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All Forums > Tech Talk > Tech Talk Forum Page 43 > Does this damage your PC
AuthorPost
AztecGold11
Member


514 Posts
8/05
Posted - Feb 28 2006 : 9:34AM
My boss used to leave for vacation for 2 weeks and leave her computer on (she hated to wait for boot up).
Would this be harmful?
reciprocity
Member

109 Posts
5/03
Posted - Feb 28 2006 : 9:54AM
There's no automatic yes or no question. It's a bit of a copout, but here's what I know. If a system is already pretty stable, it shouldn't be a problem. If it has problems, well - it's not such a good idea.

Leaving a PC on for that long just magnifies whatever problems it might already have.

GaySatyr
Senior Member

Half dirty ol' man; half horny ol' goat!
1684 Posts
10/00
Posted - Feb 28 2006 : 11:03AM
I have a couple of computers that haven't been turned off (except when I moved from MD to NC) in nearly 3 years. They're fine. (I do have them on back-up power supplies covering power outages.)

~ GaySatyr (ABB)

jamesnadt
Deactivated User

cambridge, ma
152 Posts
2/06
Posted - Feb 28 2006 : 11:06AM
believe it or not, no, especially with anything with a large psu. if you don't have a UPS or something with an active pfc, starting the thing up tends to be a chance to kill computers.
Jacco All-Star Supporter
All-Star Member

"liable to deprave and corrupt"
2673 Posts
5/04
Posted - Feb 28 2006 : 6:52PM
My computer has been on for two and a half years now, with the exception of maintenance and maybe one or two long holidays. The biggest risk is leaving your computer on while it is still connected to the outside world, a lot of new exploits can arise in two weeks.

Jacco

 
kierkegaard
Loose Cannon

185 Posts
8/05
Posted - Mar 2 2006 : 11:27AM
Out of curiosity, is this the same for laptops (leaving it on vs. turning it off)?
AztecGold11
Member

514 Posts
8/05
Posted - Mar 2 2006 : 5:24PM
Since I have a DSL-would that be like being open to the internet at all times-if I leave it on?
oatmeal
Meat Popsicle

Seeking Beauty
1738 Posts
8/04
Posted - Mar 2 2006 : 8:23PM
depends on if you use dialing software or if your router (if you have one) does it for you.
Hardware All-Star Supporter
All-Star Member

Your other left
14594 Posts
3/02
Posted - Mar 3 2006 : 12:35AM
A DSL user can disconnect from the Internet by turning off the DSL modem, by turning off the PC, or by going into the properties of My Network Places and disabling the LAN connection. There are a few more options but those three are usually the easiest.

If you choose the last option, you can re-enable the LAN connection without restarting your PC. However, it may take a minute or two for your computer to acquire the information it needs to get back onto the Internet (IP address, subnet mask, gateway, etc).

Jeff @ IAFD All-Star Supporter
Webmaster IAFD.COM

931 Posts
6/00
Posted - Mar 3 2006 : 12:43AM
Do you have a router? If so, you'll never be open to the internet.

(Being open to the internet is bad. Get a router.)

Edited by - Jeff @ IAFD on 3/3/2006 12:43:41 AM

Hardware All-Star Supporter
All-Star Member

Your other left
14594 Posts
3/02
Posted - Mar 3 2006 : 12:51AM
A router doesn't protect you from "the Internet." A firewall does that. Most routers include a firewall these days, but you don't need a router to have a firewall. You can get firewall software that runs on your PC. We can debate the merits of running it on a router versus running it on your PC but that's beside the point.

Firewalls limit access to your PC to those ports used by known programs. You can still get a bug piggy-backing through on a known port, but it is much harder for attackers to exploit weaknesses in your computer software when access to your operating system and programs is limited by a firewall.

justalurker
Member

241 Posts
8/03
Posted - Mar 3 2006 : 7:00PM
My LinkSys router came with a free copy of NIS, and it has a firewall coded into it's firmware. Go figure.
oatmeal
Meat Popsicle

Seeking Beauty
1738 Posts
8/04
Posted - Mar 3 2006 : 7:49PM
having good firewall software lets you know what programs on your computer are trying to get access to the internet. I don't think router firewalls do that.

leaving a computer on isn't a harmful thing when talking about parts "burning out". Conserving electricity isn't a bad thing though.

Hardware All-Star Supporter
All-Star Member

Your other left
14594 Posts
3/02
Posted - Mar 3 2006 : 9:51PM
Your LinkSys "firewall" is on an EPROM, so it has to be loaded into memory and run by the CPU. That makes it software.
snowman872
RainCoatReviews.com

400 Posts
6/00
Posted - Mar 10 2006 : 10:05PM
Computers are designed to run 24/7. It is not going to harm a desktop or laptop computer to run all the time. However, if you use your laptop on AC all the time, it is important that you sometimes run it off the battery - perhaps a few times a month. Otherwise, the battery will be toast before too long. You may even want to consider removing the battery from the laptop if you primarily use it as a desktop replacement.

Edited by - snowman872 on 3/10/2006 10:07:25 PM

 
licker
Senior Member

Heretic, Iconoclast, Skeptic
1141 Posts
8/03
Posted - Mar 12 2006 : 12:03AM
You should at least turn off your video monitor when you are away from the computer. Monitors are a fire hazard, and also use a lot of power.

Disconnecting from the internet is also a smart thing to do. If you don't want to turn off your ADSL modem, you can just unplug it from the phone line.

Re routers and firewalls: Many routers do something called Network Address Translation (NAT). Some of them call this a "NAT Firewall". It is NOT a firewall at all and it will NOT protect you from hackers. If anyone is depending on this, then their computer is not safe.

ShiWarrior
Senior Member

1170 Posts
8/01
Posted - Mar 18 2006 : 2:01PM
you are right

But IF you have an ADSL ROUTER, it has its own "hardware" firewall and I am told by the experts that nothing will get through, so u dont need a software firewall, but in my oppinion nothing is 100 % safe. I also have a software firewall as a 2nd wall.

but computer is fine to leave it on (i never turn mine off)
The monitor isn't
Just turn the monitor off and it will be fine

- - Some one is watching over you

All Forums > Tech Talk > Tech Talk Forum Page 43Does this damage your PC

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