whenever i go to bed i usually just leave my computer on and just leave it running and the screen goes black i guess because of the screen saver or something anyways i have heard before that its bad for your computer to just leave it running and then i heard that it doesn't really affect your computer that much afterall so i was just wondering what all of you think, do you think that it helps your computer or does it hurt your computer or does it not make a difference and what do you all do, thanks for taking the time to read my discussion and i hope that you all answer and i hope that you all had a great day and continue to have a good night tonight, thanks again!
[question posted by jhl930]
responses and comments:
I leave it on usually for the weekends when I know I will be up early and getting on it again. During the week days I know I won't be using it early so I shut it down before I go to bed. I think it saves a little bit of juice and even a little of the life of a computer but I am no expert on the subject. happy [mscott]
i think that it does as well but usually at night i will turn youtube on or something like that and and then i will fall asleep since its beside my bed. thanks for taking the time to reply! [jhl930]
Well I don't leave my computer on I turn it off just because leaving my computer on would make my bill go up and I don't wont that but for if it is bad or not I am not sure but I can tell you my mom leaves her computer on all the time and I know her computer started acting funny and she just bought this computer but I do know a computer does need to rest. [reoko10]
keeping your computer on is only waste of energy and also money, which will be a great loss to our nation as well as it reduced our pocket therefore atleast for the sake of your country try to save energy as much as you can thanks [dio123]
I will trun off my computer if I don't use it so after I go to bed I usually trun off it. If I just go out for a moment or have a dinner, I will leave my computer on. If the computer on for a long time, I think that is a good for the computer. [leafgxu]
I used to leave my computer(s) on all the time I never turned them off. Since i built my desktop computer I have started to put it in standby mode. I think that this saves on all the fans and components and also saves some power. I havent noticed any problems by putting it into standby when I go somewhere or when I go to bed. I also always put my laptop to sleep so it doesnt put as much wear and tear on the hard drive and fan. Im not sure if it makes a big difference but I havent noticed any downsides to putting them to sleep. Another upside on my desktop anyways is it cuts back on the amount of dust that builds up in the case. [hrjustin]
I used to leave my computer on all day, everyday for about 4 months. From my experience, it's not a good thing to keep it on that long. The hard disk is continuously spinning even if your computer is idle so it is getting worn out. Also, the other hardware are also being used so they are generating heat and are getting worn out just by being on. After those 4 months my computer was on, my video card overheated a countless number of times and eventually broke, my hard disk died and I saw the Blue Screen of Death a almost everyday. I suggest you keep you computer on at night only if you have to. For example, if you're downloading a big file or if you're defragging. Other than that, you should turn it off. You'll even save on the electricity bill that way. [migsmartinez]
Usually i turned on the computer only when i will use it...But afterwards i also turned it off..I do not leave my computer on because to save electricity... happy mylotters! [ehlsie]
I have never left it on for really long times unless I am downloading something. But I used to leave it on for a couple of hours or more even though I knew that heat is the main enemy of computers these days and not turning them on and off. However, I learned the hard way recently that leaving them on is not good for another reason and that is it increases the chance of getting some kind of virus or spyware infection if you are connected to the Internet all the time it is on. I left mine on for about an hour recently with the browser closed and came back in to find that an infection had gotten through my protection even though it had detected it partially. It was bad enough that doing restore would not work to fix it and it blocked a scan from being run. I had to get a hired srevice to get rid of the infection. [stealthy]
I wish we could do that but, leaving the computer on gets the electric bill go up and that's something which isn't favorable for us at home. Another thing would be over heating which I wouldn't want to happen since replacement also requires money and even though that new models are coming out on the market and getting pretty available compared to the ones that we already have, I'd still prefer to fully utilize everything and having them replaced when they have already served up their life span.. [ratyz5]
