Should you leave your computer and printer on all the time?

  • 6 November 2014
  • 33 replies
  • 152 views

Should you leave your computer and printer on all the time? Some people say that this is how you important updates, especially from MS. Others recommend to turn them off, because you can get malware. What's the scoop? Wondering

33 replies

Userlevel 7
Hi MaryMR
 
Personally, I would leave a computer on, once you have logged on for the first time in the day, until one goes to bed. This is especially the case if one has power settings set to put the system to sleep after a set period on no activity.
 
In terms of printers, I tend to switch them on when I need to print something and then switch them off directly afterwards...but that is my preference.
 
I have done the above for years and never detected any downside of problems caused by acting as such.
 
Hope that helps?
 
Regards, Baldrick
Userlevel 1
I'm at work all week so I turn on my laptop Friday evening when I get home and shut it down for the work week on Sunday evening. I use my tablet and Note 3 exclusively Monday thru Friday for anything I have to do online which is why I have Webroot on all my devices. :D
Userlevel 7
Badge +56
Hello and Welcome to the Webroot Community!
 
It's up to you I turn mine off after every time I'm done 5 6 times a day but most leave it on for the day and shut it off for the night. And it doesn't have anything to do with malware IMO.
 
Thanks,
 
Daniel 😉
Userlevel 7
Knots in a cable thats a new one to me! Electrons are roughly  .0000000000000001 metres in diameter so a slightly kinked cable to stop them 🙂 Devices should always be plugged out, its saves electricity and more importantly wear on the device. Your motherboard has components that have a finite lifespan. Capacitors are the primary components that wear out over time.
Userlevel 7
@ ,  It is the filter capacitors in the old power supplies that are the problem too.  I would guess desktop computers (not all in ones) might still be subject to it, but again not as much as the old power hogs.
 
Have you ever been around when one of those big filter caps fails?  I have... it is impressive.  Sounds like a gun going off and the smoke rolls out of the back of the PC LOL!
Userlevel 7
Badge +56
I use UPS for Protection and I have SSD's so basically I have no moving parts except the cooling fan and the BD reader/ DVD & CD Burner but I always shut down to save power. Also I use UPS on my Home Theatre System devices.

 
Daniel
Userlevel 6
Sherry...that only works if you hold your breath, stand on one foot, and cross your eyes! Really!  LOL
  
:S;)
 
Daniel told me!
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ssherjj wrote:
Hi Webrooters!

Hey have you heard of putting knots in your your surge protector chord to stop the lightening from going through the chord so easily? I read that in PC magazine many years ago!
Yes David that's a good reminder. You can't trust these surge protectors unless you have a top of line one but I still unplug from the wall anyways when a bad storm comes!

Regards ,
Printer stays on because it's wired to the network and acts as a fax.
1 desktop stays on almost continuously because no one can give me good reason to shut it off.  the laptops go off to help preserve the batteries.  i don't really trust any power management software,  I've had too many problems with so called smart chargers boiling away car and marine batteries.
 
 
Keep in mind that lightning uses air as a conductor, don't count on a surge protector to stop that kind of power.
 
 
Userlevel 1
Thank you; it does help and will be my practice as my gamers laptop does go to sleep, then off, by itself.
Userlevel 7
I am the opposite of Daniel LOL.  I turn it on for the day and leave it on, unless I will be away for more than an hour or two.  Mine is an old habit.  Older comuters were huge power hogs, and often hardware failure of the power supply would happen at boot time.  Going from cold to hot stresses it... and the more you stress it the more likely it is to break.  I am still just in the habit from those days. 🙂
Userlevel 7
Badge +62
Hello,

I have a wireless printer and its goes into sleep mode when I'm not using it and I do shut down my computers every night .

So it's a case of your own preferences.

Regards,
Userlevel 7
EXCEPT during lightning storms.  PLEASE go ahead and unplug them, no matter what type of surge protector you may have.  Your data is important.
 
Of course you can leave a laptop on using battery though 🙂
Userlevel 7
@ wrote:
Hi Webrooters!

Hey have you heard of putting knots in your your surge protector chord to stop the lightening from going through the chord so easily? I read that in PC magazine many years ago!
Yes David that's a good reminder. You can't trust these surge protectors unless you have a top of line one but I still unplug from the wall anyways when a bad storm comes!

