220-1102 Question 150
Single answerStandbyA user says their Windows laptop is set to go into Standby when the lid is closed during short breaks. However, when they reopen the lid, the laptop takes almost as long to become usable as it does after a full shutdown. The technician verifies that the device is not fully powering off and wants to explain which power state would provide a faster return to the desktop while still using some battery power. Which power state best matches this requirement?
- A
Sleep (Standby), because it keeps the current session in RAM and resumes quickly
- B
Hibernate, because it stores the session in RAM and resumes instantly with no battery use
- C
Shut down, because it preserves the open session and uses the least power while allowing a fast resume
- D
Restart, because it reloads the operating system without closing applications and is faster than Sleep
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
For CompTIA A+ Core 2, candidates should understand the practical differences between common Windows power states. Sleep, also called Standby in many contexts, is designed for short-term inactivity: the session remains in RAM, the system uses low power, and resume is fast. Hibernate is better for longer periods without power because it writes the session to disk and uses minimal battery, but waking is slower. Shut down and Restart are not standby states and do not provide the same quick return to the active session. This aligns with standard Windows power management behavior documented by Microsoft, where Sleep is intended for quick resume and Hibernate for power conservation over longer periods.
- A. Correct.
Correct. Sleep, historically referred to as Standby, keeps the active session in system memory while placing the computer in a low-power state. Because RAM remains powered, the system can usually resume much faster than from hibernation or a full shutdown. This is the best choice when the user wants quick access after short breaks and is willing to use a small amount of battery power.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Hibernate saves the contents of memory to disk, not to RAM, and then powers the system off much more completely than Sleep. It uses little to no battery while off, but resume is typically slower than Sleep because the session must be read back from storage. This option reflects a common confusion between Sleep and Hibernate.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A shutdown closes the session and stops running applications unless features like Fast Startup are involved, and even then it does not preserve the full working session the way Sleep does. It uses very little power, but it does not provide the quickest return to the exact desktop state the user had before closing the lid.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Restart reboots the operating system and is used for applying updates or troubleshooting. It does not preserve open applications or the user's current session in the same way Sleep does, and it is not intended as a low-power standby state.