Yeah, I do. Ever since I had a really bad virus scare a few years ago, we've just kept the computer on. We shut it off that one time and whole computer had to be restarted completely. I lost everything and that sucked greatly. I'm still in the process of finding stuff that I once had on here. Well, after the big scare we had a couple of small ones. The last time the computer had to be reset was back in January. Luckily, there hasn't been a problem since then. Turns out it was the music sharing program called Limewire. [Xdrowninghavocx]
I try my best not to leave the computer on when I don't use it. First and foremost because it's a waste of electricity. I pay my own bills and I try to make sure that I only pay for what I need/use. Second and probably what you're concerned with is computer care. Leaving your computer on for a very long time means that it doesn't get to "rest". Your system heats up (for a very long time) and that's where the damage comes from. If you leave it on because you're downloading stuff. Then you might be interested with the new external storage devices that have their own power source and WILL continue downloading even if your computer is turned off (as long as it's still connected to your net). [oyenkai]
That is exactly what I just said. Western Digital's My Book are external storage devices that can connect to the internet and have their own power source so you can turn off your pc and it will still keep on working. In order to continue your downloads even when you're offline, you should do a little tweaking. Install a Linux OS and fix it up a little bit. [oyenkai]
No, I do not. I have my sone at home, and some times my daughter comes around. I am really care about my computer and my internet connection since I sit here every day, I do not want anything bad happen. My son as his own computer so he is OK, we share the same broadband to. But I do not like when my daugter get in, and I am not arround. So I have a password. And every time when I am not home, I turn the computer of. The do say however You should not do so. Not shore about the reasons though. [anetteh]
I leave it on mostly because its my alarm too xD. My cellphone died so I need to buy a new one. Anyways, leaving a computer on is good If theres a good reason for leaving it on, not just on like that doin nothing. That would be such a waste of electricity. Anyways I leave mine mostly downloading stuff, and Folding(Fold@home). Also, leaving a computer on for a long amount of time wont damage it, Cuz mine is mostrly always ON and it has pretty much very alive. So thats kind of a taboo? xD byebye and have a nice day. [jfilips]
hi there jhl930. i use my computer a lot, almost 10 hours. most of the time it's on. when i am downloading anything i turn on the computer, but usually switch off the monitor alone. when i am going to use it i turn on the monitor and continue with it. i do the same when i listen to songs too. if i get some work which is for a few minutes i generally don't turn it off. happy mylotting. have a nice day! [chinniR]
no, i dont have that habit of leaving the computer on. its really not just practical to do that since electricity bills are of burden now. one way of helping my parents :) [nicecedron]
I always shutdown my computer when I have not using it. I rarely leave it on all night except I have to upload/download really huge files that must use longer than 2 - 5 hours to complete. But I must set the computer to automatically shutdown when all works are done. I don't know that leaving your computer turn on all night will hurt it or not. But I prefer shut it down to save my bill anyway. [Grudee]
I usually keep mine on during the day but turn it off during the night. From what I know, when you use the PC the components inside get warm or hot and expand and when you switch it off they cool down and contract. Over a long period of time this expanding and contracting of the components can cause the solder joint between component and circuit board to form a crack or maybe even break. This is very difficult to repair, actually it is very easy to repair but almost impossible to locate the faulty component. [joy4you]
hello friend, for me, i don't have the habit to leave the computer on when i go to bed or out of my house. I feel it is just wasting the source to leave the computer on.and i think it is better to turn off the computer to keep it sleep.I think it is necessary. we all know the computer is like a human beling. she also needs rest to reinstate or keep its function in a good shape/condition.lol.It is just my opinion. goood luck to you happy happy [successlog]
