Do you shut down your PC?

I came across this poll in one of my e-mails. I didn't know whether to post it in Software, Hardware, or Lounge forums.

Decided on Lounge.

Do you shutdown your computer overnight?
Option..............................................Votes..................%

Always...............................................803..................51.8
Only on weekends and/or holidays........157..................10.1
Sometimes.........................................260..................16.8
Never.................................................330..................21.3
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Responses.......................................1550
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FWIW, I shut down mine "Always" (and disconnect power and phone line inputs). Bazza

 

Yup. I always shutdown.

Hibernate sometimes, if that counts or not.

 

Nope, I leave it on folding 24/7.
But I do have it on a UPS with AVR and it's connected by wireless. Should be pretty safe.

 

Nope. I use hybrid sleep, while being connected to a UPS /w AVR.

The contents get saved to ram, and to a hibernation file.

If the power goes out, the UPS can keep it running a good while. if the UPS battery drains, then I can simply bring my computer out of hibernation when the power comes back on.

*shrug*

 

Always on.

 

Always on, too

 

On mostly, I restart when it's been on a couple days or so, seems to slow down.
In fact this was a question I was going to ask at one time.
I have tried hibernate but don't understand exactly what it does.

 

I always disconnect from the Internet and shut down

 

All of them are on 24/7. Depends on what I have but they are folding.

E:cool

 

I only leave mine on when running utorrent or converting videos overnight. Otherwise I shut it down when I'm not using it, and shut the power off at the surge protector (as with all my other electronics). I've actually saved quite a bit of energy by doing this every day. I was very surprised at how much energy my devices actually use when in 'standby' mode. :eek

 

Folding..No
Folding..No
BBS...No

 

I only have my video-cruncher PC on when it's, well, crunching video. My main (by main the one I surf, write, game with) I usually leave it on and let it hybernate, as either I or my wife are on it at least two or three times in a 24 hour period. Like Adrynalyne I use an AVR UPS system.

If we are going to be away for a day or so I pretty much shut everything down unless I need something for security purposes.

 

I don't have enough broadband to leave it running so i shut down at night.

next week i am changing my ISP and get unlimited so i will leave it on for folding

http://bestsmileys.com/frustrated/7.gif

 

Turn it off with my right big toe everynight unless I'm downloading something I'v just found which is only once or twice a week then I just turn the monitor off,it consumes just over 100 watts in that state,quite a bit really my gran would go mental if I went anywhere near the switch of a 100watt lightbulb

 

Always on, but goes to standby after 20 minutes.

 

Always on except for hot summer days, for folding of course. Also on a UPS.

 

The computer that just crashed on me had only been shut down when we had a power outage. It ran for four years.

 

Still got dial-up, so I tend to download at night.
I turn both monitors and the speakers off though.

Whole thing is turned off during the day (when I'm not there)

 

Thanks for the replies, folks. :major
It makes interesting reading. :cool Bazza

 

Very Rarely...........I guess when my power goes out if that counts. Or if it gets to running really slow I reboot it.

 

I do usually at night... I heard it wasnt good to leave it on all the time, right?

 

Just sometimes... :cool

 

I never shut down my machine unless I am moving it to got to a Lan party with.

 

always on so I can use my DS WIFI connection...

 

Always on (though I do turn the monitors off).

 

That's a point of debate. Seems inefficient to leave it running when not in use, but turning it on is when it will suck the most current, causing the most wear and tear.

 

Mine is usually always on.

 

Not to mention, wear and tear on cooling devices and dust build up of leaving it on all the time. If you arent using it....fans have a generally short lifetime. Now sleep or hibernation, OTOH...

 

99% of all the bad stuff that can happen to a computer happens when its turned on,any time your can have it powered down decreases the likelyhood of one of those bad things happening.

To not turn it off because the computer draws slightly more power in the few seconds its boots up in which every component is ice cold and probably within 50% of maximum tolerance anyway doesnt seem logical to me.

EDIT I mean this as a general statement Mada

 

Main desktop is always on, unless the power is out or I need to reboot for software updates.

Main laptop is usually always on (but hibernating) unless I'm taking it somewhere.

Secondary laptop is always off unless it's in use. It's a monster and eats battery like there's no tomorrow.

Secondary desktop is almost always off, and rarely used any more.

 

Turn off always. Have two cats that like to sit by the computers. Cat hair in heat sinks is not good!

 

Folding doesn't need that much, it only talks in spurts, the amount of time your machine is on is what counts. You can fold with dialup.

If it weren't for folding most of my machines would stay off, except the BBS, which by its nature is a 24/7 machine. Speaking of cat hair, I cleaned out the BBS computer while repairing it. Can you visualize a dust bunny about half the size of a football? The power supply fan blades were almost worn off the bearing (meaning I could almost remove it), and another fan was very noisey. I replaced the fans, this very old computer is being powered by a 450W power supply under the theory if I don't stress it it will last longer. If I catch a bad fan in a power supply before theirs damage I'll replace the fan in the supply.

 

OK Bill i will give it a go for folding, as i said in the next ten days i will have a new ISP with unlimited broadband and an unbelievable speed so then it wont matterhttp://bestsmileys.com/excited/3.gif i can't wait