My computer is always on unless I have to restart for updates on my antivirus or windows.I'm not really sure if this is good for the computer or not but it's what I have always done. What about you.......Do you leave in on or turn it off when you're done for the night? Please share and have a great night!
[question posted by Oceanblueeyes]
responses and comments:
Unless I know that I am coming right back to it I shut mine off. I was told that leaving it on all the time runs up your electricity bill, so now I shut it off whenever I am not using it. [RobsWife10706]
I also think if we don't shut down computer after use it will contribute to increase in electricity bills. Also, we need to shut down our computer to give it adequate rest and to cool it down. [ajithlal]
when im done at the night, ill shut my computer down. it empties all the RAM and allows my anti-virus to update on the next start up. even if your the type of person that hibernates all the time, it is still good to shut down and reboot once in a while. itll free up your resources from programs that opened in the background and is no long used during the day, if i turn on my computer and then leave the house, ill hibernate. but shut down is most commonly used [KupoSin]
it starts back faster ,, from where u left off,, [kawalnarang]
I shut mine off at night just before I go to bed. It is on all day long. Even if I leave the house I leave it on. I will shut it down during the day if there is a severe thunderstorm, other than that it is on until I retire at night. [Chevee]
I also shut my computer down if there is a severe thunderstorm just in case. Thanks very much for responding. [Oceanblueeyes]
Being in a country that has high cost of electricity it is practical to turn it off in my case. We have to conserve energy in our place that is why I am always turning it off when nt in use. [rsa101]
That is a very good reason to turn it off in your case. Thanks for your response. [Oceanblueeyes]
I usually end up leaving mine on throughout the day because I know that I will be back and forth on it throughout the day. I will shut it off at night time when i head off to bed just because I know that it will be at least eight hours before I will be getting on it again. I will also shut it off in the day time if I know that I will be off of it for a few hours. I think it is good to shut it down because it seems to run more sluggish when it has been on for long periods of time or at least mine does. My mother in law will leave her computer run all day and all night and will only turn the screen off when she jumps off it and hers runs so slow I hate being on it. I always tell her that should at least put it onto standby once and awhile and should turn it off at night that way her up dates can take into effect and maybe her computer wouldn't be so slow. [froggieslover]
Even though my computer is on all the time I don't find it sluggish. I do always clear the cookies and internet history which helps it run quicker. I don't sleep well at night so sometimes I get on the computer when I can't sleep so its more convenient for me to leave it on. Thanks for your response. [Oceanblueeyes]
Think it's really not bad at all that your pc is always on. Based on what I have known, pc nowadays are designed for at least 5 years of non-stop working (as long as properly ventilated). Not unless I need to and/or still in use, I need to turn it off. What we should remember in here is that, we save energy everytime we turn off our computers and everything in our house. It's a priceless habit thereby contributing goodness to our mother earth. That's why, it is best to turn-off pc and/or everything WHEN NOT IN USE;) Have a nice day! [hmike_d]
You make a very valid point. I am very conscious of other electrical items in my home but for some reason I never really thought about the computer. Sometimes we need little reminders about energy saving. I think I will do my part and start turning my computer off when not in use. Thanks for the reminder and your response! [Oceanblueeyes]
My computer always stays on. For me its too much of a hassle to worry about turning it off at night and then trying to get it completely restarted in the morning while I'm dashing around trying to get ready to school - which due to me loving to hit my snooze button, is already not enough time. Plus, I have to check things like email before class because its the only way I'm going to know whether or not my class is canceled before I walk the 20 minutes to get to it. I been, it does waste electricity but overall I think its pretty much fine for the computer. Every once in awhile I'll restart it - but like you said its normally for updates or if it starts to run slow thats when I'll restart it and things are back to normal. [anotherxidentity]
