Turning off your computer a lot harmful?

coolzeroz · #1 02-22-2003, 06:00 PM

Is turning your computer off more that 6 times a day harmful? Just wondaring.

beeboy · #2 02-22-2003, 06:10 PM

I think most would agree with me. Yes. Best to leave it on. I only shutdown over nite. Many will say its better to disable screensaver, standby, and hibernation. I only have my monitor set to go off after an hour of idle time. There are arguments for and against - everyone has their own ideas. I am sure there will be more replies to your post!

ESALADUANE · #3 02-22-2003, 09:28 PM

Six times a day does seem a bit much.

This is an old and contentious subject and you'll get an argument whichever side you take. Personally, I turn my computer on when I get up, turn it off when I go to work, turn it on when I get home from work and turn it off when I go to bed.

1] It saves power
2] It saves wear on the drive bearings and the fans
3] If the CPU fan packs in while the PC is unattended it's very expensive.
4] Leaving the computer on drags more dust into the case necessitating more frequent cleaning (and the attendent risk of damaging something)
5] The argument that solder joints crack due to expansion/contraction doesn't appear to be true.

These are just a few points that are heard in favor of turning a computer off when not in use. You'll hear equally compelling reasons to leave your computer on.

curtybob · #4 02-23-2003, 12:43 AM

i agree with both of you, but i figure "heck with it!!!" do your part to revive a dying economy, and burn it up, then spend some money to replace it. nobody gets paid until we quit reusing the same toothpick for a week and buy a new box of 'em!!

EEEEWWWW!!!!

augie2 · #5 02-24-2003, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by curtybob
i agree with both of you, but i figure "heck with it!!!" do your part to revive a dying economy, and burn it up, then spend some money to replace it. nobody gets paid until we quit reusing the same toothpick for a week and buy a new box of 'em!! EEEEWWWW!!!!

Unfortunately, the toothpick that you will not reuse will take millions of years to grow back, if ever.

My power scheme is monitor off after 1/2 hr, system standby 1hr and hibernate after 2 hrs.

I live in Quebec, Canada which has renewable hydroelctricity coming out of , well, enough to sell to the northeastern US as surplus.

Burning fossil fuels for standby devices like instant on TV's is wasteful. There's only that much left in the earth. What will we use next to heat our homes and power all else?

augie

beeboy · #6 02-24-2003, 03:44 PM

Its all hydro electricity in BC augie. As long as we dont have a drought ...

curtybob · #7 02-25-2003, 09:55 PM

no, really i was kidding.

i don't like the power management features in windows, i like my stuff off when not in use, but mainly because my 1 1/2 year old thinks he is the next kevin mitnick, and i wind up with windows xp in a BSOD. so i like shutting it down, and using the locking door on my antec sx1030 to keep the little (explitive deleted) out. but i am a big fan of getting onto my relatives about hording their money. after all, you can't take it with you!

sniperfav · #8 03-06-2003, 04:14 PM

i believe in turing off the computer when its not in use. its pointless to leave your computer on when its unattended and not in use. though i do leave my computer on thoughout the night so i can listen to misic wile i sleep. but i turn it off in the morning.

megahertzman · #9 03-19-2003, 09:21 PM

Hello people. Just wanted your input. I use my Sony desktop everyday. Every early morning I turn it on, and every late night I turn it off (except for those restarts I have to do once in a while).
It seems pretty redundant and non-effective since I use it about 70% of our 24-hour days. My friend says he just leaves it on, and hasn't shutted it down ever since he bought it. I don't believe him, and even if he did, I doubt that's a good idea. But is it a good idea if I just leave my computer on for a few days then shut it down once in a few days, thereby leaving it for automatic standby overnight? By the way, I never use the hibernation feature. \\

ESALADUANE · #10 03-19-2003, 09:38 PM

Leaving it on for a few days or longer is common and I've never heard of any problems with doing it or strong arguments against it. Where I work we have computers that haven't been shut down since they were bought (Win98se) except when a reboot was necessary, or when the computers were moved to another location in the building.

megahertzman · #11 03-19-2003, 09:42 PM

Probably doesn't matter, but I use XP.

ESALADUANE · #12 03-19-2003, 09:50 PM

So do I. It's just my personal choice to turn it off when I'm not home or at work. A lot of companies work 24 hours a day 7 days a week and can't shut their computers down because they have people on all three shifts that have to use them (I doubt that the OS matters).

longleggedblond · #13 04-29-2003, 11:31 PM

Actually I never even gave it a second thought, until I tried to leave my computer on all day. I use it alot, but unless I log off and restart it, it freezes up on me. I never enable hybernation or sleep mode, but somehow my settings are wrong somewhere.
Maybe someone has an answer for me regarding the settings and why all the freezes.
Thank you.....

curtybob · #14 04-29-2003, 11:36 PM

windows before XP was notoriously bad about running out of resources the longer it ran. some blame it on windows for not being more aggressive in retrieving wasted resources, and others blame it on the apps that take the resources up and don't release them. Don't know what version of Windows you are running, but this is a possibility.

longleggedblond · #15 04-30-2003, 12:38 AM

TY curtybob for your reply.
I just upgraded from Windows XP Home to Win XP Pro.
So far I Love it. Hope the Love lasts... lol