View Full Version : To turn off or not to turn off ?
When I'm away on business/holiday trips I always turn off (disconnect power to) the PC and associated systems. And whenever I come back I have trouble getting some vital peripherals up and running again. This time it was the WiMax I had trouble rebooting (took two days of fiddling), also had to reset the WiFi and a couple of other things. (Not part of a computer forum, but a satellite receiver which I had powered off completely for two weeks has refused to start again, presumably the PSU is dead).
I am now beginning to think that other than putting the PC into sleep/standby, monitor also in s/b, maybe leaving everything on is a better option. It's all protected from power surges by a comprehensive system, and run via a UPS which can keep the computer powered up for 45 minutes even when working fully (UPS has big battery, bloody noisy cooling fan).
At least when coming back from mission with loads of work and 50 e-mails to answer (as hapened on Friday) I could get cracking right away.
Comments ?
mad_jock
17th Oct 2010, 08:13
I have had that issue in high humindity climates with exactly the same symptoms.
I think the circuitry gets moisture forming in on it.
Sometimes its recovers by itself by just leaving the power on for a period of time.
Leaving it on keeps everything warm and stops condersation.
Capetonian
17th Oct 2010, 09:19
Interesting. On a similar topic, I've noticed that some companies where I've worked as an employee or consultant, they have a policy of ALWAYS turning computers off at night, whereas others have a policy of NEVER turning them off.
I know that in some cases they are told to leave them on so that office automation can run scans, updates, etc, but I often wonder in general what is the best policy.
In respect of my own computers, I tend to 'hibernate' them overnight or when going out, but when I'm away for more than a day or so then I switch them off. I also restart them once a week or so as I believe it clears out a lot of unwanted files etc.
I also restart them once a week or so as I believe it clears out a lot of unwanted files etc.
That one is vital, clears out the unwanteds and resets a lot of things to nominal conditions.
The satellite receiver that failed had a power switch which I used to turn it off. Did not power-up again when turned on.
The SKY digital satellite receivers do not have a power switch so stay on permanently and are now about 20 years old (first generation) and although slow, are working.
Saab Dastard
17th Oct 2010, 11:31
With the exception of the cable modem, I am a "switch off" man. Overnight, everything is switched off (occasional AV scans excepted) but not unplugged.
Away on holidays, almost everything is switched off at the mains and unplugged - except those devices that are connected to the UPS, which are just switched off.
I have not experienced any problems when powering back on.
Regarding companies that leave PCs on overnight - I think that the realities of cost savings will make themselves felt soon enough, if not already.
Wake-on-LAN is good enough now to permit admin tasks to be done overnight.
SD
green granite
17th Oct 2010, 11:46
I am a "switch off" man. Overnight, everything is switched off
As am I, never have any problems here with restarting the system next morning, I would suggest you have some inherent problem that is causing your woes.
Mike-Bracknell
17th Oct 2010, 13:20
Short of my old server (which I don't have now), I too switch everything except the adsl router and gig switch off. The reason for the adsl router is because of the way BT et al do their line sync speed calculation, and the generic reason is because combined they draw something in the region of 2w total.
I'm also a little too old-fashioned to fully trust the 'shut the laptop lid' hibernate, even though it works waaaaay better in Windows 7 than before. I just remember the joy with PCMCIA stacks under Windows 3.1 with laptops :)
Mr Optimistic
17th Oct 2010, 13:56
I switch everything off too, except the router (but switch this off every week or so as we are on a fixed 2 Mbit connection not ADSLmax or whatever, so no BRAS profile nonsense).
Anyway, we have so many power interruptions here things need to be robust.
Only issue I get is with wife's vista laptop which is the print server. Think this is more a vista issue so I'll upgrade to W7 if I ever find my wallet.
The room with two computers in gets quite toasty, don't know what the power draw is on standby but feels like a few hundred watts of heat in total.
I never have any problems here with restarting the system next morning
Read my original post: neither do I - next morning !
mad_jock
17th Oct 2010, 20:15
This isn't a normall users turn on and off in a 24hour cycle.
Its turn off leave in a house with nobody living in it for 2-3 weeks and turn on again.
I have been there my self and know what you are on about.
Try getting some big zip lock bags with silica gel and putting your electronics in them.
henry crun
17th Oct 2010, 22:04
Overnight I switch the monitor power off at the wall and use the Start button to Turn Off Computer.
Am I right in assuming that the only part of the PC which is still running is the clock ?
jimtherev
17th Oct 2010, 22:29
HC - Not quite. The start button on the system box is fed by low volts (5?) - thus the psu must be putting out summat. 'erindoors's motherboard has a little green led glowing all the time the m/c is connected to the wall, too.
(I'm assuming your aren't talking lappy, since you refer to the monitor.)
Try getting some big zip lock bags with silica gel and putting your electronics in them.
The WiMax antenna including LNB are up on the roof and the WiFi at ceiling level to avoid blasting my brain with RF ! Difficult to put in bags. We had exceptionally heavy rain here last week, so it is possible damp affected 'things'. You might ask "why WiMax" but only if you haven't tried to get a gigabyte connection on the telephone line in Spain.....
The system itself - PC and software - never fails to start in a few seconds once the OS has unpacked itself inside the 160GB SSD Revodrive (Raid 0/1 config) and hauled my working files off the hard drive.
Nah, in future for long absences PC goes onto 'sleep' and everything else stays on.
Thanks all for suggestions...
mad_jock
18th Oct 2010, 09:36
Wouldn't bother leaving the computer on. But would leave the WiMAx turned on.
I used to have this trouble with containers with loads of testing gear and a sat link on top. They worked fine after you got them warmed up
I think it depends very much on the climate where the device is. Damp is a serious enemy to electronics.
Device in an unheated and damp area - I'd never switch it off. Its own heat will provide some protection. I've tried silica gel, but it's more faff and doesn't seem to do the job for me. Also, SWMBO didn't like be putting strange things in her oven. She puts up with many of my other strange habits.
PC at home gets restarted once a week, but does all its "stuff" while I'm asleep. The monitor turns off after a while but the rest stays on.
The TV set gets turned off, but the PVR stays on - it hibernates itself as required, and wakes itself back up when needed. I've just changed all the capacitors in the power supply because the heat (when running) had cooked them. There's a fan in there now, and higher-temperature rated Cs.