It seems that most of us agree that leaving the computer on doesn't hurt the computer but it does waste electricity. Thanks for your response. [Oceanblueeyes]
With older computers (pre-1995) the "surge" when turning a computer on and off was thought to shorten the life of the parts and put extra strain on them. That is no longer the case. Modern computers can be left on or turned on and off with no difference in the life of the computer. If you have a high speed internet connection that is always "on" when your computer is on - this allows more "attacks" on your system and your computer can get infected and added to a botnet. If that happens, when your computer has been sitting idle for a specific period of time it will start running programs that you are not even aware of and it stops running them when you start using the computer so you will not notice a slow down. People have actually had officials show up at their door when illegal activity is traced to their computer. Also, as energy conscious as we are now; leaving your computer on sucks power even when you are not using it (approximately the same amount as your refrigerator, more if you are also leaving the monitor, printer, etc. on). So, it saves you money to turn it off and it helps the environment. [speakeasy]
I learned about computers being "attacked" when a friend's wife got a new computer and left it on all the time. After just a week, her computer was running REALLY slow and she took it back where she bought it. They told her it had a "ton" of adware, spyware, viruses, and trojans AND that they had probably gotten on the computer while it was "just sitting" because it appeared that it had been hijacked and used as part of a "bot-net" which had then been doing all sorts of things when she wans't using it herself. Her computer was so bad they had to wipe the hard drive and reload from scratch. They also sold her some better security software and told her not to leave it on all the time if she was not going to be using it. [speakeasy]
i turn off the computer at home when i am not using it. my brother sometimes leaves it open if he has something to download... but i dont leave it just to be safe and to save on electricity. i keep my laptop open at work though so i dont have to restart as often as i close the laptop. [chiyosan]
It seems that most people do shut their computers down when not in use. Thanks for your response. [Oceanblueeyes]
I leave my computer on for 2-3 days then turn it off. I follow this practice because if I have to turn the computer on every time I want to use it then I'd have to wait almost 15 minutes before it properly boots up. [monty7805]
It is a nuisance waiting for the computer to reboot but after reading all the responses to this discussion, I think it's better to shut it down. Thanks for responding. [Oceanblueeyes]
If I know I am going to be busy for a few hours then I turn the computer off. I also turn off the modem/router because I like to think if everything is off there is no way anyone can get at my computer. Everything is always turned off at night. I do know people leave their computer and modem on all the time, but I would be worried about over heating and I like to know everything possible is turned off at night in case of fire. [Flysse]
I must say I never thought about the computer or modem overheating but that is a very good point. Thanks so much for your response. [Oceanblueeyes]
Everytime I turn it off cause it actaully only takes about a minute to turn on. It's actally not much of a hassle for me. I think I'd rather save a couple of bucks on electricity. [utubez9195]
Most mylotters agree that the computer should be shut down when not in use because it is a big draw on electricity. Thanks for responding. [Oceanblueeyes]
it depends on whether i've finished with what i'm doing or not. i tend to forget where i left off if i turn the computer off and i'm in the middle of my writing. being a stay at home mom takes a lot of juggling of things to do. sometimes we cannot plan our day the way we want it to be. [Ritchelle]
I agree with you there, ritchelle. We all have days where we try to tackle too many things at once and then forget what we were working on. It happens to all of us.lolThanks for your response. [Oceanblueeyes]
I put mine to sleep, because I heard that it takes more energy for your computer to start if it was fully turned off. However, I never leave mine fully on unless I was downloading or scanning something; that just wastes electricity. I personal don't understand why people leave their computers on when they're not doing anything on it all. It's not good for the computer or the owner's bill. [vtesnion]
It is a big draw on electricity, so it's a good idea to shut it down. I guess I just never really gave it too much thought, but I will be shutting mine down when not in use from now on. Thanks for your response. [Oceanblueeyes]
