Turning off your computer
Monday, May 12, 2008 by Philly0381 | Discussion: Personal Computing
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. 
 |
|
Page 2 of 4 | |
|
|---|
Snowman
Reply #22 Monday, May 12, 2008 4:52 PM
Reply #22 Monday, May 12, 2008 4:52 PM
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.
Zoomba
Reply #23 Monday, May 12, 2008 5:06 PM
Reply #23 Monday, May 12, 2008 5:06 PM
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.
Philly0381
Reply #24 Monday, May 12, 2008 5:22 PM
Reply #24 Monday, May 12, 2008 5:22 PM
I appreciate all the replies folks. Now that's what a community is about. 
Voqar
Reply #25 Monday, May 12, 2008 5:45 PM
Reply #25 Monday, May 12, 2008 5:45 PM
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.
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.
erathoniel
Reply #26 Monday, May 12, 2008 5:51 PM
Reply #26 Monday, May 12, 2008 5:51 PM
I turn mine off every time it starts making clicking noises (laptop, HP Pavilion). About 30 hours.
I've been told that you should wait about two hours of off time to keep them from using up too much energy grinding back up and down, but I've never really heard anything about this.
NightTrainthedark
Reply #27 Monday, May 12, 2008 6:05 PM
Ditto
Reply #27 Monday, May 12, 2008 6:05 PM
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.
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.
Ditto
CountryYokel
Reply #28 Monday, May 12, 2008 6:23 PM
Reply #28 Monday, May 12, 2008 6:23 PM
When I bought my first computer I was advised to leave it on 24/7 and only reboot if necessary, but that was 20 years ago, when I suspect none of us gave as much thought about saving energy and the environment as we do now.
The computer I am using now, which belongs to my daughter, is always shut down at night, or if we leave the house, it is over 4 years old and, touch wood, has not complained about it yet.
The computer I am using now, which belongs to my daughter, is always shut down at night, or if we leave the house, it is over 4 years old and, touch wood, has not complained about it yet.
BONEHEADdb
Reply #29 Monday, May 12, 2008 6:33 PM
Reply #29 Monday, May 12, 2008 6:33 PM
What Zoomba said.
I leave it on all night while I'm at work. I run Sysmetrix and every alarm and beeper uses the same sound file, a dog barking. I turn the volume way up!
I leave it on all night while I'm at work. I run Sysmetrix and every alarm and beeper uses the same sound file, a dog barking. I turn the volume way up!
Onikazi
Reply #30 Monday, May 12, 2008 6:48 PM
Reply #30 Monday, May 12, 2008 6:48 PM
I leave my computers on 24/7 unless there is a storm, only because of power outages. I should by a UPS for that, but I have other priorities at the moment.
There are several ideas on whether or not to leave the computer on. What it really comes down to is one question. Are you on your computer more than you are away from it? If you use your computer often it is better for your hardware to leave your machine on. The reason being that things like your hard drive need to spin up when being turned on, and spin down when powering off. This increases wear and tear on your moving parts and reduces their life span.
If you only use your computer for short intervals or on an irregular basis it is probably a good idea to turn it off. That will reduce your power usage and prolong the life of your hardware only as long as you are not powering on and off frequently. A computer is much like a car in this regard. It takes more juice to start your car initially than it does to idle. If you are making frequent short stops it reduces wear on your starter to leave your car running. However if you are making longer stops it is better for fuel economy and engine life to turn off your car.
Rebooting for updates is primarily a Windows function so it can make changes to the registry that directly affect the OS. Linux only needs to be rebooted if you upgrade the Kernel, or perform a major OS Upgrade such as Debian Etch to Debian Lenny or in the case of Windows, Windows XP to Windows Vista (if you consider Vista an upgrade). The majority of internet servers are Linux machines which have been known to go for periods of up to 10 years without being turned off.
There are several ideas on whether or not to leave the computer on. What it really comes down to is one question. Are you on your computer more than you are away from it? If you use your computer often it is better for your hardware to leave your machine on. The reason being that things like your hard drive need to spin up when being turned on, and spin down when powering off. This increases wear and tear on your moving parts and reduces their life span.