Regards ,
Yes, the knots help, and if your power cord has a thick round part on it that does the same thing.  It creates an inductor, which can absorb a SMALL amount, but not much.  Small surges coming in your power line are reduced/stopped by those.  If the lightning strikes close enoug, however, nothing can stop it.  You might have a fancy expensive surge protector that gives a 100% guarantee or they will replace your hardware, but that wont replace the data :)
Userlevel 7
The knot would be a VERY minimal help.  I think the idea of that came from the use of a knot in which the power line is passed through a hollow iron core.  WIth the core it absorbs much more, though still only enough for small surges.
Userlevel 7
Yeah I remember it well from my PC repair days, it can give you quite a suprise if your not used to it. Most decent motherboards these days will have an inductor on it to help with electrical surges but a good plug set is a must. Note I must get one 🙂
Userlevel 7
@ wrote:
@ ,  It is the filter capacitors in the old power supplies that are the problem too.  I would guess desktop computers (not all in ones) might still be subject to it, but again not as much as the old power hogs.
 
Have you ever been around when one of those big filter caps fails?  I have... it is impressive.  Sounds like a gun going off and the smoke rolls out of the back of the PC LOL!
... and the smell of those things. Ugghhh.
 
There has actually been a major problem with capacitors manufactured 6 or 7 years ago and used in televisions. Two production runs from one certain company had trace amounts of copper I think it was. They are all failing.
Userlevel 7
@ wrote:
Hi Webrooters!

Hey have you heard of putting knots in your your surge protector chord to stop the lightening from going through the chord so easily? I read that in PC magazine many years ago!
Yes David that's a good reminder. You can't trust these surge protectors unless you have a top of line one but I still unplug from the wall anyways when a bad storm comes!

Regards ,
Back when I used to work for a communications company, we installed and maintained the communications towers. When we would install a new antenna, we made sure that the large signal cable has as sharp of a 90 degree bend in it as we could get. This bend was at the base of the tower where the cable had to bend to go into the building with the equipment.
 
The reason was that typically if that tower took a hit, it would be a direct lightning strike. That sudden rush of electrons does not like to change direction. Putting the sharp 90 degree angle in the cable would help that lightning surge pass straight through the cable and into the ground.
 
It sounds crazy but it works!
Userlevel 7
@ wrote:
do you have a pretty definite answer for that. how often should the computer be shut down
Well, reading over the entire thread, there really is no definate answer.  Much of it is personal opinion, but of course if the computer is getting slow or not responding well, you might want to reboot it  :)
The idea behind a knot in the conductors between the outlet and the computer is this:  As voltage represents electrical pressure, lightning is an outrageous amount of current-inducing pressure.  As the spike in voltage/current induces (through expanding/collapsing magnetic fields) voltage/current in the opposing direction (other side of the knot) it helps to cancel any felt across the knot (pressure pushing back = approximately 0.)
I have operated  computers for the last 15 years, and used to always turn them off when not in use. How ever, as the years went by I have found that leaving them on except when there is a thunder storm, or when going on a vacation works best for me. When doing a cold start, computers are like an electrical motor, it puts a power surge on them at startup, and its less wear and strain on them running all the time. Like one persons comment, it seems that computer problems are more likely to happen on a startup, then any other time. To leave a computer on, or turn them off has long been a debate, and there will be many who will turn them off to save energy, or because it just doesn't seem right leaving something running all the time, but that doesn't mean its best for the computer.  
Userlevel 7
Hi MaryMR
 
No worries...happy to help. :D
 
Regards, Baldrick
Userlevel 7
Badge +62
Hi Webrooters!

Hey have you heard of putting knots in your your surge protector chord to stop the lightening from going through the chord so easily? I read that in PC magazine many years ago!
Yes David that's a good reminder. You can't trust these surge protectors unless you have a top of line one but I still unplug from the wall anyways when a bad storm comes!

Regards ,
Userlevel 7
Badge +62
Well that makes a lot of sense. Techncal Electronics isn't my expertise! 🙂
Userlevel 7
@ wrote:
@ wrote:
@ ,  It is the filter capacitors in the old power supplies that are the problem too.  I would guess desktop computers (not all in ones) might still be subject to it, but again not as much as the old power hogs.
 
Have you ever been around when one of those big filter caps fails?  I have... it is impressive.  Sounds like a gun going off and the smoke rolls out of the back of the PC LOL!
... and the smell of those things. Ugghhh.
 
There has actually been a major problem with capacitors manufactured 6 or 7 years ago and used in televisions. Two production runs from one certain company had trace amounts of copper I think it was. They are all failing.
The cool thing about the computer filter caps is they are paper filled.... shredded paper everywhere inside the device when they blow 🙂   
Userlevel 7
If that 90 degree bend is right at ground level, I can see that.  Electricity takes the path of least resistance, and lighting is in the end going to ground.... so that actually makes sense!

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