computer question

[starsky]

hi all,
i'm not a computer guy so my question is ----- is it bad to turn the computer on and off maybe 3 times a day? i'm on the computer at 10am for a couple hours then i shut it off, my wife usies it at 4pm for about a couple of hours and shuts it and then i use it again at about 8pm when i get home from work for another 3 hours. or is it better to just leave it on the whole day standby mode?

[spiderrogue]

i usually turn mine on when i get up and it stays on pretty much all day until we go to bed...(1 or 2am)....i guess it just depends on what you want to do....or if it's a really old pc...like 4-5yrs or older..lol...you know? i do turn off my monitor if im gone for a few hours, just so i dont burn up another one....
any real pc geeks here that can shed some light on this?

[Mikey]

I heard everytime you turn a computer on, it's one day closer to it's premature death...
Something to do with powering up in the tower.

It's much better to just leave it on and put it on standby imo.

[z3zep]

Your PC will probably be obsolite before the on/off kills it. But if you are worried about that then maybe just turn it off between the first and second use and put it in standby between 2nd and 3rd use. Standby mode still uses energy but at a reduced level.

If you want to save energy --
Turn off the PC if you are not going to use it for 3 or more hours.
Turn off your monitor if you are going to be away for more than 1/2 hour. Unplug printers and other accessories.
Turn off your modem (unless you have VOIP).

[Bo8a_Fett]

It certainly used to be a problem for hard drives before modern hard drives with "parking" became available....the only problem i'm aware of is the constant heating/cooling of the cpu when you turn it on and off a few times in a short period.

[mitchedwards]

As long as you shut it down properly each time, there should be no issue

[hobub]

I was told by a 20yr computer veteran that they should be left on for long periods. His reason is that the pins in the circuit board swell or expand when heated and contract when cooled. This is supposedly very minute but at somepoint contact will discontinue if it continues in that manner. Sort of like when you have a radio that doesn't work and you smack it on the side and it works. Contact was broken and then re-established by the blow. I'm not sure to what degree this happens or if it's even true. Just what he told me because I had the same question. I leave mine on. I asked him if that was wise. He said they're made to be on.

[davidb]

Like Z3zep said, you'll likely be getting a new computer before you wear this one out. Everything I've heard says that modern machines don't have a problem as long as you shut them down properly. The older ones did, however.

[mitchedwards]

The newer computers cool themselves much better than the ones 20 years ago. I remember in the late 80's and early 90's having to look for chip creep as then chips expand and cooled with heat and would work their way out of their sockets.

[MIB41]

I turn mine off and on every day and have done so for many years without event. My best recommendation is to occassionally remove the cover and air clean the circuit boards. Those internal blowers can only do so much, so dust will still get in there and collect on the boards. You want to periodically remove and clean with your standard air duster.

[ctc]

>Your PC will probably be obsolite before the on/off kills it.

Mine gets turned of at least once a day, and sometimes twice and I haven't had any problems for over 12 years. Except for the monitor burning out; which it did after 15 years of use. (AND people making fun of me for having the oldest computer in the world.)

I was told that you should let it settle after turning it off before turning it on. Like maybe 20 minutes or so.

Don C.