I always turn my computer off after I'm done, becuse this one time when I left it on I later came back to my computer and I found a mysterious message on the screen that made me feel unsafe so for me I think its best to turn the computer off after using it.happy [apples99]
That would be enough to make me turn it off too. With so many different viruses out there, we can't be too careful. Thanks for sharing. [Oceanblueeyes]
I think it's not good. Everything has its working time including machine. If it's always open, machine will be older and older. [Henrysun]
Good point, Henry. Thanks for responding. [Oceanblueeyes]
I usually leave it on while I am at home and need to use it. But if I go to sleep or out to work, I'll turn it off. I think it's good for pc health to leave it on. Plus, I need to save on the electricity bill. There are also several times blackout occurs here and my UPS can't store enough power for a long time. Leaving it on while not using it is not a good idea. [prinzcy]
It seems that fellow mylotters agree with you and I think I have learned my lesson and will start shutting it down when I will be away for an extended time. Thanks for your response. [Oceanblueeyes]
I tend to leave my computer on after each use. [kellys3ps]
I used too, but after this discussion I will be shutting it down. Thanks for responding. [Oceanblueeyes]
Of course i turn off my computer at night or when i don't use it. However, sometimes i use my computer for finishing my job and when i need to take a rest, i hybernate it, not turn off [menulis]
Thanks for your response. [Oceanblueeyes]
Generally after my work is over, I simply turn my computer off. But in the past few days, I have been using my computer quite frequently, so instead of turning it off, I simply hibernate it (a feature of Windows XP and later) since restarting it consumes a bit of time and that frustrates me. These days, I am downloading "the Heroes" series through torrents and its taking too much time, so, my computer is on for about 12-16 hrs everyday! [amitksing]
Yes, its a very good feature, just requires about 500MB of free space in your Operating System drive. Its always a pleasure helping fellow mylotters happy [amitksing]
Well the office computer is on throughout the day i.e for 8hrs at a stretch but I've never heard the maintenance guys complain anything about it though I must admit that the machine does get heated and it needs a break too At home, once I switch on the computer, I usually don't switch it off if I'm gone for say 10 to 15 minutes but if its for longer stretches, I do switch it off. And then sometimes, I am listening to music so even if I'm not working on it, its working for me. [sudiptacallingu]
I guess it makes sense that the computers need a break too so shutting it down when we are done with it is probably a good practice. Thanks for responding. [Oceanblueeyes]
My computer is always on everyday for my hubby always have an immediate information about his work so i have to open my yahoo messenger to be sure that he will not get angry with me for he wants to receive also an imediate response and if ever he buzzes me, i can easily see his message. That is what our day to day communication which the computer is the very important gadget and a very useful. [patzel88]
Because you use your computer as a means of communication it makes sense to leave it on all the time. Thanks for responding. [Oceanblueeyes]
Now we have many problems due recession and so we have to do something to save our expenses. We have to do cost cutting and even save electricity. Anyway I am always turning off my computer when not in use. I am not turning it to stand-by or hibernate mode but always turn off. [rakesh284]
Yes, I agree we should all do our part during these hard times. A little reminder every once in awhile is a good thing. Thanks for your response. [Oceanblueeyes]
my computer is like on for 14 hours everyday.if i'm finished using it, i'll just turn the monitor off. [j0yciee]
I'm not sure what the life span of a monitor is, but I think it is a good idea to turn it off when not in use. Thanks for your response. [Oceanblueeyes]
My computer is always on for more than 10 hours. Then when I'm going outside, I'd just put it in a stand-by mode. I always turn it off before I sleep at night. [semispoiledgurl]
This seems to be the norm. Thanks for responding. [Oceanblueeyes]
I always turn off my laptop after each use. I didn't try and do not have any plan to leave it open for the rest of the night, after all. I'm quite cautious, and I don't know what will happen if I leave it open for 24 hours. So, I just take the safe side. [xtine22]
Its always better to be safe than sorry. Thanks for responding. [Oceanblueeyes]
Hi there .... I always have the good habit of turning it off ,whenever i am away from the computer ,else it would be just a waste of all the precious power the computer consumes... Cheers!!! [vishwaskg]