I usually leave it on over the weekends. Since my boyfriend's abroad and I am not very particular with the time difference, I have to leave it on til my boyfriend goes online. But I am also wondering whether it does affect the computer in any ways. All I know is that, my mom doesn't like it when I leave it on because of the electricity it could probably consume. ^^ [maigzen]
normally i will off my computer coz if i dun off my computer, my father will scold me... hahaha.... he said i wasting the electricity .... hahaha... =) [candysky]
When I go out for a couple of minutes or hours, I just close or turn off the screen. But when I leave or spend time outside for many hours, I really turn the computer off and let it rest while I'm out. Happy posting. [nengs10]
For most of time, i will trun off my computer before i go to bed. For one thing, u can save the money for electricity. For another, u also protect the enviornment. This is just little thing we can do. So i suggest u just trun off ur computer before u go to bed. [superstef]
I think leaving it on is a waste of money and precious energy. I don't do it often unless I absolutely have to leave it running overnight for some processes, like say - running a server or some such. In that case, I only run it for as long as it needs to, and retire the computer and shut it down. I don't think it'll hurt your computer in anyway, but there are other disadvantages. You are adding onto your electricity bill. You are wasting resources better spent elsewhere. If you hate starting up your computer, at least put your computer into a low-powered state like Standby, so that it can resume in the time it takes for your monitor to turn on (the same time as you would, if you left it running all night). Otherwise, use hibernate, which takes a little longer, but shuts it down completely. [likaes]
I always turn my laptop off when I am finnish with my surfing. It´s the same for every machine that I use in my home. [Mickey_Mouse1]
sometimes i do like when i go to the bathroom and take a bath; and when i have to eat. but make sure it doesn't take hours.;-) [marshiemallows]
my mom scolds us when we forget to turn off the computer during the night.. she says it will add up to the electricity bills.. well as good and obedient children, we follow her rules.. :) [marialeovebweeg]
yeah it seems that you are obedient children. and your mom says right it will add up to the electricity bill. [manishgolcha]
no i dont leave computer on for more than half hour. if i think i am done i have to off it so computer is able to relax for awhile. i just dont like to stay it on when i am not using [skywolfcel]
yeah many times. i used to download many things from internet. so its better to keep on pc. behind me downloading is going on. my pc is remains on whole day but when i sleep i turn off my pc if there is no use and no download is running. i care a lot about my pc so its better to turn off when not in use. [manishgolcha]
I don't think it's important,computer don't need rest if be in a appropriate condition,a right tempreture,a right humidity level.But,think about saving electricity,turn it off when you don't use it. [IversonIII]
well if i download something i keep it on otherwise its a waster of power so i turn it off when i don't need it. and it really does not effect to turn on your computer i used to turn on my computer for 3-4 days sometimes when i used to download big files from the internet. [brucekaushik]
only if i have a program running, that i need it to run overnight, then yes i just leave my computer turned on. but to save power, i usually turn the computer turned off, that's only if i do not have any other programs running :p [animeniak]
I do not leave my computer on. Everytime I get off of my computer I turn it off. It is not good for your computer and also it wastes energy. [my2boys]
When I have finally shut down the computer for the day I do it otherwise if for a short period i.e. for half an hour I do not switch off the computer but I use to disconnect net and switch off the monitor and again start when I am back. I think leaving the computer in running can affect the monitor at least.I think it has no effect on the CPU. If otherwise there is no effect at least energy is being wasted. [sweethomecatring]
hello!.. i don't leave my computer on since i am afraid that it will overheat which can cause certain parts to be nonfunctional or inefficient. If I leave it on, it will surely be costly since no one is using it and it still consumes electricity. I prefer to turn it off so that i can minimize our electric bill. [fuuyuki756]
yeah oh my love,my computer [shujiaqing]
Actually everyday I left my pc on for whole day starting I brought it home . [lucky38]
It doesn't hurt your computer to leave it running but it is using energy while it's on. Many nights I leave mine on but I do shut it down a couple of times a week so that my virus software can do a boot scan in the morning. You never know what might sneak in while you're online even with a good firewall and spyware program running.w00t [spalladino]
