Turn computer off or leave it on after use?

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Hi,

A question I have had for a very long time is, after I have completed my computer tasks, whether I should leave my computer on or turn it off.

Thank you for any advice you can give me.

Moon

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A question I have had for a very long time is, after I have completed my computer tasks, whether I should leave my computer on or turn it off.

Moon,
Hello….There are as many opinions about this as there are “PC’s. Personally after my obsessive cleanup ritual (end of day )…i “tuck her in ” ( switch off ) Then when i return… next day i then choose which OS to boot up… If I’m doing things throughout the day then i just use the sleep function..as the “computer magnet” seems to have a power over me that’s hard to resist… so a move of the “old mouse” and I’m back in business, without having to start from zero….. Don’t see any advantage of leaving my PC on all day ,or over night… just for me is a waste of power. Some will no doubt say that your HD’s and components will last longer if you let everything run…. vs bringing everything up from a cold start…killing something. Regards Fred

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Thanks, Fred. I have just recently started to turn off the computer when I am finished using it, but I still wonder what is the better policy. It is interesting, is it not, that there is no definitive answer to something seemingly so basic.

Have a great holiday season.

Moon

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Ages ago there were debates about lifetimes of hard disk drives and whether it was best to leave them running or turn them off when not in use. Those days are long past – modern OSes tend to spin down drives not in use to conserve on energy consumption, so even if you leave the PC on the hard drive might get “turned off.” There were also debates about whether the circuitry in PCs would last longer when always powered on as opposed to “shocking” them daily when turning the electricity back on. Of course in those days entry level PCs were expensive. Nowadays they are cheap, so replacing a PC (or drive) that gets worn out after 3 or so years use is no longer an expensive proposition. Also, there was never any data to back up either camp.

My recommendation is to turn if off when you are not using it. If you need instant-on, then use sleep or hibernate mode. Reducing electricity consumption and being green is a bigger concern today than whether the hardware can handle the constant on/off switching.

The only time I leave my PC on at night is if there is a show I want to record, and even then I turn off all of the peripherals (speakers, printer, monitors) to reduce the electricity consumption.

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The laptops in my household hibernate when not in use. I have a midtower in my bedroom that often gets turned off, sometinems stays on for several days. I have another midtower that hasn’t been turned off (other than a move and the occaissional power failure – and the hurricanes in ’04) since the mid ’90’s.

That one has been through several changes over the years. Naturally, it is turned off when I’m upgrading the motherboard or something of that nature, but in general it stays on; the printer everyone uses is installed on that PC. I have had only one hard drive failure (which occurred on a startup), but then I have upgraded hard drives a number of times over those years, so that doesn’t really say much. The drive that failed was just a month past its fifth birthday – just out or warranty.

I can say without reservation that the most strenuous period for any piece of electrical or electronic gear (other than overload condition) is startup. It is much easier on a hard drive motor to keep the platter spinning than it is to start it spinning.

It all boils down to personal choice.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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It’s a given that we get storm related power failures and once our Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) battery power runs out, all equipment is turned off.

I rarely intentionally shut off printer, router, cable modem, hub, switch, speakers.

Desktops and laptops are shut down about once a week for an overnight rest, otherwise, they are left on day and night.

External hard drives and networked drives (used for backup only) are turned on when needed a couple of times per week.

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Save the environment and turn it off.

cheers, Paul

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As Fred states this is a personal choice. I worked in the Aerospace field, in electronics for years and found no valid reason during these many years testing and troubleshooting electronics to feel that on/off cycles were harder on electronics than continuous on time. As stated by many, this is more of an environmental issue. We do not treat our planet well. For every joule of power we consume, some where, some how that energy must be generated. There are many means to generate this energy from coal fired to atomic fired to water powered to wind powered, etc, generating plants. Predominately this generation takes place in the form of consuming resources. Hence for each minute your PC is off, is less power generation taking place. Now you will say, so what I am such a small amout in the scheme of things, but consider this, there are billions of these small amounts of power being consumed each minute and they do add up. I believe each of us must help to contribute to saving our world, and cutting down on energy consumption is one of the easier forms for every day people to take. Turn the PCs off when not using them and save a tree, or coal miners lungs, or whatever, and perhaps save a few cents in the process.

Enough on my soap box this morning. Gotta get a second mug of java, Cheers, Ted

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Ted, I enjoyed your soap box oration. I am gonna be turning my computers off when I have finished using them for the day or when I will not be using them for a long interval of time within a given day. It feels good making ths contribution to our planet.