Yes, we should all be more concerned with wasting electricity and power especially in this day and age. Thanks for responding. [Oceanblueeyes]
I leave my computer on all day until i go to bed the reason for this is that if i get a chance i keep going back to the computer to see if i have any emails.Sometimes i just turn the monitor off during the day to save a bit on the electric,but i turn the whole pc off when i go to bed. [jugsjugs]
Yes I am constantly checking my emails throughout the day.It seems most mylotters turn their pc off at night. Thanks for responding. [Oceanblueeyes]
My computer will stay on until I sleep at night; except when I'm going out for a few hours or so. I'm often worried about lightning, so I would switch off and remove the plug points. [lazeebee]
Thank you for your response. [Oceanblueeyes]
NO. haha, i'm a lazy arse and the electricity bills are killing me. is it good to shut it or not i think that shutting it down is better. files and data's inside your computer could rest after operating for hours. computers need to rest too! [4u2enjoy]
I agree, computers need rest too. We work them pretty hard these days. Thanks for responding. [Oceanblueeyes]
I always keep my pc on because I am good user of internet and keep downloading latest software and updates. I never down my system until it require flush. Continue PC running may cause bad to its part if we unable to support the required circumstances and temperature to all its components. [gmkk1986]
I shut down my computer after using it. I am having high electricity bill. So I want to save electricity bill and so I shut down my computer. I think it is always good to shut down the computer after use and give it some rest. I think the computer needs to cool after sometime and we need to shut down the computer our use. [ajithlal]
Hi, I will shut down my computer when I go to sleep, I think the computer still need sleeping, haha. Always leave the computer on is not good for the computer, so I think we'd better shut down the computer when we go out or do something else, do not need it. If we always leave it on, it will also waste the power. [kindy198636]
I have 5 kids and then there is me and my other half I have to say that I have one desk top and one lap top. I usually have the desk top running and only restart it for updates since we are always on it. LOL!! My kids use it for school and fun , while my other half and I use the computer for a managerie of things. LOL!! So I might run up my electric bill but I'm always on it anyway. [bellaofchaos]
Mine is usually on unless the cord gets pulled on accident or I have to restart for some reason. I keep it on because it takes too long to start and load up and I usually dont have too much time on it at once so I try to save time by not having to wait for it to start. [callahanb78]
Usually I leave mine on. About the only times these days that I'll turn it off is when I go to bed. I did used to leave it on overnight since I run Rosetta@home (I haven't redownloaded SETI yet) so that could run. But I realized how much energy that leaving my computer on non-stop wastes. From time to time I'll turn it off when I go somewhere though. [DarthJustice]
When I use my computer, I turn it completely off, because it runs up my light bill, I Mylot from the Library, so I don't have to turn off, the computer, I have two hours of computer time, to use here on the internet, so I like to make use of the time that I have here on Mylot, I only get to answer 15 discussions, here on Mylot and I like to get all of my discussions, answered before my time runs out.happy [notlistening2]
Hi,Oceanblueeyes When I have to go,I always turn off my computer because I think it saves energy and it is not good to have your computer working for too long. Have a nice day! [hxstar]
Our computer is normally on, but asleep so I can just "wake it up" when I want to get on the computer. However I do think it's good for the computer to be shut off completely once a week or so (and that's my opinion). I don't normally make a point to do it but I think it is good to do. I usually end up just rebooting my computer when needed. [simplyshawn]
I tend to leave mine on through out the day as I am back and forth to it and taking care of the house. But I can see where leaving it on will raise the elec. bill. But at night when my finance' and I go to bed we turn it off. Until morning that is lol [denisedora]
i turn off my computer after i use it. i don't like the idea of leaving it on and not using it it, it's a waste of energy and also running the computer for long hours limits the life span of the computer, hardware inside it. nowadays, we need to conserve as much energy as we can. if you are not using your computer then why not turn it off. [rymebristol]
