🚀 go-pugleaf

Mandie

You'll get a lot of respnses on this because this subject has no real answer. It's one of those that are completely up to the user. Being used for only 6 hours a day, I would recommend just turning it off.

-- 

Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP MPS-D

Associate expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone

"mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote in message news:ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05...
> i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read where
> people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love to
> leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for your
> help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
> 
> 

Hi Mandie,

Firstly, A Happy ThanksGiving to you too :-).,

Yes, it is cool to leave it on I am sure, as I have seen PCs on for up to 2
years with no trouble. The only downfall I can see is wasting energy, and a
bigtime dust buildup inside your PC because the fan is sucking dust in all
the time. I routinely clean my PC on the inside and would recommend that you
do the same (very carefully) if you plan on leaving it run.

"mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05...
> i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read
where
> people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love to
> leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for your
> help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
>
>

Actually, computers do not take up that much electricity contrary to common
belief. And re: giving it a rest, absolutely not. The only thing that would
help that I can think of is if you have inadequate cooling in your case and
your computer gets hot (i.e. processor nears 60�C). When you spin up and
spin down your harddrive, that creates wear and tear, and is actually quite
hard on the drive (except for a few, such as the IBM Deskstar 75GXP, which
have an extra area for the heads during spindown). My Linux server has been
on since the last move, which would be about oh, i dunno... four years I
guess... and that's without a reboot... My main computer gets taken down
only for service packs and application installs requiring a reboot, but is
never totally off (except when I put in more neon tubing last month).

-Ian

"Unununium" <Man@arms4.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:u#Ttjh6cBHA.1680@tkmsftngp04...
> Hi Mandie,
>
> I've known people to leave their PC's on for days at a time with no ill
> effects, in retrospect I've heard it actually damages the electrical
> components constantly turning on and off the computer many times per day.
> However IMO, I would of thought that leaving a computer on constantly
rather
> than giving it a rest now and again may do more harm than good, not to
> mention the electricity bill!!!
>
>
> Rob
>
>
> "mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote in message
> news:ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05...
> > i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> > around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read
> where
> > people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love
to
> > leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for
your
> > help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
> >
> >
>
>

wow guys, thanks for the info.  I guess i could leave it on or off,
whichever i prefer, everyone has a different opinion.  Thanks again. and let
me be the first to say, Merry Xmas and Happy New Year.
"Tom" <%#$@J&^%!.com> wrote in message news:Ods0Al6cBHA.568@tkmsftngp02...
> Hi Mandie,
>
> Firstly, A Happy ThanksGiving to you too :-).,
>
> Yes, it is cool to leave it on I am sure, as I have seen PCs on for up to
2
> years with no trouble. The only downfall I can see is wasting energy, and
a
> bigtime dust buildup inside your PC because the fan is sucking dust in all
> the time. I routinely clean my PC on the inside and would recommend that
you
> do the same (very carefully) if you plan on leaving it run.
>
> "mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote in message
> news:ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05...
> > i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> > around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read
> where
> > people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love
to
> > leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for
your
> > help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
> >
> >
>
>

Leave it on till the next electrical storm.

mandie wrote:

> wow guys, thanks for the info.  I guess i could leave it on or off,
> whichever i prefer, everyone has a different opinion.  Thanks again. and let
> me be the first to say, Merry Xmas and Happy New Year.
> "Tom" <%#$@J&^%!.com> wrote in message news:Ods0Al6cBHA.568@tkmsftngp02...
> > Hi Mandie,
> >
> > Firstly, A Happy ThanksGiving to you too :-).,
> >
> > Yes, it is cool to leave it on I am sure, as I have seen PCs on for up to
> 2
> > years with no trouble. The only downfall I can see is wasting energy, and
> a
> > bigtime dust buildup inside your PC because the fan is sucking dust in all
> > the time. I routinely clean my PC on the inside and would recommend that
> you
> > do the same (very carefully) if you plan on leaving it run.
> >
> > "mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote in message
> > news:ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05...
> > > i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> > > around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read
> > where
> > > people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love
> to
> > > leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for
> your
> > > help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
> > >
> > >
> >
> >

I can't help but notice, no one mentioned the use of a UPS? It's ok to leave your
computer on all the time Mandie, but be careful! Those darn lightning storms with
those untimely power outages! It's a good idea to have some thing to protect your
computer in the event of a power loss while not home. I'm not a computer expert, but
I've built all the computers I own. A couple hundred dollars for some peace of mind
is worth it. That's my two cents worth!
Brian

"���Scott���" wrote:

> My system on 24/7 unless I leave for vacation or something.  Assuming you have
> the system protected from electrical disasters like a lightning strike, the
> worst that could happen would be a fan dying on you.  If the CPU fan died, only
> the CPU would be damaged.  If a case fan or the power supply fan died, depending
> on the ambient temperature, the system could conceivably suffer more extensive
> damage.  However, if you use quality hardware and fans, and keep the room
> temperature reasonable, the risk is quite minimal.  I lose absolutely no sleep
> over it.
>
> Since I use an all-copper CPU cooler, I like to think that leaving my system on
> all the time helps prevent corrosion of the cooler, too (in actuality, it does).
> :)
>
> --
> ���Scott���
> Remove "your clothes" to send an email reply.
>
> "mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote in message
> news:ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05...
> > i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> > around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read where
> > people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love to
> > leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for your
> > help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
> >
> >

My system on 24/7 unless I leave for vacation or something.  Assuming you have
the system protected from electrical disasters like a lightning strike, the
worst that could happen would be a fan dying on you.  If the CPU fan died, only
the CPU would be damaged.  If a case fan or the power supply fan died, depending
on the ambient temperature, the system could conceivably suffer more extensive
damage.  However, if you use quality hardware and fans, and keep the room
temperature reasonable, the risk is quite minimal.  I lose absolutely no sleep
over it.

Since I use an all-copper CPU cooler, I like to think that leaving my system on
all the time helps prevent corrosion of the cooler, too (in actuality, it does).
:)

--
���Scott���
Remove "your clothes" to send an email reply.


"mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05...
> i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read where
> people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love to
> leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for your
> help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
>
>

Thats what filters on fans are for :-)

And yes, I clean my computers while they're turned on... one of those cans
of compressed cleaning gas, whatever the hell it really is :-) Only time I
ever reboot my W2K systems is to either install neon tubing or to apply a
service pack (which I think sucks... you shouldn't have to reboot just to
apply a service pack.) My Linux server hasn't been down for four years or
so...


"Indego Thorn" <indegothorn@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:aRgL7.25513$Gr1.9586264@news2.rdc1.ab.home.com...
> Turning it off can also lengthen the life of the components by letting
them
> cool down. If you leave it on all of the time, you may want to invest in
> some new fans.
>
>
> "Unununium" <Man@arms4.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:u#Ttjh6cBHA.1680@tkmsftngp04...
> > Hi Mandie,
> >
> > I've known people to leave their PC's on for days at a time with no ill
> > effects, in retrospect I've heard it actually damages the electrical
> > components constantly turning on and off the computer many times per
day.
> > However IMO, I would of thought that leaving a computer on constantly
> rather
> > than giving it a rest now and again may do more harm than good, not to
> > mention the electricity bill!!!
> >
> >
> > Rob
> >
> >
> > "mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote in message
> > news:ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05...
> > > i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> > > around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read
> > where
> > > people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love
> to
> > > leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for
> your
> > > help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

"mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote in message news:<ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05>...
> i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read where
> people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love to
> leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for your
> help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Running a computer all the time will not significantly shorten its
life, but neither will it significantly lengthen its life (that truism
mostly went away with vacuum tubes).  There are a couple of minor
lifespan issues that I've noticed with leaving the computer on,
however:

1) Dust, as already mentioned (clean occasionally).

