Should you turn off your computer at night? We asked an expert

Many of us spend a significant portion of our waking hours on or near a computer, whether for work, socializing, or entertainment. Almost the only time we don’t use computer, apparently, this is while we are sleeping. But how can your computer cope with those late night hours? Keeping your computer on all the time can be noisy and distracting due to fan noise, and can also cost you electricity. On the other hand, regularly shutting down and restarting your computer can lead to faster failure of its components.

So what is the right choice? Should you use a convenient shortcut to turn off your computer every night? Or is it better to leave it permanently to extend its lifespan? To find out, we spoke to an expert.

What is the problem?

Cutting power or pulling a cable without properly shutting down your computer can damage it, but are components at risk of shutting down and starting up? standard? What effect does turning your computer on and off have, and how does this compare to leaving it on all the time?

“It depends on how often you use it,” explains Geek Squad agent Stephen Leslie. “If you use your computer several times a day, it’s best to leave it on. “If you’re using it for a short time, say an hour or two, just once a day or less, turn it off.”

“Leaving the computer on all the time is less stressful than turning it off and on several times a day, but it is constant stress,” Leslie added. “Every time the computer turns on, it experiences a small burst of power because everything is spinning, and if you turn it on multiple times a day, it can shorten the life of the computer.”

The risks are higher for older computers. For example, a traditional hard drive has moving parts while a solid-state drive does not, and is much more reliable as a result. Mechanical parts will eventually fail, and constant use will inevitably lead to wear and tear. Computers also get hot when they’re turned on, and heat is the enemy of all components.

“Some items have a limited life cycle. For example, if the panel [LCD] It is left on constantly and is only designed to last about 15,000 hours or about two years. For this reason, it is beneficial to let the panel drain and turn off when not in use,” says Ajay Gupta, director of product management for notebooks and commercial PCs at HP. “The battery and hard drive also have a limited life cycle. “Allowing them to turn off (or go to sleep) and swing down when not in use will extend the life of these components.”

Real reasons to leave it on or turn it off

There is still debate about the impact of the shutdown on modern components. For many, the idea that business closures and new businesses create additional stress is outdated. Apart from this argument, there are several good reasons to leave it on or off that are not up for debate.

Reasons to leave it on

• You are using your computer as a server or want to access it remotely.
• There are background updates, virus scans, and other activities you’d like to perform while you’re away.
• You never want to wait for it to start.

Reasons to disable it

• If you leave it on, you’re wasting electricity and may increase your energy bills a bit.
• You don’t want to be disturbed by notifications or fan noise.
• He computer performance usually benefits from periodic reboots.

Sleep or hibernate?

“Sleep is normal because it puts the computer into a low-power mode without shutting it down completely,” Leslie said. “In Hibernation mode, your computer stops consuming power and returns to where it was when you put it in this mode. “Hibernation is a less desirable option because it causes wear and tear similar to starting and stopping.”

If you are going to leave it on all the time, be sure to check the option Fuck off on the menu Turn on. This could save a lot of energy without any real downside.

Caring for your PC

Every year, millions of computers end up in landfills. Shouldn’t we try to squeeze a little more life out of our tables by taking better care of them?

“Always use a surge protector,” suggests Leslie. “To increase service life, purchase an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), which is a battery-powered surge protector. “They help level out power, preventing power surges that can shorten the life of your computer components.”

Dirty computers don’t perform as well or as long as their clean counterparts. From time to time, open the housing and blow out dust and debris with compressed air. Apart from physical cleaning, you can also keep your hard drive clean. Don’t let unused files sit idle and get rid of software you no longer use.

Should I turn off my computer on the wall at night?

One strange piece of advice you’ll see in some places is that you should not only turn off your computer at night using a system shutdown, but also turn it off against a wall. There is no reason to do this, especially if you have a surge protector that will ensure that even if there is a power outage, your components will not be harmed. Turning off the computer and going to the outlet to turn it off there is an extra hassle.

In fact, you should be careful not to turn off your computer against a wall. If you unplug your computer while it’s still on, you could lose data or even cause a short circuit that could damage your components. Many programs these days have recovery options so that even if you turn off your computer without saving your work, it can still be restored when you turn it back on. However, if you turn off the power at an outlet, it’s unlikely that you’ll have any recovery options to fall back on.

If you’re using a Windows PC and it unexpectedly runs out of power, such as due to a power outage or because you unplugged it, when you restart your computer it will usually go into Safe Mode to make sure you can get access to the main elements without any problems. You may even see a screen warning you that you need to restart Windows because it didn’t boot properly, which could be because your hard drives are at risk of losing data due to improper shutdown.

Generally speaking, both PC hardware and software have become much better at recovering from unexpected shutdowns over the last 10 years, so this isn’t as big of an issue as it used to be. But be careful and avoid unexpectedly booting your computer to avoid data corruption or loss.

The last word

“If you use your computer more than once a day, leave it on at least all day,” Leslie said. “If you use it morning and evening, you can also leave it overnight. If you only use your computer for a few hours once a day or less, turn it off when you’re done.

Each person’s situation is unique. Your computer usage ultimately determines whether and when you should turn it off.