I don't leave my computer on. I shut it down after I used it. I'm afraid the power supply got exhausted. I have experienced this once, I leave my computer up and running when I hear a slight sound and its something exploded. When I go and check, I notice my pc is off and something smells like a corn rolled over live charcoal. After that incident I shut it down every after used, I'm afraid there's even more worst thing could happen than that if I leave it that way. So I'm just being cautious now. [iceblizzard]
because i used to leave my laptop on all the time, i burnt the insides out and had to get a new one...the battery was actually fused to the inside of the laptop casing and the adapter was welded to the input hole and i couldn't get it out, the laptop was working ok but if i turned it off, it would take ages to get it on, eventually it died on me and i couldn't get it on again, so now i switch my new one off when i am not using it....it's too expensive for me to leave it on now.... [tattylashes]
It is a machine with movinng parts so leaving it on constantly just wears it down faster. The more you use something, the less time it lasts. It also doesn't really matter beacause on average people get a new computer every 2-3 years and in that short time, especially with new computers and technology, the wear of usage affect it all that much or at least enough to cause problems. [Felixbarry]
hmm.. most of the responded leave there computer off to save electricity but as for me just for my own observation, I do leave my computer on almost all day for about three months but the bill doesn't really have any dramatic increase or change. But now I turned it off often not for electricity but due to some things to do and also to prevent the pc parts form overused. [lossforredwords]
I don't leave my computer on especially if I know that I wouldn't use it for a long time such as at night. Usually, if I know that I'll use it again, I'll just hibernate it and if I know that it will take time before I use it again, I'll turn it off. I do this to save electricity as well as to avoid to have a troubleshooting, I think that it wasn't good for the computer to leave it on. happy [kylie_quistis]
Yeah i definitely leave it on all the time but its important before you go to sleep you should put it on stand by to save energy. The only thing that usually takes electricity is your monitor so you show turn that off usually. [platinum601]
I turn my computer on first thing in the morning and I leave it on for the rest of the day and then right before bed is when i turn it off. I am on here till i go to bed at night. I used to leave my computer on all the time. 24/7 back when i first got it and stuff. but now that its some years old and has been through a lot lol and what not. it's not very good to leave it on over night more because it just gets too slow. it needs that time at night to cool off and rest lol I think it does hurt your computer a little... it certainly can't be "good" for it ya know? but i don't really know. I just know when i leave it on now, its very slow and annoys me! [sameroad]
Hi jhl930, I don't like leaveing my computer running when I'm not using it, I shut it down completley when I have to start cooking dinner, and also when I go to bed to bed, if you leave running when you are not using it or when you go to bed, you are using up electricity and you may cause a virus to creep into your computer so Its best to shut it donwn. Tamara [tamarafireheart]
well, i guess it doesnt consume much power so no harm leaving it on in idle mode.Do take note however that computers can overheat and make sure that it is not on for more than 48 hours or the temperature is not too hot.Laptops are also more energy conserving then computers so if you are planning to leave it on for long time, consider it an investment [soccnut]
hi.. i don't. i usually shut down before going to sleep.. hehehe... i used too...but not anymore... but during the day, if i am just at home, i will be having it switched on all day long...happy mylotting... [shiloh_222]
i only leave my computer on when i am download more files which contints 5 gb each ... i just open my pc for 2 days only .. [godpower1k1]
I leave my computer on during day time,not during night hours.Since I will frequently come online,I won't turn it off during the day time.If it had a mouth,it will be crying all day long.LOL.The only time it will take rest is during the night.Thanks for your discussion.Happy mylotting. [divinchris]
I leave my laptop open overnight when I'm downloading something, sometimes I don't shut it down for days or even weeks except when I clean it once a week. But when I'm not downloading, I let it sleep overnight until I use it the other day. It makes it easier for me to just let it sleep instead of shutting it down and then turning it on the next day, although MAC's startup doesn't really take long unlike Windows.lol *peace* Well anyway, it doesn't really have any negative effects just make sure it doesn't overheat and that you're in an air conditioned/well-ventilated room. [marababe]
