Ending a Computing Session

If you are going to stop working with your computer for any length of time, you can safeguard your information and save power in a number of ways:

• If you want to prevent passersby from seeing what you're working, you can lock the computer, which displays the Welcome screen and requires that you log on to your account to resume. Locking is most effective when your user account is protected by a password; otherwise anyone can click your user account picture to unlock the computer and access your information.

  You can have Windows lock itself by configuring a screen saver to start after a designated period of time and to display the logon screen when you resume your computing session.

  See Also

  For information about configuring a screen saver, see "Selecting and Managing a Screen Saver" in Chapter 4, "Personalizing Windows Vista."

  
  

• If you're finished working on a computer that you share with other people, you can end your Windows Vista session (but not affect other users' sessions) by logging off. You must save your files and shut down all running programs before you log off; if you don't, Windows Vista will close any open windows, losing unsaved data in the process.

• If you're going to be away from your computer, conserve power and protect your work by putting your computer into Sleep mode. This is one of the best features of Windows Vistayou simply click the Sleep button and within seconds, Windows Vista saves any open files, records their state and the state of any running programs in memory and on your hard disk, and then puts your computer into a power-saving mode. When you "wake" the computer, usually by pressing the Enter key or the power button, Windows Vista needs only a few seconds to restore your previous computer session exactly as it was when you left it. Now that we have Windows Vista, we realize just how Sleep-deprived we were with earlier versions of Windows!

  Putting your computer to sleep conserves power and keeps your work quickly available. When a desktop computer is sleeping, it uses approximately 10 percent of the power required to run normally. When a mobile computer is sleeping, it uses approximately 2 percent of its battery power per hour.

  Troubleshooting

  Some video card drivers do not support Sleep mode. If the Sleep option doesn't appear on the Shut Down Options menu, update your video driver or consult the video card manufacturer's Web site for driver information.

  
  

• If you need to turn off your computer entirelyfor example, to install hardware or to move a desktop computeryou do so by shutting down the computer. Shutting down closes all your open applications and files, ends your computing session, closes network connections, stops system processes, stops the hard disk, and turns off the computer.

In this exercise, you will lock and unlock your computer, put it to sleep and wake it up, log off from Windows Vista, and then shut down the computer. There are no practice files for this exercise.

1.	If no programs are currently running on your computer, click the Launch Internet Explorer Browser button on the Quick Launch toolbar or the Internet Explorer link in the upper-left corner of the Start menu. Later in this exercise, having a program running will make the effect of the different shutdown options more apparent.
2.	On the Start menu, click the Lock button. Lock Windows displays the Welcome screen with only your user account available. The word Locked appears under your user name.
3.	If your account is password protected, enter your password in the Password box, and then press the key. Otherwise, click your account picture. Your previous computing session resumes.
4.	On the Start menu, click the Sleep button. Sleep Windows saves your file and program information and then your computer goes into a power-saving state. The hard disk stops turning (the computer no longer makes any noise), but the power light on the computer itself is still on, either steadily or blinking slowly.
5.	Depending on your specific hardware, either press or press your computer's power button to wake up your computer. Troubleshooting If you don't know which method to use to wake up your computer, try pressing Enter first, and if that doesn't work, press the power button. If neither method works, consult the computer's manual or manufacturer's Web site. The computer comes out of its power-saving state, and Windows Vista displays the Welcome screen.
6.	If your account is password protected, enter your password in the Password box, and then press . Otherwise, click your account picture to resume your previous computer session.
7.	On the Start menu, click the Shut Down Options button to display a list of ways you can pause or end your computing session. Shut Down Options [View full size image] The Shut Down Options list will vary depending on your computer's hardware configuration.
8.	In the Shut Down Options list, click Log Off. If no programs are running on your computer, Windows Vista logs you off. Otherwise, Windows Vista displays a list of running programs and open files. [View full size image]
9.	If you don't have any unsaved work, click Log off now to complete the process and display the Welcome screen. Otherwise, click Cancel to return to your computing session; then save and close open files, shut down running programs, and click Log Off in the Shut Down Options list to complete the process. Troubleshooting If you have unsaved files but don't click Cancel within 30 seconds, Windows Vista shuts down the running programs and logs you off.
10.	In the lower-right corner of the Welcome screen, click the Shut Down button. Shut Down Troubleshooting If any other user accounts are logged on to the computer, Windows Vista gives you the opportunity to cancel the Shut Down process. If you shut down a computer while people are logged on to it, they could lose data in open files or running programs. Windows Vista shuts down all the computer processes and turns off your computer.