Which is "healthier for your computer each night....?

Question

Putting it on standby, shutting it down, or leaving it running? I want to keep my computer from getting slow and sluggish! Anyone know the answer?

And why is it healthier?

I use it a lot too...

Answer 1

shut it down - leaving it on standby or running will keep it working and the heat is damaging so shut it down when ever it's not in use so that it can cool down.

Answer 2

It can actually very alot, if you put it on standby I would highly recommend that you completely restart the computer once a week. as far as keeping it running or turning it off it really depends on how you use it. Like said before heat can damage a computer when the computer is sitting idol it will not be producing enough heat to cause any damage to the system. Having the system heat up, cool down, heat up, cool down can actually do more damage. What I would recrommend is if your computer is used over 8 hours a day keep it on and restart it every couple days, if under 8 hours i would say go a head and turn it off, (myself, I have never liked standby).

Answer 3

Listen to Vulpes!!!

She is correct in saying if you use it often keep it on.
Think about the metal inside your computer, if you heat metal, then cool it down, and heat it up, over and over.... metal will snap. If your computer is left on constantly, it will keep at a constant temperature, and don't worry it wont overheat like a car. That's what your fans are for.
I work at the IRS Internal Revenue Service, and we even leave our computers on all the time, constantly. And we have lots of computers. Leaving the computer on wont slow it down, and if you feel it getting a little slow, just restart the computer, that will free up the memory more.
Just listen to me, if you want your computer to last, leave it on.

Hopefully this helps!

Answer 4

Computer hardware doesn't get slow and sluggish over time, but software does. To prevent/minimize the damage, defragment the hard disk(s) every month. If you are using Windows XP, then make copies of your downloaded/worked-upon data to keep the hard disk as unoccupied as possible.

Answer 5

shutting it down is the best in terms of memory 'clearing' and your computer does not build up things stored in memory when it is shut down. so this is good for speed.
BUT
standby is the best in terms of hardware because it does not cause the extra stress of sudden voltage change to the components when it is shut down or restarted. this is especially good for harddrives as they are the most complex moving part in a computer and therefore take the most strain.
MY PERSONAL PREFERENCE
i use standby because of the convienence and safety. about memory management i close the programs/services i am not using. if there happens to be a 'rogue' processes in the task manager i right click it and use kill process tree to kill it and related processes. my computer is fast...(my home computer anyway)
IF I WAS U
i would try both and find which one is right for you.

Answer 6

Yeah shutting it down, if you think that each component has a life expectancy. Heat and just general use will decrease this life expectency so giving it a rest is no bad thing. In order to keep your computer really healthy you should maintain it when its on. Virus scans spyware scans and defrags etc

Answer 7

Hi there..

Why Dont u Enable Hibernate.

Its same as Shutdown and u will start working next day from same point where u left previous night ..

I dont shutdown my pc for weeks .. I do hibernate only ..

Hope U know u have to enable Hibernate from Screen Saver > Power Options ..

Cheers

Regards

Rajan

Answer 8

Run defrag once a week and clean out your temp file for the internet. You want to shut it off if you aren't home or asleep just in case.

Answer 9

I use my pc everyday for more than 4hrs, business purposes. I hibernate the system. But there are times when I shut it down completely but that is very rare. Mostly I hibernate the system.

Answer 10

if you use your computer a lot (like last thing at night and first thing in the morning) its better to leave it on or on stand-by rather than to keep switching it on and off repeatedly (switching it on and off can damage it too)

if you don't use it a lot though then turn it off

think of it like a lightbulb, if you leave the lightbulb on all the time it will last longer than if you flick it on and off constantly, but if you don't need that light on a lot then its best just to leave it off until you need it