I don't leave my computer on all day. One thing for sure you lose energy and your bills goes up for electricity. I use my computer mostly for homework or downloads. This usually doesn't take up much time. Usually people leave it on at night on the sake of downloading stuff. [mzj033y]
No, I don't like the idea that always leave it on even I don't use it whether I am home or not. I always turn it off when I don't use it especially when I go out. [mermaidivy]
When I'm finished using the computer I always turn it off and unplug to save electricity. Now that fire is always happening I don't want this to happen to us so all of our appliaces at home when we are not using them we unplug them for safety reason. Our electricity this months is goes up so we need to save electricity this month. [agv0419]
I usually turn my computer off everytime i get off of it to save energy. I didn't always though. I used to keep it on all day until I was ready to go to bed. Even if I wasn't using it. [lala501]
I always turn off my computer after I use it. But when I'm downloading something online that's the time that I leave my computer on, and that is to finish the file to be downloaded. Happy MyLotting! [CMTS_87]
I usually turn my computer off only at night or if I am going to be away for more than two hours. Since most of my work is on the computer, it doesnt make much sense turning it off and on every now and again. I think frequent restarts consume more power that way. [luckyattraction]
I turn it off after use,, every time,, I never wanted to see if it is better,, I guess It is safe [kawalnarang]
i will leave my pc on even if i went outside for long time.Bcz i am too lazy to start it again when i bk.. lol so my pc is only closed or shutted down when i am going to bed.. lol poor pc [babyorchid]
nope.it's a waste of electricty and computer will overheat.i don't think you should leave your computer on when you j\know you'll come back so long. [flagella08]
hiya oceanblueeyes I asked my big bro who is a main frame computer engineer and he advised me that it's ok to leave it on. It doesn't take up too much energy but I liked to be frugal so was switiching it off. Recently, however, I was having a few technical problems with the start up and it looked like it was becoming harder to get it to boot up again, so I am now leaving it on blink It seems to be ok with restart, but not with shutting down completely. I got a lot of help from my AV forum and it seems to be running faster again, but I'm not taking any chances of shutting down lol Alice happy [Aliceinwebland]
another advantage to leaving it on.. I/You/we lol don't have to wait ages on it loading all the programs and peripherals starting up lol. I love my new(ish) wee notebook, no crap installed on it and it fires up in seconds happy [Aliceinwebland]
My computer stays on all the time unless I am restarting as well. The only time it stays off for longer periods are when we are on vacay or gone for more than a day. We use the internet alot so it would be a hassle to keep shutting down and restarting. It doesn't use that much electricity anyways so it's not that big of a deal to me. When I don't use it, it is on standby however and that is the energy saving mode. [nv_jenn]
I always leave my computer on. Constantly switching your machine on and off can actually be damaging to your components after a while. Everytime you switch on you send a surge through your computer, the rate of change is instantanious and infinite, it will be one of these moments that somewhere on your motherboard or graphic card a small component not ready for that sudden change / surge of electricity will blow leading to a fault on your machine. Once your machine is up and running it is smoooth in its operation and distributon of current. Consider this. Internet servers are always running from the moment they are built to serve their purpose with no fault at all. Calvin London [Wackywindows]
Well we are lazy we should turn off the laptop and computer when its not it use.. since it take time to restart the computer and we are not shut down the laptop.. Its same with me.. i too never shut down the laptop till i sleep.. whole day my laptop is on .. it does not matter i am in office or not.. If i start the laptop then it takes 5 minutes.. but for saving this 5 minutes i never shut down the laptop.. but its not good things.. We should shut down the laptop and computer if we are u=not using.. anyways happy myloting.. [cool_bollywood]
hi there, well it really depends. if im in the house at the time i will leave it on. but if im out i will turn it off as no one will be in the house, unless if my wife or son is at home! [djaaumthemoneymaker]
Turn it off after each use, thats what he who will be obeyed says so why not. He is right though, its better to switch them off when not in use, if only to cut down on electricity used. [vonmac]