How often do you shut down or restart your PC?

[futurefields]

Do you shut down your PC between uses? Or just leave it running all the time? Or maybe restart every few days?

Just out of curiosity.

 

[Ken g6]

Whenever there's updates that require it. I run Linux, and I've left my computer up for months sometimes.

 

[scannall]

Do you shut down your PC between uses? Or just leave it running all the time? Or maybe restart every few days?

Just out of curiosity.

Pre SSD days I left it running. Just because the boot times are annoying. Post SSD, I turn it off.

 

[scannall]

Whenever there's updates that require it. I run Linux, and I've left my computer up for months sometimes.

I had a Mac LC 475 running Yellow Dog Unix that ran for 10 years non-stop until the hard drive died. The last few years it just had a couple of web pages, and was left running as more of a curiosity than anything.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

We used to leave them all running, but for making the monitor go to sleep. I only came up to speed on sleep states four or five years ago. I have a server that just runs all the time. The other systems are set to sleep after 1 or 2 hours, and then hibernate after another hour.

Hibernation is essentially turning the computer "off," but saving the windowed state of things and allowing you to restart into that state of your desktop without entering the logon. Or -- you could set it up to require logon.

I can also say we have one system in which the PSU is starting to "flake out" for extended periods of sleep. I have the replacement ready to install. But I simply set up the system to directly hibernate after a couple hours, so that it wakes up when the server needs to back it up in the wee hours. It's been behaving properly since I did that, and I'm watching for any more critical stop event-41 errors -- but none now for two or three weeks.

 

[Ketchup]

Desktop restarts only when there is an update. Only shuts down when were are going to be gone for a while. The rest of the time it is either running or in S3 sleep.

The server (desktop running Server 2008) only shuts down when we are going to be out for a while or I need to do a backup to other drives (because it's so much faster than the dock). It is running the rest of the time and almost never restarted (maybe 3 restarts a year for miscelaneous reasons).

 

[bigboxes]

Never turn it off unless I have to. Usually for updates. Otherwise my main rig and file server runs 24/7/365. Wife's rig gets shut down every night. It's in the bedroom. Although it's super quiet it's the damn lights that annoy me. The HTPC in the living room is SSD only and has no duties whenever we're not actively using it. We turn that off when not in use.

 

[Ketchup]

Reminds me of one point where I had the server in the bedroom. Same deal, super quiet, but the lights were too bringht so I just disconnected them. Couldn't get the wifi stable enough, so it didn't stay in the bedroom too long.

 

[bigboxes]

Reminds me of one point where I had the server in the bedroom. Same deal, super quiet, but the lights were too bringht so I just disconnected them. Couldn't get the wifi stable enough, so it didn't stay in the bedroom too long.

The wireless mouse has a light as well. Also, the Zalman fan controller has super bright blue lights over each fan controller. Awful for the bedroom. Also, we put a towel over the UPS. It's an APC that doesn't allow you to turn off the button's lights in the software. I hate that.

 

[Valantar]

I just put my desktop to sleep whenever I'm not using it (although before my recent upgrade it had an annoying issue where it would sporadically wake for no reason and not go back to sleep, so I would occasionally turn it off). Restarts are in case something is acting weird, or for updates. Of course, due to installing a new motherboard, CPU, RAM and OS last week, the rate of reboots has been a bit higher than usual since then. It's slowed down again, though. I usually end up with something like 30-40-50 days between reboots otherwise. Windows 10 handles itself so well that this is no issue whatsoever.

 

[whm1974]

Almost never. I do reboot after major updates however.

 

[Charlie98]

Primary desktop runs 24/7 (I have my backup routine running at night.) The only time it gets restarted is after updates or such, or when it's getting sluggish. Because I access my PC even when I'm out of town (with TeamViewer) it stays on no matter what.

Both the game rig and the HTPC get shutdown when we are done using it... they boot and start into Windows in less than 30 seconds, so it's a no-brainer.

 

[Yakk]

Linux rig, basically never. The thing has been rock solid.

Windows rigs reboot on system crashes and major updates, so probably once a week. Not by choice.

 

[Nashemon]

For my primary powerhouse computer:

It's on 24/7, never asleep. Reboots are only when I have to, due to updates, or a problem getting something to work, or swapping hard drives. Inclusively that equates to about once every month or two. Shutdowns are basically never, unless there's a really, really severe thunderstorm warning.

Everything else we just put to sleep.

 

[Valantar]

Windows rigs reboot on system crashes and major updates, so probably once a week. Not by choice.

I have to ask: how do you manage that? Do they run some very buggy software/have unfixable driver issues or some such?

 

[rchunter]

I have one desktop rig I never shut off. The other 2 are turned off every night. My servers are on 24/7.

 

[mindless1]

Me too, 1 always on, server always on, (monitors off until needed) other desktops on as needed and an hour timed shutdown. I had a 2nd that I'd put to sleep or hibernate instead, before it got an SSD.

 

[lakedude]

At work some systems are always on, others are on a weekly or daily reboot schedule. At home BOINC / Folding systems were always on. Other home computers are on only as needed. As a general rule turn em off and on again if they give you any trouble. A reboot cures an amazing number of issues.

Speaking of which you would think that software would be better at monitoring its own features and resetting parts of itself automatically if need be. One might not expect such features from Windows 95 but that has been over twenty years now. They have had a while to get the bugs out...

 

[Fardringle]

I shut it down when the power is out or when I will be away from home for an extended period (more than a day or two). I reboot it when a Windows update, driver update, or program installation requires it.

 

[francisw19]

I'm probably the odd duck here, but I shut off my PC every night. It's not for work or anything, so it just seems like a waste of power to run it when I'm sleeping and at work all day.

 

[edcoolio]

I'm probably the odd duck here, but I shut off my PC every night. It's not for work or anything, so it just seems like a waste of power to run it when I'm sleeping and at work all day.

Same here.

Complete waste of electricity, which we should be doing less of these days.

If I REALLY need something on demand, I will either use WOL-Magic Packet or timed auto-shutdown and turn-on.

 

[Smoblikat]

I have to ask: how do you manage that? Do they run some very buggy software/have unfixable driver issues or some such?

He already said theyre windows machines.........

 

[Valantar]

He already said theyre windows machines.........

Ah, so he's running Windows 98 or XP? Might of course be Vista, but that was the last version of Windows I've come across that's even remotely buggy.

 

[Smoblikat]

Ah, so he's running Windows 98 or XP? Might of course be Vista, but that was the last version of Windows I've come across that's even remotely buggy.

Have you ever tried to install windows 7 on an AMD based system running a RAID config on the OS drive? Please do and see if youre still singing that tune........

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Home computer, when patches are up, otherwise it's mining.

Work computer, every Friday (and/or patch day).