How often do you shut down your computer

[Klahr_R]

There seem to be some good reasons to keep a system up (customer using it, reduce power surges)
There seem to be some good reasons to shut it down (save energy, clear memory of orhpan objects)

How often do you shut down your computer(system) and why?

[Ancient Dragon]

I usually turn it off at night just before bedtime to help avoid wearing out the hard drive. I wore out one hard drive because I never (or rarely) turned it off. I also turn it off when there's an electrical storm outside, runed one computer that way too with an electrical surge.

[Reverend Jim]

I just put it into standby at night.

[ddanbe]

Now and then. When it starts acting "funny".

[jwenting]

which one? The server that's been running for 5 years apart from the occasional power outage (yes, should get me a UPS, I know), or the spare laptop that's only booted up once in a while to update the software installed on it so it can take over when needed if another machine fails?

[stultuske]

Now and then. When it starts acting "funny".

ddanbe: so, if you're running Windows, you re-boot every ten minutes? :)

[eldergeek]

Any time I'm not actually sitting here using the thing it's turned off.

[ddanbe]

@stultuske: I can live with it, it's about every 10 days... :o)

[GrimJack]

My desttop does not get shut down; on this machine my BOINC is Quake-Watcher and quakes don't rest. But I monitor the graphics/screensaver to make sure that it is using my sensor (I once watched the screensaver for a couple minutes [it shows the plate edges and the most recent quake activity] and noticed that it was not using my sensor so I rebooted). I also use this computer for my old games, I am back with Morrowind - reliving old conquests. My laptop I usually shut down when I am not using it especially since I use YOURKARMA as my link since I moved and have not bothered to find a provider. I was going to stay with Speakeasy which was boght by MegaPath (yeah - they might as well have named themselves 'Deathstar' as far as I am concerned, they were going to raise my rates for fewer services + it took them minutes (entire minutes) to find my account.

YourKarma charges a flat rate of $15.00 per gig and is the tiny 3X3 device that uses 4GL. I can put it in my pocket and connect anywhere in the world that has 4GL. It is an open device that alows anyone to use but they have to set up an account with YourKarma (and they start with a free 100m + I get 100m for hosting them - though I don't do anything).

[NardCake]

I shut mine down every night before I go to bed.

[vegaseat]

If I am done, I turn the beast off.

[aquaprin90]

Ohh actually you reminded me of that I haven't turned off my lappy for so many days...lolz..:P
Actually I usually just put its flap down insteadof turning off..

[dom246]

I setup my computer to automatically shut down at 2 am every night. My computer is a gaming PC, so it uses a decent amount of juice. That way, it saves energy and I get a clean boot the next day.

[BigPaw]

I've set mine to Hybrid Sleep for 2 hours when I hit the power button, and if there is no activity within that time it then shuts down.

As you will probably know and others here would also explain, the temperature changes on components involved in the process of the computer powering up and shutting down is what causes the greatest amount of damage to a PC in the longterm.

This said, the amount of money spent/wasted on the energy used to keep a computer on 24/7/52 could easily pay for, or go a long way towards, the upgrade of components or the computer itself. Those upgrades may also, due to technical progress, be more energy efficient.

Of course, there are also ecological concerns, what it costs the environment to continuously supply that energy. Compare the Earth to a Laptop battery. If you were using more power than you were giving it time to recharge, what would be the consequences? Eventually the battery wouldn't be able to sustain your usage. Likewise, when we turn off our computers, and other such devices, we are allowing the environment to 'recharge'.