my comp. system

[informashun]

might sound a daft question but here goes.
when i have used the system i always turn it off.
apart from all the carbon footprint jazz it must save some pennies, you watch these on a state pension.
anyway, does it do any harm to my hardware to leave it on?
many thanks

[Ethel]

No, it doesn't do any harm at all. The hugest energy guzzler in your set up is your monitor, so if you turn that off whenever you are away from the screen you will be cutting your bills.

And of course a scanner doesn't need to be left on if you are not using it.

[ACtheTROLL]

If only there was an answer - this is the PC equiv of the chicken and egg

some say that PCs only go faulty when they are switched off ... (and I think anyone who has worked with large numbers of machines would support that) - a bit like lightbulbs only blow when they are switched on!

servers never die ... 'cause they are never switched off.

I think the theory is based on the argument that
When components are off ... they get cold ... switch them on ... they expand with the (quite considerable) heat inside the box .... switch them off they contract again ... like constantly bending a piece of wire ... eventually it breaks.

Manufacturers say that if a HDD hasn't failed within 2 months ... it never will ... and I have an original 8088 which would support that.
Personally I've only ever replaced one HDD due to failure
at work ... I've replaced 100s!

many home usere will say they've never had problems ...

And until recently it didn't matter either way - there was no right or wrong

Now however the "green" view is to switch off .... (an average PC costs �50 - 100 per year) - so it's your decision

and if the leave on brigade are right ... what is the carbon foot of all the extra components needeed to fix all the faulty machines?