Everyone have a Good one…

Moon

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Computers that are built specifically to be running 24×7 cost a small fortune because every fan has ball bearings and not brass bushings. The PSU’s are extra heavy duty with a very high degree of regulation, much more than home computers. Usually, the cases have multiple fans to keep the electronics cool.

Things like hard drives are rated by the number of hours that they can run without failure (MTBF). Why push them to the breaking point any faster than necessary?
Years ago, I used to loose at least a hard drive a year, to overheating. Then I devised a really neat way to keep my HD’s at room temperature, even when they were under heavy load, like doing a virus scan or defrag. I install a Two-Fan drive cooler to every hard drive and the drive never goes through that shock of heating up and cooling down.

Even with some of the lowest electric rates in the country, I still find it advantageous to keep my power usage at a minimum. My electric bill last month was just $58.
I run my computer like any other household appliance…… when I’m not using it, it’s shut OFF.
You probably wouldn’t think of just leaving an electric stove on all the time so that when you want to use it, it doesn’t have to heat up. Eh?

So as far as home computers, made with Hobby-Grade components are concerned, when not in use, turn them off.

I take full advantage of the time it takes my computer to boot up. A single switch, on a power strip, starts up my entire system.
From my Startup folder, I run a batch file to clean out all the junk files from the previous session, then I run a script to force a new Restore Point to be created, then after my AV program starts and my computer goes on-line, my email program runs and goes out and gets my email.
So by the time I get my coffee, get my TV set to the proper channel and get back to the PC, everything is done and my email is waiting on my monitor, so I can sit down and start reading it.

I use a Quick Shutdown shortcut that shuts down my PC in 5 -8 seconds. Then I shut off the power at the power strip and walk away knowing that my PC is completely SAFE.

I didn’t start doing this last week, or last month or even last year, but I’ve been turning off my PC when not in use, going all the way back to my first PC, an IBM XT Clone that I built in ~1983.
What I do today, is based on my experience as an electronics tech, going all the way back to 1965.

Cheers Mates!
The Doctor 🙂

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The only thing I would add is if you leave just the PC on it can get updates and do virus scans at night when the PC is not being used. I do this so I am not bothered by slow downs from these activity’s.

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I shut my computer down when not using it as well.
Windows 7, for me at least, is the first MS operating system were S3 sleep to hibernate is a very cool & reliable 2nd when it comes to
power saving. For all intent and purpose it is nearest to off. Sleep to hibernate is far more reliable than other MS operating systems imo.
For tasks that are in the process of completing, I can reliably walk away from the system and it will go into S3 sleep-hibernate mode
when the task is done.

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Both the electronics and the disks in a computer are stressed more by too-frequent start/stop cycles than by simply being left running. Furthermore, unless you’re running a macho machine the power drain during inactive periods is modest (especially now that CRT monitors are fading away – though monitor power-down helped them a lot, and even LCD monitors should also be darkened when not in use for lengthy periods). Finally, during cold seasons of the year unless you’re heating with a renewable fuel whatever power you’re wasting is largely offset environmentally by lower heating fuel consumption (though, conversely, during air-conditioning season any power you can save results in additional power saved by not having to get rid of that additional heat).

For the conditions in our area, it makes sense to put a computer into standby or hibernation (or shut it down completely) if it’s likely not going to be used for more than a few hours, and otherwise to leave it running with the disks spinning (the typical 50,000 start/stop cycle lifetime of disks is likely less conservative than some of their other specs).

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Had a very pleasant surprise when I went to APC to replace my ten yearl old UPS. The new model has six outlets on top to plug in my peripherals. When the computer is turned off or goes into a low power state (hibernate) power to all the peripherals is turned off. Have one printer, monitor, speakers, etc on these circuts. Whenever leaving desk, I just click Hibernate and all turn off. And, when I forget Hibernate is automatic after 20 minutes.

When I press switch on computer to turn it back on, everything else comes back automatically. Works very nicely.

Only problem is that our laser printer is also our fax and it needs to stay on for wife’s work (nurse), so continues drawing current along with the cable modem and router.

If you need a new UPS, look into ones have this turnoff feature.

