Desktops: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad
Put it to Bed!
by phijea - 11/26/04 5:35 AM In reply to: Re: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by KVDefinitely turn it off!
I think there are numerous reasons to turn off your computer, and a good time is when you go to bed at night.
1- Everything needs rest. You don't use it while you sleep anyway.
2- Computers on all the time attract more dust and burn hotter, shortening their life.
3- Monitors, especially flat panel displays will have a shorter life span causing pixels to burn out.
4- Save a little electricity and let it cool off.
5- It resets yor computer memory and clears it's mind for the next day when you start it up.
6- If you have a permanent connection to the internet, and do not have a firewall, your computer is open to hackers.
7- If you have a thunderstorm or power surge at night, are you going to jump out of bed (if you even hear it) to shut down your computer?
8) On when you get up - off when you go to bed!
Re: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad
by dexhiker - 11/26/04 5:25 AM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerBack when I was running Windows NT on a P2 I let my computer run 24/7. The hard drive failed 5 days after the 3 year warranty expired. After researching this I determined that newer computers do best if they are turned on in the morning, left on all day (assuming it will be used several times during the day), and then shut off at night. Here are some points to consider:
1) Hard drive life is measured in MTBF (mean time between failure) which is hours. Shutting down at night extends their life.
2) With current computers and even those several years old, soft power is used, i.e. your on/off switch connects to the systems board not to the power supply. Some power is always running through the board. Since the voltages are relatively low, turning a machine on and off does not stress the circuitry that much.
3) For folks who do not use a UPS, shutting down at night avoids problems resulting from power surges, dips, and spikes that may happen over night.
4) Unless you have a bulletproof firewall, there is less chance of being hacked into.
Turn it OFF is the best rule
by kndcompu - 11/26/04 5:43 AM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerAs a computer tech I've seen many a cooling fan go bad, and they can go bad at any time. A bad cooling fan can burn up a computer component really fast, and in the case of a power supply, cause it to blow and create a power surge that can take out a motherboard really quick. Most cooling fans will make some noise telling you of pending failure, though sometimes all you'll notice of pending failure is the smell of something burning! The rules of computer I tell all customers is this: "If you're done using the system for a long while, turn it off; if you're not going to be home, turn it off." I've used these rules for years with my own computers and they haven't failed me yet!!
Re:
by Frank309 - 11/26/04 5:45 AM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerI teach computer classes at the local senior center and have seen 3 computers (different brands) trashed because they were left on continously. They all started with the same problem,
First the fan bearings fail on either microprocessor or power supply.
Next the Computer overheats.
Then the Microprocessor burns up.
Sometime traces on the board board burn open.
Some had the power supply burn out.
The processor, power supply and fan can be replaced, but the burned traces make repairs just about impossible.
Re: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad
by W N W - 11/26/04 5:54 AM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerI do leave my machines on most all the time. I don't know whether this will extend the life of them or not, but it does make for darn handy access. IF you have a small child, like I do, boot time is time I'd just as soon not spend.
Re: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad
by metrowallace - 11/26/04 6:11 AM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerIt is good to turn off your pc so that your resources can be refreshed
Re:
by Jim Clayton - 11/26/04 6:12 AM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerAfter 30-years as a systems analyst with the world's largest computer manufacturer, my fellow employees and I came to the conclusion that there was probably more to be said for leaving a computer powered ON than off. Primarily because of the reheating and subsequent cooling of components when a computer is turned on and then off again. I leave my PC on 24/7 and "cold start" reboot as I see fit. Although it may not apply to PC's, we noticed that large, "glass-house" computers began to have component failures after about 6-weeks from the date of a "power crash". However, today's components in PC's appear to be extremely reliable and older theories may not "generally" apply.
... Jim
Re: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad
by Irish - 11/26/04 6:19 AM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerAs long as you do not leave your computer online,I am think it is okay.But with my laptop xp I noticed that after awhile I have to reboot.
Irish
Re: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad
by jeff_j_black - 11/26/04 6:22 AM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerStarting your car in the morning is the hardest thing on the engine, but you don't leave it running do you? If you are going to leave your computer on 24/7, make sure you have a top-notch power supply and a smart UPS that can shut your PC down in event of power disruptions.
Lightning, dust, & heat kills
by knighte - 11/26/04 6:27 AM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerIf lightning strikes close to home, you might not even notice immediate trouble, but components will start acting up down the road. A threating storm causes me to unplug everything including the surge protectors. When lightning strikes close enough, a surge protector does no good especially if it enters through an unprotected modem. The fuzzy dust that builds up from the fans blowing air through your unit makes an excellent insulator, which builds up heat. If your computer is freezing up for no apparent reason, check for dust or a fan that has quit working. Fans that are becoming noisy need replacement. Blow the dust out of the heatsinks and power supply once in a while. Be reasonable with an air compressor and you should have no problems. If you are not going to use the computer for a while, Turn It Off. Never leave it running while away from home. There goes half my repair work.
Re: Lightning, dust, & heat kills
by computquest - 11/27/04 6:20 AM In reply to: Lightning, dust, & heat kills by knighteThanks for the advice! I had a network card and seemingly some input/outputs on the interface go bad from a close lightning strike.
Re: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad
by wannalearn - 11/26/04 6:31 AM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerI am also confused about to do or not to do. I keep getting different answers. My son is super high-tech and says if you don't need to be online all day long, you should turn it off. However (and there always seems to be a however), you shouldn't be turning it off and on all day long. I have noticed that if I turn mine off and about an hour later, turn it back on, I sometimes hear a screeching, grinding sound and a lot of stuff comes on the screen saying "disc boot failure" and a whole bunch of scary looking technical stuff. It then freezes up and I have to unplug it from the wall and let it boot back up again. My son also says a pc that is on, is more vulnerable to possible hackers. He says just use "common sense," i.e., if you are not going to be using it for a few hours, turn it off. Anyway it's an important question that you pose. I have been planning to ask it, but felt embarrassed about asking such a question on a forum filled with all these high-tech, science people. Maybe we'll get some good advice. BTW, this is an awsome and informative forum -- thanks to all!
Re:
by aryfrosty - 11/26/04 6:46 AM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerGood,Bad...or ugly. We leave our computer up all of the time as a matter of convenience for our life. My wife is a nurse and I am a E-911 supervisor, and we often need rapid access for both a quick email update and to research issues which relate to our jobs. With a DSL and an "always on" computer we can speed up the process. In our E-911 center we have 20 computers and each has 2 monitors. We power down the monitors when they are not being used, but the computers are always on.
Re:
by roydod - 11/26/04 6:48 AM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerI leave my P4 on 24/7; it is used by 4 other people in my house. I run antivirus & other utilities overnight (I turn off my DSL modem). I have always done this and had no trouble with any previous PC's. Speaking as an Electronics tech. of 29yrs; I would however, advise to turn off the PC overnight. Electronic components such as capacitors & semiconductors degrade over time and fail. It's a very good idea to turn off the PC every 3mon and carefully vacuum the dust.
Roy
Re: standby, hibernate, shutdown
by computquest - 11/26/04 6:52 AM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerThere is a fairly simple way to handle this question because the optimum answer doesn't involve an either or methodology: If the time away is relatively short--a matter of many minutes to hours--use standby. For a time up to several days, use hibernate. For extended idle times, use shut-down.
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