2) Fans. Mass retail computers may use sleeve bearings rather than
ball bearings. They may not last more that a 3-4 years if left on all
the time.  On the other hand, they're relatively inexpensive and easy
to replace with ball bearing fans. If you build your own computer, use
good quality fans and you'll be OK.

At night is a good time to run maintenance routines - defrag, virus
scan, backup, etc.  I leave my computer on at night primarily for that
reason.

The primary negative is electricity cost, something like leaving a
couple of lamps burning 24/7.  Using power management to turn off the
monitor and hard disk power when not in use will help, but be
forewarned that doing so can cause instability on some systems (I've
found that some scheduled tasks won't run correctly if hard disks are
powered down).

If you have broadband internet, leaving the computer on all the time
is a MAJOR convenience boost to computer use. It's amazing how often I
do quick checks for things that I would never do if I had to boot the
computer up.

Windows XP (and NT and 2000, in my experience) are stable enough to
leave on all the time without problems.  If you heavily use the system
as a workstation, however, I'd still recommend that you reboot at
least once per week to minimize instability (unattended servers can go
much longer).  With Windows 9X/ME, however, I tend to find that they
need to be rebooted at least every few hours of use (every day or
two).

Jim

I was not about to write a 30-page tutorial on 24/7 computer usage.  Both of my
PCs are hooked up to an APC-brand UPS, the better of the two being a BackUPS Pro
1400.

--
���Scott���
Remove "your clothes" to send an email reply.


"Brian Brown" <brbrem@flash.net> wrote in message
news:3BFDAAEA.5A06DD75@flash.net...
> I can't help but notice, no one mentioned the use of a UPS? It's ok to leave
your
> computer on all the time Mandie, but be careful! Those darn lightning storms
with
> those untimely power outages! It's a good idea to have some thing to protect
your
> computer in the event of a power loss while not home. I'm not a computer
expert, but
> I've built all the computers I own. A couple hundred dollars for some peace of
mind
> is worth it. That's my two cents worth!
> Brian
>
> "���Scott���" wrote:
>
> > My system on 24/7 unless I leave for vacation or something.  Assuming you
have
> > the system protected from electrical disasters like a lightning strike, the
> > worst that could happen would be a fan dying on you.  If the CPU fan died,
only
> > the CPU would be damaged.  If a case fan or the power supply fan died,
depending
> > on the ambient temperature, the system could conceivably suffer more
extensive
> > damage.  However, if you use quality hardware and fans, and keep the room
> > temperature reasonable, the risk is quite minimal.  I lose absolutely no
sleep
> > over it.
> >
> > Since I use an all-copper CPU cooler, I like to think that leaving my system
on
> > all the time helps prevent corrosion of the cooler, too (in actuality, it
does).
> > :)
> >
> > --
> > ���Scott���
> > Remove "your clothes" to send an email reply.
> >
> > "mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote in message
> > news:ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05...
> > > i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> > > around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read
where
> > > people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love to
> > > leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for your
> > > help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
> > >
> > >
>

I have MBM installed, but I don't run it (or haven't, lately) because it never
worked correctly for shutting the system down.  When I tried getting it to work,
it would bring me to the "It is now safe..." screen, rather than powering off.
I tried a multitude of shutdown utilities, too, and none of them worked.  So...
to hell with it.  Shutting down via software is an iffy bet anyway.  I'm just
not very worried about a fan dying on me.

--
���Scott���
Remove "your clothes" to send an email reply.


"RonK" <notwithsympaticoanymore@home.com> wrote in message
news:MVhL7.331$sW5.118857@news1.busy1.on.home.com...
> Scott, You can use a program like Motherboard Monitor that will shut down
> the computer if it detects a fan failure or a preset cpu temperature.
> That is if your motherboard supports fan monitoring and automatic shutdown.
> I use it and I definately don't lose any sleep over it.

"mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05...
> i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read
where
> people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love to
> leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for your
> help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
>

Mandie,

I have PC's here that have not been switched off for more than a year. It's
perfectly OK to do this if you have quality hardware that does not run the
risc of bursting into flames spontaneously :-)

John.

Hi Mandie,

I've known people to leave their PC's on for days at a time with no ill
effects, in retrospect I've heard it actually damages the electrical
components constantly turning on and off the computer many times per day.
However IMO, I would of thought that leaving a computer on constantly rather
than giving it a rest now and again may do more harm than good, not to
mention the electricity bill!!!


Rob


"mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05...
> i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read
where
> people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love to
> leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for your
> help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
>
>

 I believe that for fire safety one should always trun off electronic
 equipment when it's not in use.


 Regards...

Turning it off can also lengthen the life of the components by letting them
cool down. If you leave it on all of the time, you may want to invest in
some new fans.


"Unununium" <Man@arms4.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:u#Ttjh6cBHA.1680@tkmsftngp04...
> Hi Mandie,
>
> I've known people to leave their PC's on for days at a time with no ill
> effects, in retrospect I've heard it actually damages the electrical
> components constantly turning on and off the computer many times per day.
> However IMO, I would of thought that leaving a computer on constantly
rather
> than giving it a rest now and again may do more harm than good, not to
> mention the electricity bill!!!
>
>
> Rob
>
>
> "mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote in message
> news:ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05...
> > i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> > around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read
> where
> > people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love
to
> > leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for
your
> > help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
> >
> >
>
>

Jim Southard wrote:

> "mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote in message news:<ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05>...
> > i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> > around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read where
> > people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love to
> > leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for your
> > help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
>
> Running a computer all the time will not significantly shorten its
> life, but neither will it significantly lengthen its life (that truism
> mostly went away with vacuum tubes).  There are a couple of minor
> lifespan issues that I've noticed with leaving the computer on,
> however:
>
> 1) Dust, as already mentioned (clean occasionally).
>
> 2) Fans. Mass retail computers may use sleeve bearings rather than
> ball bearings. They may not last more that a 3-4 years if left on all
> the time.  On the other hand, they're relatively inexpensive and easy
> to replace with ball bearing fans. If you build your own computer, use
> good quality fans and you'll be OK.
>
> At night is a good time to run maintenance routines - defrag, virus
> scan, backup, etc.  I leave my computer on at night primarily for that
> reason.
>
> The primary negative is electricity cost, something like leaving a
> couple of lamps burning 24/7.  Using power management to turn off the
> monitor and hard disk power when not in use will help, but be
> forewarned that doing so can cause instability on some systems (I've
> found that some scheduled tasks won't run correctly if hard disks are
> powered down).
>
> If you have broadband internet, leaving the computer on all the time
> is a MAJOR convenience boost to computer use. It's amazing how often I
> do quick checks for things that I would never do if I had to boot the
> computer up.
>
> Windows XP (and NT and 2000, in my experience) are stable enough to
> leave on all the time without problems.  If you heavily use the system
> as a workstation, however, I'd still recommend that you reboot at
> least once per week to minimize instability (unattended servers can go
> much longer).  With Windows 9X/ME, however, I tend to find that they
> need to be rebooted at least every few hours of use (every day or
> two).
>
> Jim

Hi : I leave my box on all the time , I receive faxes all the time with it . I have a ups
that controls shutdown and can run the computer for around 60 minutes ( and YES the
neighbors do wonder how you can play games online when the power is off ) . Total


--
See my web page at http://firearms.tripod.ca/ or http://firearms2.tripod.com

..
Everybody looks brave holding a machine gun.