Carl

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For all you non-electronics majors, here are some considerations (you can double check some of these facts with a product called ‘Kill-O-Watt’):
1) If you are debating turning your computer off, keep these facts in mind.
A) With the amount of energy it takes to charge all the capacitors (voltage stabilizers) in a modern computer (Win 2000 forward), you can leave a standard desktop on for about 3 days and a standard laptop for about 6+ days. The energy usage is roughly the same (assuming you are using the default power settings). Pretty much the same with external hard drives.
B) Most problems with computers occur during startup or shutdown (power supply overloads, motherboard problems, other hardware issues, and OS and HDD corruption).
C) ‘Green’ hard drives are badly named. They drop to 5400 rpm when not in demand, then rev up to 7200/10,000 rpm when needed (read power burst).
2) Always make sure the monitor is off when not in use (that’s your biggest energy hog).
3) Always make sure your inkjet printer is turned off when not in use. Not so much for energy savings (although it helps), but because when you turn the printer off, you’ll hear the ink cartridges move to their ‘protected’ position and the ink won’t dry on the jets. As long as the printer is on, the cartridges are exposed in the ‘ready’ position and can dry on the cartridge with non-use. If this happens, you may possibly ‘save’ them with a good cleaning with rubbing alcohol and a lint-free cloth.

So, basically, it all depends how often you use your computer. Sorry, but gamers, multitaskers, and video editors will always use more power.

BTW: Make sure you have at least one good, working surge protector between the wall and ALL your equiptment whether you leave it on or not!

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For all you non-electronics majors, here are some considerations (you can double check some of these facts with a product called ‘Kill-O-Watt’):
1) If you are debating turning your computer off, keep these facts in mind.
A) With the amount of energy it takes to charge all the capacitors (voltage stabilizers) in a modern computer (Win 2000 forward), you can leave a standard desktop on for about 3 days and a standard laptop for about 6+ days. The energy usage is roughly the same (assuming you are using the default power settings). Pretty much the same with external hard drives.

PURE FICTION – NO FACT IN SIGHT.

A capacitor IS NOT a voltage stabiliser.
If the supply voltage changes by 10%, so does the voltage across the capacitor UNLESS there is a voltage regulation system in between.
The capacitor stores energy AND ALSO RELEASES IT.
If the capacitor takes “x” joules to achieve a working voltage, then discharging to 0.49x joules leaves it at 70% working voltage.
So if charging the capacitors really took the equivalent of 3 days steady state operation of the desktop,
it would be reasonable to expect the energy in those capacitors to keep the laptop running for a day or two after being switched off.

Hands up anyone who has switched off at night and found Windows still running the next morning ! !
I find it has fully closed and become silent before I can lock the door and put out the lights.

If the external Hard Drive takes the same energy as using a laptop for 6 days it must achieve a colossal amount of kinetic energy.
If you are correct then when I switch off at night time that kinetic energy should keep it running for another week,
but I hear total silence before I can leave the room.

NB I started my career with an honors degree in electronics
and designed many pieces of electronic instrumentation including custom Power Supplies,
and achieved until retirement (when annual registration fees became a useless burden)
C.ENG, M.I.E.E.

Alan

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PURE FICTION – NO FACT IN SIGHT.

Alan

Amen!! [/i]

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PURE FICTION – NO FACT IN SIGHT.

A capacitor IS NOT a voltage stabiliser.
If the supply voltage changes by 10%, so does the voltage across the capacitor UNLESS there is a voltage regulation system in between.
The capacitor stores energy AND ALSO RELEASES IT.
If the capacitor takes “x” joules to achieve a working voltage, then discharging to 0.49x joules leaves it at 70% working voltage.
So if charging the capacitors really took the equivalent of 3 days steady state operation of the desktop,
it would be reasonable to expect the energy in those capacitors to keep the laptop running for a day or two after being switched off.

Hands up anyone who has switched off at night and found Windows still running the next morning ! !
I find it has fully closed and become silent before I can lock the door and put out the lights.

If the external Hard Drive takes the same energy as using a laptop for 6 days it must achieve a colossal amount of kinetic energy.
If you are correct then when I switch off at night time that kinetic energy should keep it running for another week,
but I hear total silence before I can leave the room.

NB I started my career with an honors degree in electronics
and designed many pieces of electronic instrumentation including custom Power Supplies,
and achieved until retirement (when annual registration fees became a useless burden)
C.ENG, M.I.E.E.

