Ever since computers have been invented, there has been a persistent myth that shutting down a computer every night is bad. Some people believe that it can cause significant wear-and-tear on computer systems over time, while other people believe that it will increase the number of errors you experience.
In reality, shutting down your computer every night is rarely a bad thing. In fact, it can lead to a number of advantages. To help you decide whether or not shutting down your computer every night is a good thing, here’s a list of pros and cons:
Pros and cons of shutting down your computer every night
Pros:
-You’ll save money on your energy bill
-You can avoid minor errors and other problems that start to appear when computers are left on for long periods of time
-Less stress placed on hardware components
-Less dust build-up since fans aren’t working as frequently
Cons:
-It’s inconvenient to start up your computer every time you need to use it
Pros and cons of never shutting down your computer
Pros:
-You never have to wait to use your computer, which makes never shutting down your computer as convenient as possible
-Your computer can perform tasks while you sleep. Check out this article by Lifehacker to find out what kinds of useful tasks your computer can perform while it sleeps.
-You can run a server, which means you can host a website or remotely access your computer while you’re away from home
Cons:
-Errors start to develop when you leave your computer on for long periods of time
-Your energy bill will be higher
-Restarting can be painful, especially when you have to shut down programs that haven’t been shut down in a long time
What’s the best option for you?
Ultimately, there is one good middle ground between always leaving your computer on and regularly shutting it down. That middle ground is called ‘hibernate’ or ‘sleep’ mode. Every Windows computer has this option built-in, and it basically allows users to save all of the programs they’re currently working on while shutting their computer down. The PC will draw a little bit of power even when it’s in sleep or hibernate mode, although it will be far less power than if the user were to leave their system permanently on.
Sleep mode is also convenient because it only takes seconds to fire up your computer whenever you need to use it. That’s why so many people use sleep mode or hibernate mode as an effective middle ground between regular shutdowns and always leaving their computers on.
