control Panel, click System and Security, and then click Power Options. Do one of the following: If you’re using a desktop, tablet, or laptop, select Choose what the power buttons do . Next to When I press the power button, select Sleep , and then select Save changes .

If you’re using only a laptop, select Choose what closing the lid does. Next to When I close the lid, select Sleep, and then select Save changes. When you’re ready to make your PC sleep, just press the power button on your desktop, tablet, or laptop, or close your laptop’s lid.

On most PCs, you can resume working by pressing your PC's power button. However, not all PCs are the same. You might be able to wake it by pressing any key on the keyboard, clicking a mouse button, or opening the lid on a laptop. Check the documentation that came with your computer or go to the manufacturer's website.