Alan

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Anyone who has spent part of their lives can give an oration about this topic (and it is awfully tempting to do so), but I suspect our friend is looking for a simple answer, i.e., keep it on or turn it off. After 35 years in the industry (had to get SOMETHING in to validate my answer ) I’d suggest the best answer here is from PT (Paul). Turn that sucker off and go watch a ball game and have a brew or two!
-wpf

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Or three!

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I keep my computers on overnight because that’s when I have my virus scans and backups scheduled. I hate the bog down in CPU when those things are running while I’m working on my machine.

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This answer won’t help the OP but might be informative to some.

I have at home the usual desktop, couple of laptops, and so forth. Some years ago I had (still have) a need to run a proxy server (Apache), download and upload bit torrents for days at a time, etc. So I ran those from the desktop 24/7 at 100+ watts. I never liked doing that.

A couple of years ago I saw the NSLU2 “Slug”, a 5 watt little Linux box originally intended to be a LAN NAS, but hacked and re-purposed to be a small Linux headless server. Wonderful! Now I leave the little 5-watt guy on 24/7 with a couple of USB flash drives in it, and hibernate the desktop and laptops. I like to hibernate so I can resume where I left off…kinda like not clearing your desk when you leave work.

When I did this I think I calculated saving $10/month in electricity. Leaving a desktop computer on, even with the monitor idle, still consumes a lot of juice. As for what is easier on the electronics and drives, I have no idea, I think it makes no difference. At work our computers are on 24/7 and only occasionally does a HDD fail, more-or-less according to MTBF times. At home my desktop is now going on 4 years running a 3-drive RAID0 with no failures. More important than On-time or Power-On/Off cycles is the quality of electricity I think. At home I use a UPS mainly to protect the gadgets from spikes and drops in the line.

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If you are not going to use it within an hour turn it off.

Why? The greatest enemy of electronic components is heat. This is what causes the failure ultimately in all units.
I have repaired dozens of computers. The ones where components failed were run the most.
Running your machine sucks in dirt, hair, dust etc. the more you run it the more stuff accumulates inside.
This stresses the machine since it it not cooling properly. 90% of machines never have been cleaned.

If you have an animal in the house your machine get clogged up twice as fast. If you also are a smoker
it is even worse.

Here is my suggestion Open your machine and vacuum out all the stuff at least every two years.
For laptops, don’t leave things on the keyboard when the machine is running. The system and processor fans
exhaust through the keyboards. If your processor fan cycles on and off with the machine idling it means it
needs to be cleaned.

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(Ralph:)

$10 per month sounds about right for the cost of running a 100W appliance 24/7 (mine consumes about 70W – not including monitor – unless performing very hard work, and considerably less when doing nothing but still running with the monitor darkened). So you saved whatever percentage of that time you had the machine shut down (minus any offsetting increase in heating bill, plus any offsetting reduction in air-conditioning cost).

Clean power is of course important and a good UPS helps a lot (so does a good PSU). However, this in no way reduces the desirability of avoiding frequent power cycles as well.

(Pete:)

The cure for heat is not to turn off your computer, it’s to keep it clean (at least every two years sounds about right unless the environment is unusually dirty) and well-ventilated. Heat cycles (even with a clean computer) are part of what makes frequent power-cycling destructive.

Various applications (e.g., SpeedFan) can monitor internal temperatures if desired. Recent studies have shown that modern desktop-quality disks last longest at 30 – 40 degrees C (as determined by their internal S.M.A.R.T. sensors), though their specs usually allow them to run both considerably cooler and up to 55 degrees C and those studies found them not all that sensitive to temperature within that range. Processors seem to prefer to run as cool as possible but, again, may not be all that sensitive to temperatures up to 50+ degrees C (and can tolerate considerably higher temperatures, though with reduced longevity). Other components (motherboards, video cards) also probably want to run as cool as possible but should be relatively happy up to at least 40 degrees C (possibly higher: I’m not as familiar with their needs).

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We leave ours on 7/24. As we have shared printers on two of them and have shared folders on ALL of them. If we turn them off, then we would need to turn them ALL on when ever we turned one on.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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To the OP….

The answer is like socks, underwear and toothpaste …. no rights or wrongs just personal preferences.
Consider it a mental feel-good thing.
There are lots of these kinds of decisions that we perform all the time with little or no conscience.

Anyway, I’ve left my PC related stuff on 24/7 for many years.

As related to old school thoughts, BSOD usually occurred at startup.

I was trained on vacuum tubes so I’ve been around this stuff for a while.