If you only use your computer for short intervals or on an irregular basis it is probably a good idea to turn it off. That will reduce your power usage and prolong the life of your hardware only as long as you are not powering on and off frequently. A computer is much like a car in this regard. It takes more juice to start your car initially than it does to idle. If you are making frequent short stops it reduces wear on your starter to leave your car running. However if you are making longer stops it is better for fuel economy and engine life to turn off your car.
Rebooting for updates is primarily a Windows function so it can make changes to the registry that directly affect the OS. Linux only needs to be rebooted if you upgrade the Kernel, or perform a major OS Upgrade such as Debian Etch to Debian Lenny or in the case of Windows, Windows XP to Windows Vista (if you consider Vista an upgrade). The majority of internet servers are Linux machines which have been known to go for periods of up to 10 years without being turned off.
SIR NASTY OF TANG
Reply #31 Monday, May 12, 2008 6:53 PM
same here!!!
Reply #31 Monday, May 12, 2008 6:53 PM
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.
Ditto
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.
Ditto
same here!!!
butch123
Reply #32 Monday, May 12, 2008 7:09 PM
Yes same for me to
Reply #32 Monday, May 12, 2008 7:09 PM
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 movingGotta disconnect it to haul. Doing serious desk cleaningEvery year or so I disassemble my work area to clean everything out When there's a thunderstormEven with a surge protector, better safe than sorry. When applying an updateGotta 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.Dittosame here!!!
Yes same for me to
Nimbin
Reply #33 Monday, May 12, 2008 7:18 PM
Reply #33 Monday, May 12, 2008 7:18 PM
mine only gets turned off i we are going to be away for more than 2 days, otherwise it stays on 24/7. Oh and once every 3 months i turn it off, take the cover off and give the inside a good clean out and make sure everything is seated properly and no damaged wiring etc etc.
DethAdder
Reply #34 Monday, May 12, 2008 7:28 PM
Reply #34 Monday, May 12, 2008 7:28 PM
Weekday: Awake at 4:45AM PC turned on. Turned off one hour later when leaving for work.
Come home Approx. 4:15 PC turned on. Stays on till bed (Approx 10:00-10:30)
Weekends: Stays on.
I don't use any screensavers/hibernation/powersaving options, due to the occasional running of something and problems I've had with them in the past.
Come home Approx. 4:15 PC turned on. Stays on till bed (Approx 10:00-10:30)
Weekends: Stays on.
I don't use any screensavers/hibernation/powersaving options, due to the occasional running of something and problems I've had with them in the past.
zakai1369
Reply #35 Monday, May 12, 2008 8:10 PM
Reply #35 Monday, May 12, 2008 8:10 PM
I mainly work from home these days, I live alone so usually even if I'm watching tv or something I'm still sitting in front of the pc, and I usually sleep less than 5 hours a night at which time I usually leave something running about three nights a week(i.e. defrag, antivirus) so mine normally stays on 24/7.
I have it hooked up to a battery backup with surge protector so I don't usually shut it off during a storm either unless the power goes out.
I have gotten into the habit of shutting it down one night every week or two just to give it a break. Except when I go out of town 1 month every year and leave it running because I have files and such that i need and/or want to access while away.
The monitor is a different story. I don't usually like running screensavers so if I know I'm going to be away for more than 5 or 10 minutes I shut the monitor off.
I have it hooked up to a battery backup with surge protector so I don't usually shut it off during a storm either unless the power goes out.
I have gotten into the habit of shutting it down one night every week or two just to give it a break. Except when I go out of town 1 month every year and leave it running because I have files and such that i need and/or want to access while away.
The monitor is a different story. I don't usually like running screensavers so if I know I'm going to be away for more than 5 or 10 minutes I shut the monitor off.
