Coventry Woods
This page was last updated: September 29, 2010
Computer Tips
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Leave Your Computer Running To Extend Its Life
One of the most stressful things you can do to your computer is power-up from a cold start. Each time you shut down and start up the hard drive(s) have to "spin up". This increases the wear and tear on the physical components of the hard drive.
Keep in mind that if you leave your computer "always on" it really isn't always on, much like a refrigerator. The monitor will power-down, the computer will power-down and, like your refrigerator, will be in a state of readiness. Even if you leave your computer on 24/7, if you're not using it, it will be in a powered-down state. Your hard drives will not be spinning, your monitor will go dark (or a screen saver will cycle); in short, it won't be in the state it would be in if you were using it.
If you'd rather not leave your computer running all the time then use the information below to put your computer in "Hibernation" when you're not using it rather than shutting it off.
To use Hibernation in Windows the first step is to activate Hibernation by navigating through Start > Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > Power Options and selecting the Hibernation tab. Place a check in the box next to Enable Hibernation. Once that is done, click Start > Turn Off Computer and Hibernate should be one of the options.
If, instead, the Stand By button is visible, press the Shift key and the Stand By button will change to Hibernate which can be clicked to enter Hibernation mode.
One caveat. If your area is about to be hit with an electrical storm (severe thunderstorm) we'd suggest you shut down your computer, your cable modem, and your router. Even though you may have them all hooked up through a good surge protector, storms can cause problems. We've personally had routers ruined by a very slight power surge even though the router was plugged into a surge protector. Routers and cable modems (from what we hear) are very susceptible to even minute power fluctuations.
The Learning Curve suggests - If you choose to leave your computer on, use Power Management to shut off your monitor. Or shut your monitor off manually when you're through using your computer for the day. Leaving your monitor running can shorten its life.
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