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Philly0381

Join Date 11/2004

+844

Turning off your computer

I mentioned this late one night in the IRC. Lets see what kind of response I get from the forums crowd.

When do you turn off your computer, everyday, only when an update requires a reboot (I guess that's turning off and then on your computer)?

Are then any good reasons for leaving your system on?

Other than using energy are there any good reasons for turning you system off?

Sorry, I'm talking a home computer, not associated with work or being a server.

Why am I asking, just curious. Way back when I started with computers in the work place we were told If we were going to be away from it for any length of time turn it off. We are talking long ago.

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I usually turn mine off if I am going to be away for more than an hour or so and have nothing that needs to keep running, like large downloads, defraggers, etc... There is some debate on how much warming up and cooling down a computer can take before components start getting brittle, or how many presses it takes to wear out various power switches. I suppose it depends on your usage patterns really. If you are the kind of user that goes on for 5 minutes at a time every hour or two, you would probably be turning your computer on and off excessively. However, how much would the power cost you to leave it on all day in comparison to buying a new computer (or just parts) after a few years (which you may have replaced before they wore out anyway); add to that cost the small increase in the power to cool where you live from the heat generated by the computer. Depending on how you connect to the internet and the security software you have installed, leaving your computer on can also leave you open to attack. (You generally can't attack a computer that isn't on.)

Really the only benefit I see to leaving a computer on is convenience of not having to wait for it to boot up when you want to use it, and increasing its chances of surviving well into obsolescence.

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messiah1

Join Date 10/2005

+434

You can turn them off??!!!???!!!

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I go with the "middle of the road" attitude. I use standby mode. It powers off the computer but it is quick to restart. I don't have to deal with all that initial booting of the system. At the same time, I do try to save power so I don't run up an energy bill for no reason. If I am going to be away for more than a day, I will shut the whole thing off. I am sure the computer will enjoy a fresh boot now and then.

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When both my puter's aren't in use they're turned off Philly! Now, I've heard the theory of leaving your system on, that it doesn't consume as much energy as it would being turned on and off. And that leaving it on saves hardware & electrical wear and tear as opposed to the trauma of a dreaded cold boot cycle.

Bottom line to me, all of those theories don't pay my sky ass high PG&E bill. So I guess leaving your system on is cool if you can afford to leave it on.

Cp

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I used to do this with an older computer of mine. Back then I was the only one I new who could do it safely. (Standby had more problems.) Now I can't even seem to do it on any of my computers anymore. When standby works it is great, but mileage may vary.

Also, I am pretty sure standby fails during a power failure, meaning you might as well have unplugged the comp from the wall while it was running instead of putting it on standby. If you can enable it, "hibernate" is a much safer bet.

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I have mine set to turn off the monitor after 15 minutes idle and sleep after 1 hour.Any longer than that,I'll turn it off. I never leave it on if I'm not home.

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Lantec

Join Date 07/2003

+346

My work computer goes on when I get in and off automatically after running a daily backup at about 6pm. The office server I leave on 24-7 so I can access it from home or wherever I find the need.

leaving it on saves hardware & electrical wear and tear

That may have been the case 20 years ago but not today. Manufacturers know quite a bit more now than they did in the early 80s.

The energy item is bull as well. Just the extra heat put off by the system operating would increase your electric usage via AC costs.

At home I use a physical switch to disconnect mine completely from the line due to the amount of lightning we get where I live. Even so I've had a handful of modems get zapped thru the phone line while on surge protectors. The system goes on as I use it and off if I'm going to be away more than a 1 or 2 hours.

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ALMonty

Join Date 01/2002

+242

I have 3 and I leave them on accept if I go away to work for the week then there turned off. I also turn them off if there is a bad storm in the area. I heard if you turn it off then back on again you can damage your motherboard from the cool down, heat up, cool down, heat up but I think that could be a myth.

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I generally leave my pc on for as long as possible. However even i know this is irresponsible and wasteful, however i've gotten used to it always being ready and waiting.

I can now semi-justify this by having purchased an 88% efficient power supply for it, so im feeling a little better.

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I hibernate it very often. Sometimes I use standby. Restart it and then hibernate when the speed goes really slow or some software installation requires it.

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I generally turn it off if with a switch if I won't be needing it in the next hour. Saves electricity and heat.