Sarissi
Reply #36 Monday, May 12, 2008 8:19 PM
Reply #36 Monday, May 12, 2008 8:19 PM
Being disabled, and that I sleep several hours 3 to 4 times per day (due to the last time I was in the hospital for surgery - amputation of left great toe, IV antibiotics every 6 hours - I leave my main system on, although I turn the monitor off when I go get a few hours of sleep.
The only time I will turn the system off, is when I do a hardware upgrade or replacement, or, more importantly, a strong to severe lightning storm or MCC, or something takes the power out for more than a few minutes. Even if I am asleep, the UPS on the win98se box will wake me up with its beeping.
With a lightning storm, I will actually turn the UPS off and unplug everything from the wall outlet, disconnect the cable modem from the cable, and so on to totally isolate the system from lightning.
I go to this extreme cause my Tandy 2000 was zapped twice by lightning via the modem (both times). I had a roommate that sneered at my extreme measures. I told him that if he had his computer zapped twice by lightning he would be doing the same as I do. He stopped sneering.
My method of saving power is that I live without using electric lights, by wearing an LED headlamp and using NiMH batteries.
The only time I will turn the system off, is when I do a hardware upgrade or replacement, or, more importantly, a strong to severe lightning storm or MCC, or something takes the power out for more than a few minutes. Even if I am asleep, the UPS on the win98se box will wake me up with its beeping.
With a lightning storm, I will actually turn the UPS off and unplug everything from the wall outlet, disconnect the cable modem from the cable, and so on to totally isolate the system from lightning.
I go to this extreme cause my Tandy 2000 was zapped twice by lightning via the modem (both times). I had a roommate that sneered at my extreme measures. I told him that if he had his computer zapped twice by lightning he would be doing the same as I do. He stopped sneering.
My method of saving power is that I live without using electric lights, by wearing an LED headlamp and using NiMH batteries.
AnneMarie
Reply #37 Monday, May 12, 2008 8:23 PM
Reply #37 Monday, May 12, 2008 8:23 PM
I think its more harmful to "Turn OFF" a monitor than it is to turn off your system....
CobraA1
Reply #38 Monday, May 12, 2008 8:32 PM
Hibernate is basically equivalent to turning it off, except that the memory and state is saved to the harddrive before it is turned off. Standby saves power instead of turning it completely off.
Vista's "sleep" is a hybrid of hibernate and standby. It saves the harddrive to the disk in case of power failure, then enters standby.
The technical community mostly agrees that if it's in use daily, keep it on. If, however, you are away for several days or longer, turn it off.
The hard drives especially are the most fragile, and will wear out a lot more quickly with repeated on/off cycles. Motherboard and switches are fine, though, they are designed to last.
I highly recommend turning off the monitor when not in use - it's a huge power drain.
Reply #38 Monday, May 12, 2008 8:32 PM
If you can enable it, "hibernate" is a much safer bet.
Hibernate is basically equivalent to turning it off, except that the memory and state is saved to the harddrive before it is turned off. Standby saves power instead of turning it completely off.
Vista's "sleep" is a hybrid of hibernate and standby. It saves the harddrive to the disk in case of power failure, then enters standby.
The technical community mostly agrees that if it's in use daily, keep it on. If, however, you are away for several days or longer, turn it off.
The hard drives especially are the most fragile, and will wear out a lot more quickly with repeated on/off cycles. Motherboard and switches are fine, though, they are designed to last.
I highly recommend turning off the monitor when not in use - it's a huge power drain.
SIR NASTY OF TANG
Reply #39 Monday, May 12, 2008 10:33 PM
Reply #39 Monday, May 12, 2008 10:33 PM
my monitor is set to turn off after 20 minutes idle!! forgot to add that !!
nasty
nasty
pjdark
Reply #40 Monday, May 12, 2008 11:45 PM
Reply #40 Monday, May 12, 2008 11:45 PM
off every night. that includes monitor. not about saving energy, just about saving my energy bill. 
Please login to comment and/or vote for this skin.
Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:
- Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums and downloading skins.
- Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
- Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
- It's simple, and FREE!
|
|
Page 2 of 4 | |
|
|---|
Reply #21 Monday, May 12, 2008 4:40 PM