Scott, You can use a program like Motherboard Monitor that will shut down
the computer if it detects a fan failure or a preset cpu temperature.
That is if your motherboard supports fan monitoring and automatic shutdown.
I use it and I definately don't lose any sleep over it.

"���Scott���" <sdglockmanYOUR@hotmailCLOTHES.com> wrote in message
news:uokqL07cBHA.2680@tkmsftngp07...
> My system on 24/7 unless I leave for vacation or something.  Assuming you
have
> the system protected from electrical disasters like a lightning strike,
the
> worst that could happen would be a fan dying on you.  If the CPU fan died,
only
> the CPU would be damaged.  If a case fan or the power supply fan died,
depending
> on the ambient temperature, the system could conceivably suffer more
extensive
> damage.  However, if you use quality hardware and fans, and keep the room
> temperature reasonable, the risk is quite minimal.  I lose absolutely no
sleep
> over it.
>
> Since I use an all-copper CPU cooler, I like to think that leaving my
system on
> all the time helps prevent corrosion of the cooler, too (in actuality, it
does).
> :)
>
> --
> ���Scott���
> Remove "your clothes" to send an email reply.
>
>
> "mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote in message
> news:ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05...
> > i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> > around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read
where
> > people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love
to
> > leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for
your
> > help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
> >
> >
>
>

On Thu, 22 Nov 2001 21:39:33 -0500, "���Scott���"
<sdglockmanYOUR@hotmailCLOTHES.com> wrote:

>I have MBM installed, but I don't run it (or haven't, lately) because it never
>worked correctly for shutting the system down.  When I tried getting it to work,
>it would bring me to the "It is now safe..." screen, rather than powering off.
>I tried a multitude of shutdown utilities, too, and none of them worked.  So...
>to hell with it.  Shutting down via software is an iffy bet anyway.  I'm just
>not very worried about a fan dying on me.

I dont worry about the CPU fan dying because with my system the BIOS
will shut the system down if the CPU fan fails or the temp of the CPU
exceeds a preset limit.

I have an ancient Windows 3.1 used solely for incoming faxes that's
been on 24/7 for years. My Win 95 was on 24/7 for three years or so,
and my Win98 from when I bought it to when I UG to XP. Course it's not
the OS but the computer (fans, CPU and MB) that is in question, but
providing you have decent cooling installed you can 24/7 OK. However,
if you use for just a few hours a day I would turn off.

Les

> i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read
> where people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I
> would love to leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the
> computer.  Thanks for your help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.

The only study I've seen is several years old now.  A company with a large
number of desktop machines went for a year leaving half of them on
continuously and the other half being shut down when not being used.

The result: no difference except that they ended up replacing a number
of on\off switches.



In article <ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05>, mandies@adelphia.net says...
>
>i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
>around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read where
>people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love to
>leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for your
>help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
>
>

If you leave it on all the time, fans, hard drives and any other moving
parts will wear out sooner. Most other components have a lifespan of many
years, and the computer will likely be obsolete before they die. If your
power supply is too small or borderline so it's running at close to it's max
capacity, it could fail sooner if you run the computer all the time. HP
doesn't always use the highest quality of components, I personally would not
leave any HP computer running 24/7.

Turn it off when you aren't using it.



> i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read
where
> people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love to
> leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for your
> help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.

"mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05...
> i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read
where
> people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love to
> leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for your
> help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.

My last computer was switched on for 18 months.   The one prior to that was
on for 2 years.   My new computer has been switched on for 2 weeks and will
remain on until I upgrade it.     I've always bought "brand name" PCs and
never had any problems.    Just make sure the fans are working and that you
have adequate ventilation space behind the system box (oh, and get a can of
compressed air to keep everything clean from dust and grime).

Tony

In article <ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05>, mandies@adelphia.net says...
> i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read where
> people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love to
> leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for your
> help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
>
>
>

This is fine but one thing to be aware of is general room ventilation,
not just internal ventilation.
If a computer is left on a long time in an unventilated room the
temperature will rise in there and can cause dry joint problems in crt
monitors.

Mandie,

As this is a rather long thread, I have not read all posts, so this may have
been said. I have been leaving my computers on since 1981 and have had no
adverse effects. The only thing I have noticed is once every month or 2 I
shutdown my computer and peripherals for a least 10 or 15 minutes, then cold
reboot. This helps clean up any residuals and gives a clean communication
between computer and all other devices. Some may disagree, but this has
helped on all PCs and MACs I service. My 2 cents.

MWR


"mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05...
i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read where
people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love to
leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for your
help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.

"q" <a@a.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.16682d6471a73fc498968d@news.microsoft.com...

> In article <ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05>, mandies@adelphia.net says...
> > i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> > around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read
where
> > people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love
to
> > leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for
your
> > help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
> >
> >
> This is fine but one thing to be aware of is general room ventilation,
> not just internal ventilation.
> If a computer is left on a long time in an unventilated room the
> temperature will rise in there and can cause dry joint problems in crt
> monitors.


He should also consider that if he's in an area that sees thunderstorms,
it's prudent, not just to power off, but to unplug, whenever electrical
storms are in the vicinity.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

I have been using computers since a dual floppy computer was state of the
art.  I have always turned off my computer(s) when not in use, sometimes
several times a day.

I have never suffered any ill effects from all this on/off cycling.  On the
other hand, my Son-in-law, who never turns his computer off, has had many,
many problems to include failed hard disk, several burned out power
supplies, and three dead monitors.

--
LEO

Warning: Dates in calendar are closer than they appear.

"Dave�" <suspensionsetup@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ewzg#QCdBHA.1648@tkmsftngp05...
> "Indego Thorn" <indegothorn@shaw.ca> wrote in message
> >
> > Turning it off can also lengthen the life of the components by
> letting them
> > cool down.
>
> Can also shorten electrical component life through all the contracting
> & expanding.
>
> But a lot of people feel the best compromise for a non server PC is:
> Once you turn it on, leave it on all day & then only turn it off when
> you've finished with it for the night.
>
>
>
>

"���Scott���" <sdglockmanYOUR@hotmailCLOTHES.com> wrote in message
news:OR2GfTHdBHA.1540@tkmsftngp03...

> It isn't going to happen.  You're not talking to a naive newbie here.  I
have
> everything going through multiple surge protectors, and it all goes
through my
> $500 UPS before it touches my system.


If you're talking about nearby lightning strikes, all your surge protectors
and UPS is by no means sure to protect you. Lightning goes where it wants
to, ignores puny elctronic protection, and if it's a direct hit or close
enough, can still wipe out all your equipment.