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Hey guys, thanks for stopping by.

I turn my on in the morning and leave it on all day, then turn it off when going to bed. During the day I've gone back to using a screensaver. I have LCD displays so burn in is not the problem but I learn about LCD Image Persistence a short time ago, almost the same thing.

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Zydor

Join Date 03/2006

+38

Turn it off, power is the key aspect - whether or not its "88%" efficient power supply

A motherboard has a finite life - its longer these days due to better production methods, however the stress you put on components powering up is still as real. Its just that the effect is to reduce motherboard life, and with longer lives now, its not noticed by many. However if you use it a lot, its worth being conservative about freqently switching on and off aka every 15 mins. Dont loose sleep over it, but too frequent sessions powering it on and off does make a marginal difference.

Regards
Zy

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ALMonty

Join Date 01/2002

+242

I have my computers turn off the monitors after 5 minutes.

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At home I use a physical switch to disconnect mine completely from the line due to the amount of lightning we get where I live.

Damn Lantec, having to deal with what all the world has to offer and you have to play Ben Franklin too?!

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Turn it off, power is the key aspect - whether or not its "88%" efficient power supply.

What that means is that its drawing less power off the wall socket. Anyway thanks captain obvious.

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ZubaZ

Join Date 11/2001

+917

I keep them on more in the winter than in teh summer as I don't mind the extra heat.

Otherwise, off at the power supply

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I always hibernate my computer so I don't have the slow boot up time from tuning it off. I hibernate if I will be away for more than 2 hours.

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Zydor

Join Date 03/2006

+38

If you leave it on 24x7 consider taking part in a BOINC project, you will at least do something useful with it whilst it is turned on. See BOINC Projects Home Page. There are dozens of worthwhile projects where you can number crunch and help very worthwhile research projects.

It happens automatically in the background, I have been doing it for years - may main contribution at present is to Climate Change Modeling. No specialist knowledge is needed at all.

Below is a link to a talk given by François Grey the Head of IT at the Cern Laboratory in Switzerland where a gargantuan Atom Smasher 20 miles wide has been built underground. A BOINC project is one of the major factors in analysing the results from the atom smasher. Its a very engaging talk, not techie orientated, worth a watch even if you dont get into BOINC itself.

CERN Laboratory - The effects of BOINC

Regards
Zy

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I have seen this forum before.
Nice to have it around again

As for me I TURN My computer off at night or if I am away. NO USE in wasting the extra energy.

I don't feel its harmful to turn them off..

So mine runs When I am using it and any more than 2 hours or more NOT using it, I turn it off.

I just like to be efficient and I am all about Saving Energy and doing what I can to help the earth

Anne

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jazzymjr

Join Date 03/2004

+98

I turn my computer on when I get up in the morning, and it stays on all day...my monitor shuts off after 15 minutes of inactivity...don't use screensavers. I turn my computer off generally after supper. Needless to say, if I am gonna be away for more than just one day, my whole system gets unplugged from the wall.

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Snowman

Join Date 03/2001

+343

Since I'm only using the pc a few hours each day, I switch it off when I'm not using it.
Sometimes it does remain on for longer periods of time, if I have something major going on, like downloading huge files.

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Zoomba

Join Date 11/2002

+114

I turn my PC off when...

I am out of town for a few days.
No point in leaving the PC on if I'm not around at all.
When moving
Gotta disconnect it to haul.
Doing serious desk cleaning
Every year or so I disassemble my work area to clean everything out
When there's a thunderstorm
Even with a surge protector, better safe than sorry.
When applying an update
Gotta reboot.

Aside from that, the machine is always on. Less stress on the electronics from the power-up/power-down crap. I keep the room at a decent temp to so heat isn't an issue.

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I appreciate all the replies folks. Now that's what a community is about.

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Voqar

Join Date 03/2003

+21

I leave my home computers on 24/7 (they and the monitors go into sleep mode) unless I'm out of town. (I'm a programmer and our whole crew leaves their PCs on 24/7 whether they need to remote them on demand or not.)

You can google and find pros and cons for both scenarios that equate to neither option being clearly favorable - so it's more about personal preference. I personally spend ungodly amounts of time on my PC and I like it to be immediately available, so I've always left them running as long as I've had PCs.

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