I always turn it off before I go to work. I use my computer for music. I love going to sleep with music on. Before I go to work I turn it off so it can rest and then when i get home I just turn it back on. [medney1988]
For some reason we always leave our computer on. i think its dumb but its not really my computer so i cant choose when it gets turned off. i think it should be off whenever its not beign used. i really dont use my computer for much anymore but to check email, talk to friends, myspace and now mylot [Sarah1108]
yes, always leave them on. [bugbaby]
I turn it off when go bed. keeping it running might hurt computer or not, there's no official answer from manufactures. My guess is... just like eveything else, it need a rest. [jfxrsch]
I leave my desktop 24x7 open because we use it as a file server for my LAN. I close my laptop 4 times per week when I go to sleep and I don't need it open. If you leave your computer open there are risks... Power failure may damage your hdd, motherboard etc. Or it may overheat. So be sure to have a UPS, and good fans inside, if you want to be 100000% that your computer won't be harmed easily. On the other hand. When you close your computer many times a day, and the HDD gets cold, it increases the chances for an HDD failure. When starting an hdd (spinning time), and the hdd is cold, it may be harmed if it is done many times per day. It's like a car. If you do many starts/stops, you will run out of fuel quicker than if you go at a steady rate of speed. [jpap2003]
By leaving your PC on instead of shutting it down on a night, the only wear is on the electrical components inside it. Most are easily replaceable, but if you don't know whats wrong or how to repair it when it does stop working properly, you can be stuck with a hefty repair bill. I shut mine down on a night anyway. It saves on my Hydro bill and ensures that my PC is running at optimum speed, especially after being shut down for the night. I didn't used to shut it down and found that it would slow right down and then I'd have to reboot. I figured it was easier to just shut it down on a night than to have to reboot the following day. [angelwhispers30]
Yes, I do leave my desktop on at all times. I just do not turn it off. I can not see how it hurts anything. Now I can see that it may run up te electric bill, I guess I should turn it off, but I just do not. Now my laptop I always turn it off when I am through using it each time. [sunkissed]
I leave my Computer on 24/7 and it hasnt hurt my computer yet. Very often do i actually shut my computer down i might shut it down during the day and just reboot it but other than that mine stays on 24/7 for the most part. [ProudMommy22]
It's not advisable to leave it on especially if it has internet access. Any hackers could log in to your computer and easily got some information from it. I talked to someone before who leaves his computer overnight, the next day he saw his mouse moving by itself trying to access files in his computer. Even if you don't have internet access, leaving it on all the time will wear out the hard drive, RAM (memory) and the processor of the computer which means the life of the PC is shortened. [yuna15]
is just on whem is doing something or in torrent or peer [zykon84]
ya same here, i too leave my computer on wen i go to bed or for some work , because u knw am lil bit lazy, first off it , den after cuming on it , den off den on...so i feel laziness tats y, i leave my computer on and give him sum work to download..... [shaiksultan]
Nope but i will soon do it for I've found some ways to earn while your computer is on. Would you beleive that? But I think it's true and pretty much good income. [geekyjock]
my computer is always on stanby everyday and night. [bombshell]
i usually turn it off. Just for peace of mind. If I left it on I'd think I was wasting electricity. I wonder how much if really affects my electricity bill?! Maybe just cents? [finer_things]
I always leave it on overnite but sometimes shut it down over the weekend. I was actually wondering if it hurt the computer. [lovmyboys]
jhl hi I never leave my computer on all night, I turn it off and my monitor off before I go to bed. Saves electricity and wear' and tear on computer and monitor too. plus its noisy and keeps me awake if I leave it on when I am in bed.I also turn my computer off when I am going to be out of the house for any period of time. agains saves juice and wear and tear of my computer which is old and needs more rest. lol lol [Hatley]