> If that doesn't do it, APC is going to
> get a piece of my mind.


I believe APC provides a guarantee that you won't be damaged by lightning.
But all they're doing is selling you an insurance policy with their UPS. The
risk of lightning damage is fairly small (but not zero) so the chance of
their having to pay off is small; and the amount they pay is probably small,
too.


> But since I've used this arrangement for about five
> years in a city that gets a ton of precipitation, I am not worried, not at
all.


That statement sound like someone saying "I've been having unprotected sex
without a problem for the last five years, in a city that gets a ton of
AIDS, so I am not worried, not at all."

Whether you're talking about lightning damage or AIDS, you're dealing with
probability, not with certainty. The probability of lightning damage is
small during any given storm. It goes up as the time period increases, but
never approaches certainty during the few years of your lifetime. Even after
five years, it's entirely possible that with no protection at all, you could
have had no damage. That doesn't mean you won't have damage tomorrow.

I protect my computers by unplugging during nearby electrical storms. I have
*no* protection for my television set, which is equally vulnerable; that's
because the loss of the television set wouldn't bother me nearly as much as
the loss of the computers, and unplugging the TV is very inconvenient.
During the nine years I've lived here, I've had no damage to either the
computers or the television set. And I live in a city that gets a ton of
electrical storms.

Am I worried ? No. Do I fear that every electrical storm will get either my
television set or my computers? No. But I take the prudent course and
protect the computers by unplugging when lightnbing storms are around.

Do whatever you think best, but in my view, keeping my computer equipment
plugged in during lightning storms is a bigging risk than I want to run.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup



> "Roger Mills" <not@home.com> wrote in message
> news:#BMEuNHdBHA.2008@tkmsftngp02...
> > > Yes, and not just the main power cord, but everything--phone line (if
a
> > modem is
> > > used), LAN line, whatever.  Having said that, I'll admit that I do
none of
> > this.
> > > :o
> > >
> > > --
> > > ���Scott���
> >
> >
> > Wait till you've had a couple fry! I can assure you lightening does
strike
> > twice.
> >
> > Everyone learns seismology *after* the earthquake . . . .
> >
> >
>
>

"mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05...
> i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read
where
> people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love to
> leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for your
> help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Keep it on while you're using it, then turn it off when you're done.

That is exactly what I said...of course two modems later and two UPSs later
I have a different slant on that subject.  true, belkin took care of my ups
and everything they were responsible for...but turnaround time is close to 2
months from line surge to getting new equipment.. that is two months without
my UPS...two months without my surge protectors...two months without my lan
protection....oh how much easier it is just to unplug the lines for a
storm...come to think of it..my dsl modem is hooked straight to the wall
because of the last line surge taking out my UPS surge protected phone line
hookups...sure,  didnt lose the modem that time but the UPS took a lost
phone capability   I have been operating a computer in this location for 6
years...with no problems..but this last year we had 3 line surges (not
lightning) that took out equipment
"���Scott���" <sdglockmanYOUR@hotmailCLOTHES.com> wrote in message
news:OR2GfTHdBHA.1540@tkmsftngp03...
> It isn't going to happen.  You're not talking to a naive newbie here.  I
have
> everything going through multiple surge protectors, and it all goes
through my
> $500 UPS before it touches my system.  If that doesn't do it, APC is going
to
> get a piece of my mind.  But since I've used this arrangement for about
five
> years in a city that gets a ton of precipitation, I am not worried, not at
all.
>
> --
> ���Scott���
> Remove "your clothes" to send an email reply.
>
>
> "Roger Mills" <not@home.com> wrote in message
> news:#BMEuNHdBHA.2008@tkmsftngp02...
> > > Yes, and not just the main power cord, but everything--phone line (if
a
> > modem is
> > > used), LAN line, whatever.  Having said that, I'll admit that I do
none of
> > this.
> > > :o
> > >
> > > --
> > > ���Scott���
> >
> >
> > Wait till you've had a couple fry! I can assure you lightening does
strike
> > twice.
> >
> > Everyone learns seismology *after* the earthquake . . . .
> >
> >
>
>

It isn't going to happen.  You're not talking to a naive newbie here.  I have
everything going through multiple surge protectors, and it all goes through my
$500 UPS before it touches my system.  If that doesn't do it, APC is going to
get a piece of my mind.  But since I've used this arrangement for about five
years in a city that gets a ton of precipitation, I am not worried, not at all.

--
���Scott���
Remove "your clothes" to send an email reply.


"Roger Mills" <not@home.com> wrote in message
news:#BMEuNHdBHA.2008@tkmsftngp02...
> > Yes, and not just the main power cord, but everything--phone line (if a
> modem is
> > used), LAN line, whatever.  Having said that, I'll admit that I do none of
> this.
> > :o
> >
> > --
> > ���Scott���
>
>
> Wait till you've had a couple fry! I can assure you lightening does strike
> twice.
>
> Everyone learns seismology *after* the earthquake . . . .
>
>

"���Scott���" <sdglockmanYOUR@hotmailCLOTHES.com> wrote in message
news:5_BL7.13488$8C6.2990426@typhoon.nyroc.rr.com...

> The coverage provided by APC is $25,000.  I don't think that's "small".


There can be a *giant* difference between the size of the coverage, which is
the maximum, and the amount they actually have to pay.


> Yeah,
> yeah, yeah--a thousand times "yeah"--the fine print assuredly gives them a
way
> to wiggle out of actually reimbursing me for anything.
>
> I hope I don't come off as stupid enough to need an explanation that
damage from
> electical storms is a matter of chance and not certainty.  That's rather
> obvious.  But it doesn't mitigate the point I tried to make.
>
> I have a feeling that if my immediate area gets hit with something bad
enough to
> fry my stuff through two good-quality surge protectors AND a top-quality
UPS, my
> fried computer parts will be the least of my worries.
>
> P.S.  I'm not worried about AIDS, either.



Your choice--in both situations. I know nothing about your sexual habits,
and little about your computing ones. But I fear that your trust, at least
with regard to surge protectors and UPSs, is misplaced.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup



