Desktops: Common misconceptions about leaving a computer on or turniing it off.

Common misconceptions about leaving a computer on or turniing it off.

Hi all,

I've noticed in a few of the replies to this post that alot of people are making alot of common misconceptions about this subject, even techs. Bottom line is that you're going to get common wear and tear whether or not you turn off your computer, and, a computer will take in dust no matter if you turn it off or not. Also, even if you think you leave your computer on 24/7, there's a chance that it is not in fact always on. Also, it does not matter whether or not you leave your computer on and connected to the internet or not, you still will get attacked if you're connected at any time.

Take note that also network and internet servers, as well as other servers are common computers as well, just with more added, especially in today's world. These are prime examples of computers being left on 24/7. If they weren't, we probably wouldn't be having this discussion.

Fact: When you turn your computer on and off often, it does cause a little more wear than leaving it on due to spin-up and spin-down. Sort of the same thing as the wear on a car in stop and go traffic.

Fact: Most computers collect dust (like most electronic equipment), especially when in a dirty environment. The key to preventing severe dust inhailation is location. Keep your case off of the floor. This is where dust, dirt and static breed and is easily sucked up. It does not matter how much you turn the computer on or off.

Fact: Heat kills! High temperatures can cause components to fail sooner.

The key here is understanding what turning off a computer is today. I noticed that one factor that some seem to be forgetting is power management. In short, if your computer goes into "standby" or "hibernate" it is, in fact, turning off, but in a different way. In fact, in "Windows" terms, "Hibernate" means to save the current computer state and shut down (This is very useful if you want to turn off your computer, but save where it was before you did). "Standby" works similar with computers today the same way it works on your home stereo, TV, or DVD player. Essentially, the computer remains in the same state as you left it, however, your monitor signal/video card, hard drive(s), power supply with some models, and other equipment (such as network and modem), is turned off until you send a signal to "wake-up" like moving the mouse or tapping the keyboard. So, even if you say your computer is on 24/7, if you have any of the power management features enabled, chances are, it is not.

My personal experience: I have a tendancy to leave my computer on, however, I have it also set to go into standby after a certain amount of time. I have also learned that certain hard drives (like older Western Digitals) may not respond well to power management, or being turned on and off often. In fact, this may cause them to break down. However, there are other hard drives (like Quantum/Maxtor) that are designed for it. I also hardly use "Shut Down" or "Turn Off" anymore and prefer "Hibernate" to turn off my computer.

Final note: It's perfectly safe to have your computer on all the time, or to turn it off (or have it turn itself off in standby or hibernate) as long as you have good components that can withstand the wear and tear of daily use, and that you have your computer in a low dust or dust free environment. Also, keep it off the floor, and keep your computer in a cool, or room temperature environment. You should never run your computer during a lightning storm without proper surge protection.

As an added note: The best protection from an internet attack is to have a good firewall and always update your virus scanner. In anycase, this is the only and best plausable solution to prevent these kind of attacks.

I hope this helps everybody.