My 10¢ USD. (0.101710 CAD)
(inflation and all that)

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My computer has a 375 watt power supply, so if I don’t plan to use it for an hour or more, I put the computer and monitor on standby, which consumes only 5 watts. The peripherals are always turned off until needed. At the end of the day I turn everything off, including the UPS and DSL modem. I don’t see any point in giving any more of my money to the electric utility than necessary, it minimizes the intake of dust, and it helps the environment in a small way. I agree that it’s important to keep the computer clean and dust free, so I vacuum the outside regularly and the inside once a year. One thing that can help with reducing dust if you have forced air heating is to use a good furnace filter, such as a 3M Filtrete 600 or any filter with a MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) of 11 to 13, and replace it every 3-4 months – or as needed, depending on how dusty your air is. Commercial computer installations and server farms usually have sophisticated air handling equipment, so you should at least use a proper furnace filter.

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There is a definitive answer to your question:

When your computer is not in use, you must switch off your computer – preferably at the power point. This will not only save electricity but it will also reduce the incidence of power surge damage to your computer.

Exceptions would be when you need to keep your computer switched on for scheduled events such as virus scans, backups, software updates, etc.

To those who believe otherwise, let me ask you this:

When you are not driving your car, do you leave the engine idling?

When you are not watching TV, do you leave it switched on anyway?

When you get water from a tap, do you leave the tap running after you’re finished?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, please leave the planet immediately as your presence is no longer required. If, on the other hand, you are a responsible citizen of planet Earth then please, do the right thing and switch off your computer when it is not in use. Computers get a bad enough rap for excessive power use as it is so let’s counter that by proving how efficient they can be.

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There is a definitive answer to your question:

The reality is that there is no definitive answer, as is readily discernable just by reading this thread.

We are all individuals and we will all make our own choices where there are choices to be made, based on information that we, ourselves, consider relevant.

As Fred said in the first reply to the OP:

There are as many opinions about this is there are “PC’s.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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When you are not watching TV, do you leave it switched on anyway?

If you do NOT unplug your TV, then it is still drawing power for the “Instant On” feature. This is true for a LOT of new toys. Look around the house in the dark and look for all of those red, blue and other color lights that are showing, each is drawing power.

I bet you do not turn off you wireless phone(s) when not in use?

And Al Gore is NOT going to save the World.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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I added the ‘non-electronics majors’ so I wouldn’t have to mention power amplifiers, rectifiers, filter circuits, etc.

Of course, computers have voltage regulation systems.

And you will hear “total silence” because you are applying ‘zero’ amps. The voltage left in the capacitors is irrelevant unless there you apply ‘amps’.

My link

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And you will hear “total silence” because you are applying ‘zero’ amps. The voltage left in the capacitors is irrelevant unless there you apply ‘amps’.

That is rubbish.
When power is switched off, then reservoir capacitors will discharge and whilst discharging they are subject to a NON-zero load current.
At some point determined by the design of the circuitry the load current will fall to zero.
The remaining voltage IS NOT IRRELEVANT.

If the circuitry desisted from taking current immediately the supply was switched off,
then the full operational voltage would remain on the capacitors (assuming insignificant leakage current),
and ZERO charging current would be required when switching back on – but you originally said :-
“With the amount of energy it takes to charge all the capacitors (voltage stabilizers) in a modern computer (Win 2000 forward), you can leave a standard desktop on for about 3 days and a standard laptop for about 6+ days. The energy usage is roughly the same (assuming you are using the default power settings)”

Incidentally, I have designed and tested equipment over a wide range of power supply voltages using specialist test gear,
but I have never encountered any way for the average home computer to use anything BUT the default power settings.

My link

It is a little sad that you depend upon information from “Hobbies, Games & Toys”, which states
“Some voltage stabilizers are also incorporated into a universal power supply (UPS), which is a backup battery system…..”
Please note that UPS is universally known as a means of posting(losing) letters etc, or
UNINTERRUPTIBLE power supply.