> "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain.com> wrote in message
> news:tvtohjo1d0g17d@corp.supernews.com...
> > "���Scott���" <sdglockmanYOUR@hotmailCLOTHES.com> wrote in message
> > news:OR2GfTHdBHA.1540@tkmsftngp03...
> >
> > > It isn't going to happen.  You're not talking to a naive newbie here.
I
> > have
> > > everything going through multiple surge protectors, and it all goes
> > through my
> > > $500 UPS before it touches my system.
> >
> >
> > If you're talking about nearby lightning strikes, all your surge
protectors
> > and UPS is by no means sure to protect you. Lightning goes where it
wants
> > to, ignores puny elctronic protection, and if it's a direct hit or close
> > enough, can still wipe out all your equipment.
> >
> >
> >
> > > If that doesn't do it, APC is going to
> > > get a piece of my mind.
> >
> >
> > I believe APC provides a guarantee that you won't be damaged by
lightning.
> > But all they're doing is selling you an insurance policy with their UPS.
The
> > risk of lightning damage is fairly small (but not zero) so the chance of
> > their having to pay off is small; and the amount they pay is probably
small,
> > too.
> >
> >
> > > But since I've used this arrangement for about five
> > > years in a city that gets a ton of precipitation, I am not worried,
not at
> > all.
> >
> >
> > That statement sound like someone saying "I've been having unprotected
sex
> > without a problem for the last five years, in a city that gets a ton of
> > AIDS, so I am not worried, not at all."
> >
> > Whether you're talking about lightning damage or AIDS, you're dealing
with
> > probability, not with certainty. The probability of lightning damage is
> > small during any given storm. It goes up as the time period increases,
but
> > never approaches certainty during the few years of your lifetime. Even
after
> > five years, it's entirely possible that with no protection at all, you
could
> > have had no damage. That doesn't mean you won't have damage tomorrow.
> >
> > I protect my computers by unplugging during nearby electrical storms. I
have
> > *no* protection for my television set, which is equally vulnerable;
that's
> > because the loss of the television set wouldn't bother me nearly as much
as
> > the loss of the computers, and unplugging the TV is very inconvenient.
> > During the nine years I've lived here, I've had no damage to either the
> > computers or the television set. And I live in a city that gets a ton of
> > electrical storms.
> >
> > Am I worried ? No. Do I fear that every electrical storm will get either
my
> > television set or my computers? No. But I take the prudent course and
> > protect the computers by unplugging when lightnbing storms are around.
> >
> > Do whatever you think best, but in my view, keeping my computer
equipment
> > plugged in during lightning storms is a bigging risk than I want to run.
> >
> > --
> > Ken Blake
> > Please reply to the newsgroup
> >
> >
> >
> > > "Roger Mills" <not@home.com> wrote in message
> > > news:#BMEuNHdBHA.2008@tkmsftngp02...
> > > > > Yes, and not just the main power cord, but everything--phone line
(if
> > a
> > > > modem is
> > > > > used), LAN line, whatever.  Having said that, I'll admit that I do
> > none of
> > > > this.
> > > > > :o
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > ���Scott���
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Wait till you've had a couple fry! I can assure you lightening does
> > strike
> > > > twice.
> > > >
> > > > Everyone learns seismology *after* the earthquake . . . .
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

Same experience and timeline here. My rule of thumb has always been if I'm
not going to be using it for at least a couple of hours, turn it off. I
still have some of those "state of the art" computers from the early 80s out
in the garage somewhere...still working :-)

--
David A. Spicer
http://bizops.netfirms.com/links.html


"Leo" <idonotwant@mail.com> wrote in message
news:#9Y11MGdBHA.1476@tkmsftngp07...
> I have been using computers since a dual floppy computer was state of the
> art.  I have always turned off my computer(s) when not in use, sometimes
> several times a day.
>
> I have never suffered any ill effects from all this on/off cycling.  On
the
> other hand, my Son-in-law, who never turns his computer off, has had many,
> many problems to include failed hard disk, several burned out power
> supplies, and three dead monitors.
>
> --
> LEO
>
> Warning: Dates in calendar are closer than they appear.
>
> "Dave�" <suspensionsetup@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:ewzg#QCdBHA.1648@tkmsftngp05...
> > "Indego Thorn" <indegothorn@shaw.ca> wrote in message
> > >
> > > Turning it off can also lengthen the life of the components by
> > letting them
> > > cool down.
> >
> > Can also shorten electrical component life through all the contracting
> > & expanding.
> >
> > But a lot of people feel the best compromise for a non server PC is:
> > Once you turn it on, leave it on all day & then only turn it off when
> > you've finished with it for the night.
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>

at a previous job, we were getting a generator put in.  The electricians
made a mistake & we heard what sounded like an explosion in our server room
(we were outside & around a corner about 100 ft. away).  I was terrified.  I
ran up there & it reeked, it was smoking, & most of our APC UPS' were black,
partially melted, with some good-sized holes in them.  Every server was
intact, though, still purring away!  Not even a hiccup.  I wouldn't have
believed it if i'd not seen it.

Yes, and not just the main power cord, but everything--phone line (if a modem is
used), LAN line, whatever.  Having said that, I'll admit that I do none of this.
:o

--
���Scott���
Remove "your clothes" to send an email reply.


"Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain.com> wrote in message
news:tvt8a872bvpo54@corp.supernews.com...
> "q" <a@a.com> wrote in message
> news:MPG.16682d6471a73fc498968d@news.microsoft.com...
>
> > In article <ut4z9b6cBHA.2196@tkmsftngp05>, mandies@adelphia.net says...
> > > i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> > > around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read
> where
> > > people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love
> to
> > > leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for
> your
> > > help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
> > >
> > >
> > This is fine but one thing to be aware of is general room ventilation,
> > not just internal ventilation.
> > If a computer is left on a long time in an unventilated room the
> > temperature will rise in there and can cause dry joint problems in crt
> > monitors.
>
>
> He should also consider that if he's in an area that sees thunderstorms,
> it's prudent, not just to power off, but to unplug, whenever electrical
> storms are in the vicinity.
>
> --
> Ken Blake
> Please reply to the newsgroup
>
>
>

I think I've been misunderstood here.  If I know that an electrical storm is
immenent, or in progress, *of course* I power down and unplug everything.

All I meant here is that normally, I leave the system on 24/7, and I don't waste
my time worrying about it every time I leave the house ("Gee, will there be a
thunderstorm today?")  Obviously, the setup I have may well be zapped to death
by a very close lightning strike, but I *DO* trust it to protect my stuff from
the much more common types of spikes and surges.

--
���Scott���
Remove "your clothes" to send an email reply.

> Yes, and not just the main power cord, but everything--phone line (if a
modem is
> used), LAN line, whatever.  Having said that, I'll admit that I do none of
this.
> :o
>
> --
> ���Scott���


Wait till you've had a couple fry! I can assure you lightening does strike
twice.

Everyone learns seismology *after* the earthquake . . . .

"BoB" <rbrtpl@att.net> wrote in message
>
> Leave it on till the next electrical storm.
>

Excellant point!

"Ian Fette, MCP" <ianf@mediaone.net> wrote in message
>
> Only time I ever reboot my W2K systems is to either install neon
tubing

Wanker ;-)

> My Linux server hasn't been down for four years or so...

Didn't know linux had a reliable server 4 years ago ;-)

cheers Ian

The coverage provided by APC is $25,000.  I don't think that's "small".  Yeah,
yeah, yeah--a thousand times "yeah"--the fine print assuredly gives them a way
to wiggle out of actually reimbursing me for anything.

I hope I don't come off as stupid enough to need an explanation that damage from
electical storms is a matter of chance and not certainty.  That's rather
obvious.  But it doesn't mitigate the point I tried to make.

I have a feeling that if my immediate area gets hit with something bad enough to
fry my stuff through two good-quality surge protectors AND a top-quality UPS, my
fried computer parts will be the least of my worries.

P.S.  I'm not worried about AIDS, either.

--
���Scott���
Remove "your clothes" to send an email reply.


"Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain.com> wrote in message
news:tvtohjo1d0g17d@corp.supernews.com...
> "���Scott���" <sdglockmanYOUR@hotmailCLOTHES.com> wrote in message
> news:OR2GfTHdBHA.1540@tkmsftngp03...
>
> > It isn't going to happen.  You're not talking to a naive newbie here.  I
> have
> > everything going through multiple surge protectors, and it all goes
> through my
> > $500 UPS before it touches my system.
>
>
> If you're talking about nearby lightning strikes, all your surge protectors
> and UPS is by no means sure to protect you. Lightning goes where it wants
> to, ignores puny elctronic protection, and if it's a direct hit or close
> enough, can still wipe out all your equipment.
>
>
>
> > If that doesn't do it, APC is going to
> > get a piece of my mind.
>
>
> I believe APC provides a guarantee that you won't be damaged by lightning.
> But all they're doing is selling you an insurance policy with their UPS. The
> risk of lightning damage is fairly small (but not zero) so the chance of
> their having to pay off is small; and the amount they pay is probably small,
> too.
>
>
> > But since I've used this arrangement for about five
> > years in a city that gets a ton of precipitation, I am not worried, not at
> all.
>
>
> That statement sound like someone saying "I've been having unprotected sex
> without a problem for the last five years, in a city that gets a ton of
> AIDS, so I am not worried, not at all."
>
> Whether you're talking about lightning damage or AIDS, you're dealing with
> probability, not with certainty. The probability of lightning damage is
> small during any given storm. It goes up as the time period increases, but
> never approaches certainty during the few years of your lifetime. Even after
> five years, it's entirely possible that with no protection at all, you could
> have had no damage. That doesn't mean you won't have damage tomorrow.
>
> I protect my computers by unplugging during nearby electrical storms. I have
> *no* protection for my television set, which is equally vulnerable; that's
> because the loss of the television set wouldn't bother me nearly as much as
> the loss of the computers, and unplugging the TV is very inconvenient.
> During the nine years I've lived here, I've had no damage to either the
> computers or the television set. And I live in a city that gets a ton of
> electrical storms.
>
> Am I worried ? No. Do I fear that every electrical storm will get either my
> television set or my computers? No. But I take the prudent course and
> protect the computers by unplugging when lightnbing storms are around.
>
> Do whatever you think best, but in my view, keeping my computer equipment
> plugged in during lightning storms is a bigging risk than I want to run.
>
> --
> Ken Blake
> Please reply to the newsgroup
>
>
>
> > "Roger Mills" <not@home.com> wrote in message
> > news:#BMEuNHdBHA.2008@tkmsftngp02...
> > > > Yes, and not just the main power cord, but everything--phone line (if
> a
> > > modem is
> > > > used), LAN line, whatever.  Having said that, I'll admit that I do
> none of
> > > this.
> > > > :o
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > ���Scott���
> > >
> > >
> > > Wait till you've had a couple fry! I can assure you lightening does
> strike
> > > twice.
> > >
> > > Everyone learns seismology *after* the earthquake . . . .
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

"Indego Thorn" <indegothorn@shaw.ca> wrote in message
>
> Turning it off can also lengthen the life of the components by
letting them
> cool down.

Can also shorten electrical component life through all the contracting
& expanding.

But a lot of people feel the best compromise for a non server PC is:
Once you turn it on, leave it on all day & then only turn it off when
you've finished with it for the night.

"mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote:

>i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
>around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read where
>people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love to
>leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for your
>help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
>

The "rule of thumb" that I have used for the past 15 years is that
turning the computer on and off once has the same overall impact on
the longevity of the machine as if you had left it running for 24
hours.

In favor of turning it off:
- reduced electrical consumption
- electronic components are subject to a long term chemical
deterioration due to the interactions between the various layers of
materials.  These chemical processes are accelerated by increases in
temperature and so the semiconductors will "age" faster if the machine
is left on.

In favor of leaving it on:
- The single most vulnerable component in a computer is the hard
drive.  The hard drive is run by an electric motor and electric motors
of any kind rarely fail when the the are running.  Failures almost
invariably occur when they are switched on.  That applies to your
refrigerator motor, the starter motor in your car, and the motor in
your hard drive,
- When electrical components are heated they expand. Different
materials expand at different rates so the various layers of materials
inside the semiconductors create stresses at the joins because of the
different degrees of expansion.  When the power is switched off, they
components cool down and the stresses are relieved.   Repeated
stressing and relieving of a component can eventually result in
fatigue of the material, causing it to break or crack.


Note that all of these effects are long term cumulative, and the
reality of today's computer's is that they will probably be obsolete
and discarded long before any of the above items can come into play.

The one reported study I have seen on this issue was done many years
ago at an american university.  A large number of computers were
purchased for a computer lab and another identical group for the
administration offices.   The lab computers were switched on and off
for each class, a number of times each day.   The admin computer were
turned on in the morning and off at night.  Some were left running
24/7, at least monday to friday.   The result was that after 18 months
the lab computers were starting to encounter significant numbers of
failures in hard drives, memory chips, motherboards, etc. but the
admin machines were still going strong after 4 years with no unusual
incidence of component failures.

But that was quite a while ago, and component quality and reliability
has improved very substantially since then.


Ron Martell     Duncan B.C.    Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

"Ron Martell" <ron@onlinehelp.bc.ca> wrote in message
news:rmauvtscjam2m61pipq0h232p42rr1uure@4ax.com...
| "mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote:
|
| >i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
| >around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read
where
| >people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love to
| >leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for
your
| >help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
| >
Sure, leave it on.  You can reduce power state.  Martell's rule below is
valid, however, the HDs now don't fail anywhere like they did initially.  An
observation of years - what is your power supply?  If it's 300W or better,
starting up is considerably less stressful than if it's below 300W.

| The "rule of thumb" that I have used for the past 15 years is that
| turning the computer on and off once has the same overall impact on
| the longevity of the machine as if you had left it running for 24
| hours.
|
| In favor of turning it off:
| - reduced electrical consumption
| - electronic components are subject to a long term chemical
| deterioration due to the interactions between the various layers of
| materials.  These chemical processes are accelerated by increases in
| temperature and so the semiconductors will "age" faster if the machine
| is left on.
|
| In favor of leaving it on:
| - The single most vulnerable component in a computer is the hard
| drive.  The hard drive is run by an electric motor and electric motors
| of any kind rarely fail when the the are running.  Failures almost
| invariably occur when they are switched on.  That applies to your
| refrigerator motor, the starter motor in your car, and the motor in
| your hard drive,
| - When electrical components are heated they expand. Different
| materials expand at different rates so the various layers of materials
| inside the semiconductors create stresses at the joins because of the
| different degrees of expansion.  When the power is switched off, they
| components cool down and the stresses are relieved.   Repeated
| stressing and relieving of a component can eventually result in
| fatigue of the material, causing it to break or crack.
|
|
| Note that all of these effects are long term cumulative, and the
| reality of today's computer's is that they will probably be obsolete
| and discarded long before any of the above items can come into play.
|
| The one reported study I have seen on this issue was done many years
| ago at an american university.  A large number of computers were
| purchased for a computer lab and another identical group for the
| administration offices.   The lab computers were switched on and off
| for each class, a number of times each day.   The admin computer were
| turned on in the morning and off at night.  Some were left running
| 24/7, at least monday to friday.   The result was that after 18 months
| the lab computers were starting to encounter significant numbers of
| failures in hard drives, memory chips, motherboards, etc. but the
| admin machines were still going strong after 4 years with no unusual
| incidence of component failures.
|
| But that was quite a while ago, and component quality and reliability
| has improved very substantially since then.
|
|
| Ron Martell     Duncan B.C.    Canada
| --
| Microsoft MVP
| On-Line Help Computer Service
| http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
|
| "The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

"���Scott���" <sdglockmanYOUR@hotmailCLOTHES.com> wrote in message
news:uGt8NSJdBHA.776@tkmsftngp02...

