power options

[KGrace]

I am running Windows ME. Could someone please tell me what the settings for Home/Office Desk power option are? The guy at Gateway had me set them to:

Turn off Monitor: After 15 minutes
Turn off Hard Disks: Never

System Stand By: Never

It seems to me that if I leave my computer running all the time, I should set it to shut down after a while. Is this correct? Thanks for any responses.

Kelly


:confused:

[maxximilian]

This area is really a matter of preference. I have yet to see a forum where the discussion, of whether you should shut down a puter or leave it on, has not been discussed repeatedly. Both views have merits and drawbacks. My personal opinion is not to use the automatic power settings. They have caused more trouble than they have solved. I turn my puter off and on (monitor and tower) as I see fit for any circumstance. If I plan to be away from it for more than an hour...I shut it down completely. Just my preference.

In response to your question....my settings all read "never" and use the always ON scheme. There is no correct answer in my opinion. It depends on the user....

My guess is that someone will be along shortly to disagree...it always happens and is welcome...LOL :D :D

[Mr1drful]

sorry to disappoint you MAX but , i agree !

if you're not using it , turn it off !

i've heard people say that leaving it on 24/7 is better for it but can't understand how people could think that.
i keep hearing over and over that one of the main causes for computer/component problems and crashes is HEAT. leaving it on will just subject it to more heat and if your fan fails while the computer is unattended you could fry your processor.
maybe my thinking is wrong here but i've had this computer for 4 years and (except for a virus) have never had a component fail or had to reinstall windows (knock wood)

[KGrace]

Thanks guys. The only reason I was leaving mine on is because I was told by someone that leaving them on all the time is better than shutting them down every day. I appreciate your responses and ya'll have a great new year! Kelly ;)

[Spider]

Originally posted by maxximilian:
My guess is that someone will be along shortly to disagree...it always happens and is welcome...
Just call me someone :)

I'm going to have to be the Devil's advocate here.

I have always been a supporter of never off.

The main reasons for this is what most people fear...heat.

The computer is made of many different types of metals.
Gold, tungsten, and boron make up most of the metals
and there are other elements carbon, hydrogen, phosphorus
gallium arsenide, germanium, cadmium selenide, and silicon.

Boring tech-talk yes but what effects all of us is the heat
relationship on these elements and metals. As most of us
know (through the most basic of chemistry classes) heat
expands things. Each metal and element expand to different
percentages and begin this expansion at different temperatures.

Shutting off a computer, t.v., stereo, etc. will create a
repetitive environment of expansion and contraction
(getting bigger and getting smaller a lot of times). Over
time this change in properties has a fatigue on components.

In the 80's we use to only refer to what was called creep.
Creep was that this constant shrinking and expanding caused
computer chips to actually creep out of their sockets. That is
why to this day some components are soldered in their sockets.

Over time it was discovered that a more detrimental cause was
occurring. It was a slow deterioration of the metals and elements
themselves.

True Mr1drful that your computer has lasted 4 years and not a
problem, but the theory in supporting never off is that
your computer will last beyond any metal, or element, fatigue
related problems. In other words it would be nice to get 8 more
years of the same.

I guess that I have looked down too many microscopes in my
day to see things the naked eye can not see. Sound spectrographs
are used by the aircraft industry to examine metal fatigue that
simply can not be seen with the naked eye. Metal has memory
a friend of mine always says and what he explained that as is
that once it is forged it can not be disturbed in any way for
it will never be as good as when it was new.

The only reason mine ever goes off (monitor or computer) is
because of a memory leak, locked library, or just plain looking
for a cold boot to reload the ROM.

My t.v gets shut off because the constant frame changing
makes the room flash too much at night. But, my stereo
never gets shut off.