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Desktops: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad
Re:Diminishing Returns
by computquest - 11/26/04 11:15 AM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerSome have mentioned avoiding the powering and unpowering of circuits as a reason for leaving a computer on all the time. But this process is the very one the machine constantly uses to function and compute anyway.
I see only one reason to leave it on--to eliminate the harddrive from having to spin up to speed. But there is a point in time where the benefit of having it off surpasses the benefit of having it on. A harddrive would virtually last forever if it was kept off under the correct conditions, but probably only last 10 years if left running continuously.
The same reasoning applies in regard to CPU and power supply fans as well. So, IMO, use standby for up to several hours, hibernate for up to days, and shutdown for times longer than several days.
Also, reboot whenever you see the system resources beginning to show signs of stress. If you are experiencing corrupted files and resulting errors, go into the tools tab under harddrive properties and set up a System File Check before rebooting.
Re: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad
by JRSenior - 11/26/04 11:28 AM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerWhen not using it for an hour or more, I have been turning everything off for decades. This strategy has been in force over many diverse system setups and has caused no problems. I do it with the main switch for the surge protector so all components power up/down at once.
From my perspective, this strategy avoids exposure to power powerline spikes, saves measurable energy, and reduces security risks at no performance costs. So, its a no brainer.
Generally, the power up can be done while I'm doing something else, so the time is not lost.
Re: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad
by jagwoods51 - 11/26/04 11:57 AM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerI always leave my computer on, but i do turn the monitor and speakers off. I used to turn it off every night, but my son who used to be an IT always leaves his on...it's something i've pondered about myself.
Re: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad
by seg7132 - 11/26/04 12:17 PM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerTurning on you PC risks the electrical surge effect that occasionally 'breaks' electronic components, while leaving it on all the time can lead to bearing failure in the hard drive and or cooling fans. I resolved this by finding something for my computer to do all of the time, by signing up for projects which use your donated, unused computer capacity to work on problems which are too large for even the faster computers, such as:
Great Mersenne Prime Number Search
http://www.mersenne.org/prime.htm
World Community Grid
http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org
Search for Extraterestral Intelligence
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu
You will be helping with important research and it will no longer be necessary to 'worry' about whether to turn off the computer each time you finish.
Re: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad
by BillKey - 11/26/04 12:34 PM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerA lot of the devices inside a PC are mechanical (with moving parts) Therefore I belive that if the PC is not to be used for a long period of time that it should be turned off. When it is left runing it tends to wear on these devices, causes heat whitch as everyboby knows is the worst enemy to electronics.
The so called SPIKE that happends when you turn on a PC is not as bad as wearing out your hard drives, fans etc.
THANKS ---Bill Key
Re: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad
by Teddee - 11/26/04 2:59 PM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerWhy leave it on? - wastes power & hackers can get in if left online. If you have cable service, when you bring up your browser, you are automatically online. Can't see the sense of leaving a computer running. Power surges could damge the cicuit.
Re:
by ollywho - 11/26/04 3:32 PM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerTurn off during severe storms, when working on inside PC and if gone away for more than one day. Maybe reboot once every 30 days or so.
Al
Re: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad
by Marcuss2 - 11/26/04 3:53 PM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerI've never heard that one before , but it seems to me the longer you leave your computer on the more chance you have to pick up a bug..
Software vs. Hardware
by xfile - 11/26/04 5:25 PM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerHi:
This is my second post and I've read many many posts after my first post.
I've found most points for both sides are similar to those have heard over years which are very good also.
But most points are focused on hardware, security, and power issues and very little mentioned the effects on system resources handling by operating system and related performance issues, which I am particularily interested in, and have heard something about it before.
Can any expert in that field also share us your suggestions?
Re: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad
by maribyrn - 11/26/04 6:00 PM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerPersonally, I always just Hibernate mine. I saves a lot of waiting around for startup, and it's just as I left it before hibernation. It's simple enough to do too, just hit the 'shift' ket after selecting Shut Down from the start menu.
Re: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad
by computquest - 11/26/04 9:52 PM In reply to: Re: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by maribyrnI like hibernation a lot too. In the power properties it allows the power key to be set so that striking it engages hibernation. I set my sleep key for standby in the same way. I feel it is preferable to use hibernation instead of shutdown when possible because it saves the system time and effort.
Re:
by Pekin Dude - 11/26/04 7:21 PM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerI'm still running 98 because I like it and never have had a major crash. Never have reinstalled Windows (six years on one PC and four on the other). I keep the OS and the registery clean. I leave my PC on, but I turn off the hard drives and monitor via the screen saver "Settings" tab. The OS will get bogged down by programs that don't relinquish the memory when they're supposed to. Therefore when it starts slowing down, I will reboot. Those memory cleaning programs are a bunch of hooey (tech. term). I hvae had no problems leaving the PC on, but you always need to reboot every so often to clean the memory.
5 YEARS AND GOING STRONG
by seville - 11/26/04 11:33 PM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerI'm not trying to brag and Lord knows I'm knocking on wood. But I have a P3-866 that I bought about 7 years ago. (I upgraded the processor about 5 years ago.) I have left it running 24 hours a day for the last 5 years. Mostly it was just to download stuff with a modem but even after I got DSL, I still leave it on. I live in Colorado and in the summer, it can easily be 90+ in my un-air conditioned home. Besides a couple program glitches because I d/l stuff without knowing what it is, I haven't had any problems with any of the hardware or 98SE.
Re:
by archibaldpaul - 11/27/04 12:06 AM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerI turn mine off. Since every creep out there believes my computer is his personal playground, I feel I am forced to stop each of them in this way. Why don't we each rebel to our government? Why do we allow others to trespass and interrupt processes in our private computers? I do not want them in my machine uninvited. Why don't I have any control or personal property rights? I am forced to shut down to defend myself from harm. It's not right!
Re: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad
by drmidi - 11/27/04 1:25 AM In reply to: "turning off PC" = Good/Bad by tyrantigerPCs should never be left on, especially if you are not around to "listen" to the fans. Let's face it, all PCs will suck in the dust and collect it on most internal surfaces, fans and other components, so a yearly vacuuming and dusting is always recommended. If you keep your PC on the floor, you will probably bring in more dust from your carpeting, animal hair if you have pets, and in many cases, the AC power supply or the CPU cooling fans may stop functioning and cause severe damage and be a potential fire hazard. Also consider the power usage, heat and other factors. I would feel more secure about leaving my home with the computer completely off (CPU, monitor and other heat-generating/power-consuming appliances), including AC power adapters, chargers, and other devices, even if they have a standby or sleep mode. That "security" alone should outweigh the old argument of heating and cooling the circuitry weld points, and thus leaving the computer on to avoid this. I would rather do a cold boot and not worry about a fan not functioning when I am not around to notice it. If you don't agree with me, think about the family who lost their home because of a faulty AC/DC power charger for a "Dustbuster". Their house burned to the ground!
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