> I think I've been misunderstood here.



You didn't quote anything, so I'm not sure if I'm the person you're replying
to.


> If I know that an electrical storm is
> immenent, or in progress, *of course* I power down and unplug everything.


But if I *am* the person you're replying to, in that case, clearly, I
misunderstood you.


> All I meant here is that normally, I leave the system on 24/7, and I don't
waste
> my time worrying about it every time I leave the house ("Gee, will there
be a
> thunderstorm today?")


Nor do I. I unplug under two conditions: if there are electrical storms in
the vicinity; if I leave the house for several days.


> Obviously, the setup I have may well be zapped to death
> by a very close lightning strike, but I *DO* trust it to protect my stuff
from
> the much more common types of spikes and surges.


As do I. I'm glad to see that we turned out to be in agreement.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

How did you teach it to whistle?

"Gavin Johns" <g.johns@telia.com> wrote in message news:eiBAlxTdBHA.1748@tkmsftngp05...
> Turn that computer OFF. The silence is lovely. I really hate the whistle
> noise they make in the early hours. And I've owned a few.
>
> Gavin
>
>
> "Gort" <klaatu@bogus.org> wrote in message
> news:ejlBaHOdBHA.1476@tkmsftngp07...
> >
> > "Ron Martell" <ron@onlinehelp.bc.ca> wrote in message
> > news:rmauvtscjam2m61pipq0h232p42rr1uure@4ax.com...
> > | "mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote:
> > |
> > | >i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> > | >around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read
> > where
> > | >people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love
> to
> > | >leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for
> > your
> > | >help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
> > | >
> > Sure, leave it on.  You can reduce power state.  Martell's rule below is
> > valid, however, the HDs now don't fail anywhere like they did initially.
> An
> > observation of years - what is your power supply?  If it's 300W or better,
> > starting up is considerably less stressful than if it's below 300W.
> >
> > | The "rule of thumb" that I have used for the past 15 years is that
> > | turning the computer on and off once has the same overall impact on
> > | the longevity of the machine as if you had left it running for 24
> > | hours.
> > |
> > | In favor of turning it off:
> > | - reduced electrical consumption
> > | - electronic components are subject to a long term chemical
> > | deterioration due to the interactions between the various layers of
> > | materials.  These chemical processes are accelerated by increases in
> > | temperature and so the semiconductors will "age" faster if the machine
> > | is left on.
> > |
> > | In favor of leaving it on:
> > | - The single most vulnerable component in a computer is the hard
> > | drive.  The hard drive is run by an electric motor and electric motors
> > | of any kind rarely fail when the the are running.  Failures almost
> > | invariably occur when they are switched on.  That applies to your
> > | refrigerator motor, the starter motor in your car, and the motor in
> > | your hard drive,
> > | - When electrical components are heated they expand. Different
> > | materials expand at different rates so the various layers of materials
> > | inside the semiconductors create stresses at the joins because of the
> > | different degrees of expansion.  When the power is switched off, they
> > | components cool down and the stresses are relieved.   Repeated
> > | stressing and relieving of a component can eventually result in
> > | fatigue of the material, causing it to break or crack.
> > |
> > |
> > | Note that all of these effects are long term cumulative, and the
> > | reality of today's computer's is that they will probably be obsolete
> > | and discarded long before any of the above items can come into play.
> > |
> > | The one reported study I have seen on this issue was done many years
> > | ago at an american university.  A large number of computers were
> > | purchased for a computer lab and another identical group for the
> > | administration offices.   The lab computers were switched on and off
> > | for each class, a number of times each day.   The admin computer were
> > | turned on in the morning and off at night.  Some were left running
> > | 24/7, at least monday to friday.   The result was that after 18 months
> > | the lab computers were starting to encounter significant numbers of
> > | failures in hard drives, memory chips, motherboards, etc. but the
> > | admin machines were still going strong after 4 years with no unusual
> > | incidence of component failures.
> > |
> > | But that was quite a while ago, and component quality and reliability
> > | has improved very substantially since then.
> > |
> > |
> > | Ron Martell     Duncan B.C.    Canada
> > | --
> > | Microsoft MVP
> > | On-Line Help Computer Service
> > | http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
> > |
> > | "The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
> >
>
>

That's kind of a personal thing.  Mine doesn't "whistle", but the fans are a bit
annoying.  I just close my office door if it bothers me.

--
���Scott���
Remove "your clothes" to send an email reply.


"Gavin Johns" <g.johns@telia.com> wrote in message
news:eiBAlxTdBHA.1748@tkmsftngp05...
> Turn that computer OFF. The silence is lovely. I really hate the whistle
> noise they make in the early hours. And I've owned a few.
>
> Gavin
>
>
> "Gort" <klaatu@bogus.org> wrote in message
> news:ejlBaHOdBHA.1476@tkmsftngp07...
> >
> > "Ron Martell" <ron@onlinehelp.bc.ca> wrote in message
> > news:rmauvtscjam2m61pipq0h232p42rr1uure@4ax.com...
> > | "mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote:
> > |
> > | >i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> > | >around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read
> > where
> > | >people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love
> to
> > | >leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for
> > your
> > | >help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
> > | >
> > Sure, leave it on.  You can reduce power state.  Martell's rule below is
> > valid, however, the HDs now don't fail anywhere like they did initially.
> An
> > observation of years - what is your power supply?  If it's 300W or better,
> > starting up is considerably less stressful than if it's below 300W.
> >
> > | The "rule of thumb" that I have used for the past 15 years is that
> > | turning the computer on and off once has the same overall impact on
> > | the longevity of the machine as if you had left it running for 24
> > | hours.
> > |
> > | In favor of turning it off:
> > | - reduced electrical consumption
> > | - electronic components are subject to a long term chemical
> > | deterioration due to the interactions between the various layers of
> > | materials.  These chemical processes are accelerated by increases in
> > | temperature and so the semiconductors will "age" faster if the machine
> > | is left on.
> > |
> > | In favor of leaving it on:
> > | - The single most vulnerable component in a computer is the hard
> > | drive.  The hard drive is run by an electric motor and electric motors
> > | of any kind rarely fail when the the are running.  Failures almost
> > | invariably occur when they are switched on.  That applies to your
> > | refrigerator motor, the starter motor in your car, and the motor in
> > | your hard drive,
> > | - When electrical components are heated they expand. Different
> > | materials expand at different rates so the various layers of materials
> > | inside the semiconductors create stresses at the joins because of the
> > | different degrees of expansion.  When the power is switched off, they
> > | components cool down and the stresses are relieved.   Repeated
> > | stressing and relieving of a component can eventually result in
> > | fatigue of the material, causing it to break or crack.
> > |
> > |
> > | Note that all of these effects are long term cumulative, and the
> > | reality of today's computer's is that they will probably be obsolete
> > | and discarded long before any of the above items can come into play.
> > |
> > | The one reported study I have seen on this issue was done many years
> > | ago at an american university.  A large number of computers were
> > | purchased for a computer lab and another identical group for the
> > | administration offices.   The lab computers were switched on and off
> > | for each class, a number of times each day.   The admin computer were
> > | turned on in the morning and off at night.  Some were left running
> > | 24/7, at least monday to friday.   The result was that after 18 months
> > | the lab computers were starting to encounter significant numbers of
> > | failures in hard drives, memory chips, motherboards, etc. but the
> > | admin machines were still going strong after 4 years with no unusual
> > | incidence of component failures.
> > |
> > | But that was quite a while ago, and component quality and reliability
> > | has improved very substantially since then.
> > |
> > |
> > | Ron Martell     Duncan B.C.    Canada
> > | --
> > | Microsoft MVP
> > | On-Line Help Computer Service
> > | http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
> > |
> > | "The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
> >
>
>

Turn that computer OFF. The silence is lovely. I really hate the whistle
noise they make in the early hours. And I've owned a few.

