does it do any harm to turn a computer off everyday?

Answer 1

What I have found is that it is actually better to shut off your computer daily. If you are using Windows, a certain amount of Memory loss or Memory migration occurrs the longer it is on. I think the Memory loss is Terminate and Stay Resident programs start up, but never shut down over time. Many of these programs are Windows based. These programs use memory and tend to slow your computer processes, resulting in sluggish screen refresh, delayed page views, etc. When you turn the computer off everyday, you start the next day with clean Memory. The only negative effect it could have on your computer is the ON/OFF switch is mechanical and may wear out sooner, however, the odds of it wearing out before you get a new computer are slim.

To see the difference between what is running on your computer after running for 8 hours and when you first start it up, hold down CNTL-ALT-DEL and the Windows Task Manager pops up. Look at the Processes tab when you first start and then at the end of the day. There is usually a big differences in the number of tasks being run.

Answer 2

CRTs that reach an ambient temperature and STAY there will last longer than those that are turned on and off frequently (3 or 4 times a day).

Disk drives will spin up only just so many times ... and every time you power cycle your machine, you use one of them up.

However, there are so many OTHER things that can kill a machine that the differences in these statistics are not important.

There are two really great reasons that you should turn your machine off:
1: You might be out sick and not come in for a few days (consider how much electricity you would then have wasted)
2: While you're away, there could be a flood, an earth quake or a major power surge, all of which are more deadly to computers when they are on.

Answer 3

In the long term it is better to leave your computer on. There was an extensive study done on this subject and most of it highly depended on the enviroment the computer was in, however in ALL cases every computer experienced what's referred to a "chip-walk" or "chip-crawling"...

When you turn your computer on it rapidly heats up to very high temperaturers causing the the parts to expand, then when you turn the computer off it gets a shock of cold air and the parts quickly contract causing IC's that are tightly soldered to your motherboard, video card, etc to move and break free from their contacts over time.

There is also the issue of fans, hard drives, etc mentioned above - basically it's the initial shock of a hard drive standing still instanly spinning to 7200RPM or 10k RPM!

However, for home use I'd have to say keeping it off is probably more reasonable!! Most homes aren't going to be operating in extreme temps like a warehouse or factory, usually in the 68-75 degree (F) range...

Plus you'll save a lot of money on your electric bill, my computer for example at 82% efficiency draws 590kWh, or the same as leaving nearly (7) 60W light bulbs on all day!! Not to mention, by the time your computer actually does die because of chip-walk, you'll probably be in the market for a new computer years before it happens!!

Answer 4

If you're concerned about hackers you shouldn't turn it on at all. Over time the temperature variations of the on/off states may cause cracks in the hardware and it's soldering, but it's very rare unless the temperature variations are extreme. Hard disk platters can snap and shatter during a very cold start. Networking professionals keep the hardware environment at a constant temperature at all times. They allow a few hours for new hardware to acclimatize to the new environment before powering up the new device.

Answer 5

Its a little bit more wear and tear. It gets hot and then it cools down. A bit of a "shock" to the system each time it goes on or off. No big deal.

Answer 6

As long as you're doing a soft shutdown (clicking a "shutdown" button instead of pressing the button on the front of your pc) shutting down your pc regularly is a good thing.

Answer 7

NO. I turn my computer off everytime I am done using it.

Most people put in a low power mode, but I turn it off.

Don't worry.

Answer 8

no harm at all.

I usually leave my computer on at all times, though I shouldn't because it does save money.

If you turn it off vs. if you put it in hibernate when you're sleeping, you save about 70 dollars annually =)

Answer 9

absolutely not!
turning it on or off does no harm!

Answer 10

my computer has been on for like 20 days, lol