I never leave my computer on, I think that this is just a waste of energy even though computers don't use that much. I guess you are referring to the power-saving feature where the computer screen goes black. I think that, as soon as you finish your computer session, you should shut down your computer properly and give the machine a rest! I'm not sure that any damage will be done by leaving the computer on but all the same, I think it's best to shut it down properly. Andrew [AndrewFreyne]
I usually just leave mine on and turn the monitor off. I don't see where it makes a whole lot of difference anyway. I leave my virus protector on so I don't worry all that much. [Wyldrose]
My computer is always on but I have it set to when my computer is not being used after so long it automatically shuts off then when I want to use it I just move my mouse and it comes on. [christylynn]
Well I leave my systems on all the time. infact the only time I shut them off is when the batter go's dead, or I loose power which neither of those happens very often. [mirage108]
I usually leave it on as I have something I am working on or want to get back too in the morning but am too tired to continue. I often have 6-8 windows open and working on various projects. Shutting down I would lose the information or link and may not be able to recover it. However if I have nothing going I shut down from time to time to give my computer a rest. [Celanith]
You shouldn't leave your computer on, it'll eventually add up to your electricity bill :/. An average computer uses 160 watts (around). Since: 160 watts * 8,760 (hours per year)/1,000 (to change from watts to kilowatts)= 1401.6 kilowatt hours That's about 200 bucks a year, which is enough for over 180 double cheeseburgers at mcdonalds. [xCyclone]
Well in case of desktop it does not make much of a difference.But there is probability that your smps may get affected.I love my computer very much.So out of habit I just close it before I go to sleep. [shummy]
I turn it off when I go to bed. It could consume electricity when it's on for many hours. A kilowatt hour of electricity is expensive nowadays. Good day! [djoyce71]
Depends, If I used the computer alot that day, i turn it off or put it to sleep. [Sean_Jean]
I not only turn off my computer, but I pull the power cord out of the wall. This way the little invisible elves don't get online in the middle of the night and hack my system. [mrghill]
generally no. i switch off the computer before i leave for home. i think it amkes the performance better if its restarted off and on. [subha12]
sometimes, i have to leave the computer on for others to use at home. but when it's time to sleep at night, we make sure that our computer is turned off for safety purposes. [surpriseme]
Hi jhl, I had learned an article recently about using computer. If we leave the computer unused for more than two hours than it would be advisable to turn it off so that we could save much electrical energy beside the computer could have longer lifespan as well. I always remove the plug from the socket after turning it off could avoid damage from being struck by lightning as well. Since then I always turn off my desktop before going to bed or going out. happy posting and have a nice day. [lkbooi]
Usually I leave my computer (a macbook laptop) running at night. This is the best time for me to do my downloading of movies, when everybody's asleep and I have the connection all for myself, hehehe.. But before going to work I turn off my computer for safety. As to if it is harmful for the computer to run continuously, for me, as long as you keep the Ventilation good (it should never be blocked), it should be okay. Just set your display to turn off to avoid wear & also to conserve some power. In case of laptops, you should also do at least monthly battery charge draining to maintain it and increase its life. [luiscpatag]
I used to work in an office enviroment and I was always told by our IT guy to leave our computers on. He told us we never have to turn them off and every time we do it takes a lot of power to turn it on again. He said that turning it on constantly would wear out the computer a lot quicker than just leaving it on. So I never shut my computer off and just leave it on screensave ever night. The only time I ever shut my computer off is if I am having a problem and have to reboot it. Othewise my computer is always on, day and night, forever. Alrighty then, talk to you later my friend, Have a good mylotting day, Chris [chrislotz]
If its a laptop I think you could run out the battery quickly and have to fork over a couple hundred bucks to buy a new one. Usually I think they last 3 or 5 years, but with being on constantly I think they last a year. I like to leave my computer on as well, but I like to save electricity. I saw an episode of 30 Rock where this guy said to Liz. "You leave your computer on all night?" and she said "Yeah it just takes so long to boot up in the morning" and he said "You know what else takes a long time... rebuilding the earth" I thought this was really silly, but it helps me remember that electricity is valuable. [glords]