Gavin


"Gort" <klaatu@bogus.org> wrote in message
news:ejlBaHOdBHA.1476@tkmsftngp07...
>
> "Ron Martell" <ron@onlinehelp.bc.ca> wrote in message
> news:rmauvtscjam2m61pipq0h232p42rr1uure@4ax.com...
> | "mandie" <mandies@adelphia.net> wrote:
> |
> | >i have a new (2 months) P4, HP 1.5 with 512 megs of ram.  I turn it on
> | >around 5pm at night and off at 11 p.m or when i'm done.  I  have read
> where
> | >people leave them on all the time.  Is it ok to do that.  I would love
to
> | >leave mine on but am unsure if it will ruin the computer.  Thanks for
> your
> | >help. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
> | >
> Sure, leave it on.  You can reduce power state.  Martell's rule below is
> valid, however, the HDs now don't fail anywhere like they did initially.
An
> observation of years - what is your power supply?  If it's 300W or better,
> starting up is considerably less stressful than if it's below 300W.
>
> | The "rule of thumb" that I have used for the past 15 years is that
> | turning the computer on and off once has the same overall impact on
> | the longevity of the machine as if you had left it running for 24
> | hours.
> |
> | In favor of turning it off:
> | - reduced electrical consumption
> | - electronic components are subject to a long term chemical
> | deterioration due to the interactions between the various layers of
> | materials.  These chemical processes are accelerated by increases in
> | temperature and so the semiconductors will "age" faster if the machine
> | is left on.
> |
> | In favor of leaving it on:
> | - The single most vulnerable component in a computer is the hard
> | drive.  The hard drive is run by an electric motor and electric motors
> | of any kind rarely fail when the the are running.  Failures almost
> | invariably occur when they are switched on.  That applies to your
> | refrigerator motor, the starter motor in your car, and the motor in
> | your hard drive,
> | - When electrical components are heated they expand. Different
> | materials expand at different rates so the various layers of materials
> | inside the semiconductors create stresses at the joins because of the
> | different degrees of expansion.  When the power is switched off, they
> | components cool down and the stresses are relieved.   Repeated
> | stressing and relieving of a component can eventually result in
> | fatigue of the material, causing it to break or crack.
> |
> |
> | Note that all of these effects are long term cumulative, and the
> | reality of today's computer's is that they will probably be obsolete
> | and discarded long before any of the above items can come into play.
> |
> | The one reported study I have seen on this issue was done many years
> | ago at an american university.  A large number of computers were
> | purchased for a computer lab and another identical group for the
> | administration offices.   The lab computers were switched on and off
> | for each class, a number of times each day.   The admin computer were
> | turned on in the morning and off at night.  Some were left running
> | 24/7, at least monday to friday.   The result was that after 18 months
> | the lab computers were starting to encounter significant numbers of
> | failures in hard drives, memory chips, motherboards, etc. but the
> | admin machines were still going strong after 4 years with no unusual
> | incidence of component failures.
> |
> | But that was quite a while ago, and component quality and reliability
> | has improved very substantially since then.
> |
> |
> | Ron Martell     Duncan B.C.    Canada
> | --
> | Microsoft MVP
> | On-Line Help Computer Service
> | http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
> |
> | "The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
>

"S Bart" <somebody125@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ufvgXIEdBHA.2144@tkmsftngp05...
> If you leave it on all the time, fans, hard drives and any other moving
> parts will wear out sooner. Most other components have a lifespan of many
> years, and the computer will likely be obsolete before they die. If your
> power supply is too small or borderline so it's running at close to it's
max
> capacity, it could fail sooner if you run the computer all the time. HP
> doesn't always use the highest quality of components, I personally would
not
> leave any HP computer running 24/7.

Nonsense... it's changes in temperature, spin up/spin down and power spikes
which cause wear and tear... all a result of powering on and off.

"M Reeder" <mreeder50@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:uiHFsIEdBHA.1948@tkmsftngp02...

> As this is a rather long thread, I have not read all posts, so this may
have
> been said. I have been leaving my computers on since 1981 and have had no
> adverse effects. The only thing I have noticed is once every month or 2 I
> shutdown my computer and peripherals for a least 10 or 15 minutes, then
cold
> reboot.

And when, exactly, did you first notice this?

Only difference I ever saw was electricity which runs about $ 130. more a
year if you leave the computer on 24/7.....

"JohnS" <johnsquirrell@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:eFGHryldBHA.2220@tkmsftngp04...
>
> "S Bart" <somebody125@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:ufvgXIEdBHA.2144@tkmsftngp05...
> > If you leave it on all the time, fans, hard drives and any other moving
> > parts will wear out sooner. Most other components have a lifespan of
many
> > years, and the computer will likely be obsolete before they die. If your
> > power supply is too small or borderline so it's running at close to it's
> max
> > capacity, it could fail sooner if you run the computer all the time. HP
> > doesn't always use the highest quality of components, I personally would
> not
> > leave any HP computer running 24/7.
>
> Nonsense... it's changes in temperature, spin up/spin down and power
spikes
> which cause wear and tear... all a result of powering on and off.
>
>
>

"JohnS" <johnsquirrell@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:eFGHryldBHA.2220@tkmsftngp04:

>
> "S Bart" <somebody125@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:ufvgXIEdBHA.2144@tkmsftngp05...
>> If you leave it on all the time, fans, hard drives and any other
>> moving parts will wear out sooner. Most other components have a
>> lifespan of many years, and the computer will likely be obsolete
>> before they die. If your power supply is too small or borderline so
>> it's running at close to it's
> max
>> capacity, it could fail sooner if you run the computer all the time.
>> HP doesn't always use the highest quality of components, I personally
>> would
> not
>> leave any HP computer running 24/7.
>
> Nonsense... it's changes in temperature, spin up/spin down and power
> spikes which cause wear and tear... all a result of powering on and
> off.

I agree.  I'm the unofficial computer technician for many of my friends
and relatives, and I see many more problems when people turn their
machines on and off daily than when they leave them running all the
time.  Also, those who leave them running all the time tend to make
better and more efficient use of them (such as running over to send a
quick email when necessary, instead of trying to decide if it's worth
going through the boot-up process to do so).