Those who work with the PC use different programs that reopen every day to continue the work where we stopped or to start a new one. When we use a computer for work we can increase productivity by saving all open files and programs in use, so as to restore them as they were the day after or even after a restart of the computer.
There are several methods that we can use on Windows to save and restore sessions, it is up to us to choose the one that best suits our needs.
In this guide we will show you how to save and restore Windows sessions in case of short absence, in case of prolonged absence or shutdown, how to automatically open the desktop tabs that we use every day and finally how to insert programs in automatic startup.
READ ALSO: Save the open tabs on Chrome and Firefox to reopen the same pages
1) Save and restore Windows sessions in case of short absence
If we have to get away just a few minutes from the workplace, it makes no sense to turn off the whole PC!
In this case we can lock the desktop by pressing the combination of Win + L keys on the keyboard: the screen will lock and we will be asked for the access password the next time we return to the position.
If instead we want to "put the PC to rest" we can use the suspension : click on the Start button at the bottom left, click on the shutdown button and then on the Suspend item.
The same result can be obtained by pressing the Suspension key on the keyboard (usually with the crescent symbol or with a setting sun).
If we use a portable PC, we can make sure that the suspension of the computer activates when the lid is closed, so that it can be moved freely and resume work only when necessary (obviously the battery must be connected in order not to lose the suspension while moving) .
To make this change, click on the Start menu at the bottom left, then type "cover", so that the item Change the settings made when the cover is closed can be highlighted.
In the new window that will open, we set both drop-down menus to Suspension next to the item When the lid is closed (the two items relate to the action to be performed both when we are connected to the electricity network and when we are using the battery).
Click on Save changes at the bottom and try to close the lid: in a few seconds the PC will go into suspension, leaving the hardware in saving mode (it will appear to be off but the main components are all on) so that you can immediately resume work where you we had left at the reopening of the lid.
We have seen, in another article on how to use suspension and hibernation in a Windows PC, noting how comfortable they are above all on laptops, to avoid losing the work done in case the battery is low.
The main difference is that the hibernation does not turn off the computer, but keeps everything that was being done, including programs and files open, in the RAM memory which therefore remains powered.
Hibernation instead shuts down the computer and saves the session on disk, then reloading it when you turn on the computer.
An interesting possibility to resume work on the PC where you were left is to configure an automatic awakening of Windows after the suspension or hibernation of the computer .
2) Save and restore Windows sessions in case of prolonged absence or shutdown
If we have to leave work for more than 2 hours or we have to go home, it makes no sense to leave the PC suspended, since anyone could accidentally shut it down or try to access it (without forgetting that, in the event of a blackout, we will all lose open programs and files).
In these cases we should rely on hibernation : the session of our PC will be saved in a special file on the hard disk, then the computer will be shut down normally.
At the next boot the system will load the session saved on the disk and we will immediately re-start all the programs and files that we had immediately available.
To hibernate the PC we will have to unlock the specific item in the shutdown menu: click on the bottom left on the Start menu, then type "cover" as seen in the previous paragraph, so that we can select the item Change the settings made when the lid is closed .
In the window that appears we click at the top on Change the settings currently not available, then we put the check mark next to Hibernation, present under the Stop settings section.
We click Save Changes below to make the changes effective.
Now all we have to do is leave the programs used and the windows of Windows Explorer open and, at the moment of interrupting the work, click on the bottom left on Start, open the shutdown menu and click on Hibernate : the whole session will be saved and the PC will be turned off.
The next session will restore the last session so that you can quickly get back to work.
Hibernation works very well if the operating system is saved on an SSD: in these cases we will have very rapid shutdown and ignition times with any amount of RAM memory.
Hibernation also works on old mechanical disks, but the shutdown time is much longer, this is because the contents of the RAM memory is saved on the hard disk, so we will have to save 4, 8, 12 or more GB of RAM on it.
If we want to migrate the operating system to SSD, we refer you to our guide -> move Windows to SSD without reinstalling everything .
3) Save the Chrome browser tabs
If we use Google Chrome as a browser to work, we can save the most visited and useful sites for our work by blocking the tabs in the top bar.
We open all the desired sites in as many windows, we right click on each of them and finally select the Lock tab item.
Each tab will be locked, moved to the top left and will become very small compared to the tabs of normal windows.
In this way, all the locked tabs will be saved when Chrome is closed and reopened the next time the browser is started, even if we do not use PC hibernation.
Definitely the fastest and fastest method to open your favorite sites every time we start working on the PC.
4) Start your computer with the files or programs running automatically
To start a program in automatic execution or a file, just right-click on the icon of the file or program that we want to start automatically with the PC, then click Send to -> Desktop .
These links are then copied to the special folder of the automatic execution;
To find this folder quickly, press the Windows + R keys together and, from the Run box, enter the shell: startup command.
All files and links copied to this folder will be loaded by Windows when the computer starts.
To reverse the process, just delete the links from this folder.
To manage the delayed start of programs in auto start, so as not to weigh on the startup of the computer, just use a program like Startup Delayer, excellent for delaying the start of programs in automatic execution.
5) Other useful tips
To automatically restore, at startup, the folders that had been opened before shutting down the computer, simply change a Windows option.
We open the Start menu, we type Folder Options, we open the File Explorer Options item and, in the View section , we activate the box next to the Restore open folders on access item .
To save the work sessions we can also use a specialized program, such as those recommended in the guide to reopen recently closed windows, files and programs .