A reasonable source for information is Wikipedia, e.g.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uninterruptible_power_supply

My Acer Travelmate laptop has a power supply with a rated output of 20 Volts at 6 Amps.
If we assume an average working load of 3 amps, that would consume 60 watts.
6 days is 144 hours, at 60 watts is 8.64 KWHr = 8640 Watt Hours = 518400 Watt Minutes
When I switch on my Laptop it gets through the BIOS in less than 10 seconds
and through to logon/password in another 20 seconds.
I have full control of 90% CPU within 60 seconds of switching on, by which time all capacitors must be fully charged.
(I would put my money on being fully charges in less than 2 seconds.)
With a mains supply plug fused at 3 amp, anything over a 6 amp surge would blow the fuse in less than 10 Seconds.
Just assuming that 6 amps is sustained for 60 seconds before the capacitors are charged,
then at 230 V a.c. it has taken 1380 Watt Minutes (My money goes on less than 138 watt minutes.)
Your 518400 is 375 times larger than my 1380 Watt Minutes, and 4000 time larger than probable reality.

If you wish to reply than please use real electrical units of power/energy etc,
and not vague generalizations of standard desktops and laptops.

Alan

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Here is my “personal solution”.

Many years ago I had to investigate a fire which had occurred in a sitting room in the small hours. In talking to the Fire Officer he told me that if they had to attend a house fire at that time they expected either a fire in an armchair, where a smouldering cigarette end had gone down between the cushion and the side – or a television set that had been left on all night.

Well . . . since we are non-smokers the first item is not a problem, and as for the second we switch off and unplug all electrical apparatus at night apart from things actually needed like fridges, freezers, etc.

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Ian S’s post about fire hazard is the only reason I’ve spotted in this thread for always powering off and unplugging any unneeded appliance like a desktop, notebook/netbook PC or iPad.

After owning and fixing too many family & friends’ PCs to count from every top brand and price point for more than fifteen years, about all I can report is every single hardware failure I’ve seen happens on power up (power supply, hard drives, memory, motherboard, monitor). Reminds me of flying, the safest means of transportation ever invented by man, but as a one-time very young pilot the stresses on pilot and machine on any take-off and landing are far from minimal.

That’s why my inclination has always been to leave any IT stuff running 24/7.

As testimony how sturdy off-the-shelf stuff can be nowadays let’s take the vintage notebook I’m writing this reply on, not intended as a plug for any brand or OS as I’ve seen lemons from all. Bought at a Sams Club in N.California 2002 I’ve rarely ever powered it off despite living in USA, South America and Europe and making some upgrades – ah yes, there were some mishaps along the way like dropping it on the floor at Madrid Airport!

Pre-loaded with WindowsXP HE I long ago switched to Linux as sole OS as Linux seems to place much less stress on this particular box. I’ve also found Linux smokes WinXP SP3 performance on this vintage machine as well as offering a way more secure computing experience:

HP Pavilion xz148 Pentium 4M Notebook PC, on-board graphics card
1.0GB RAM (max allowed); 160GB Samsung 5400rpm; Belkin 54g PCMCIA Wi-Fi
OS Linux Mint 10 Julia GNOME Desktop Edition

That’s my two cents but I think Ian S. presents a valid point.

Cheers to all.

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I have an MSEE degree and taught college level electronics for 30 years and worked in circuit design before that in industry.

I have set up labs of Unix, DOS, Windows and MAC operating system computers.

I’ve done computer consulting and have had 100s of students come to me with hardware and mostly software problems over the years.

I do not exaggerate that 95% of their problems are solved by TURNING OFF THE COMPUTER and waiting and turning it back on.

They soon discover that in addition to saving electricity turning off their computer at least overnight when they aren’t using it saves energy and decreases the possibility of their computer being compromised and used as a bot.

Do what you wish with YOUR computer of course but consider at least saving energy by putting it into hibernation and powering it down when not in use and from time to time turn it completely off overnight and back on in the morning — is my conclusion after all these years and what I do with my computer(s).

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decreases the possibility of their computer being compromised and used as a bot.

This !

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Depends on where you live and where your computer is located. If you have to heat your home during the winter months, and your computer is located in a room that you use frequently, you can leave it turned on without a bad conscience during that time. The vast majority of the energy consumption is dissipated as heat, so it will contribute to your heating. I work from home and I do feel the difference in my office when the computers are turned on.

This is the same kind of argument that is often forgotten when discussing the energy savings of fluorescent light bulbs vs incandescent ones, ignoring the fact that for many people during the colder months, they used to provide heat in addition to light. Heat that will have to be compensated for by regular heating. Overall, there will likely be a net gain in energy efficiency, but it will be less than expected.

During the summer months, especially if you have to actively cool your home, the exact opposite is true so turn it off as often as possible.

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My PC and Peripherals draw Less than 1 Watt when in hibernation (modem and router powered on), and 115W when running at idle. Nuff said.

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