Turn Computer Off Or Leave It On

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  1. Posts : 207
    W10 Pro v22H2 64-bit
       #1

    Turn Computer Off Or Leave It On


    I've always turned my computer off when not using it (like anything else: lights, TV, radio, stereo, etc.). Why should the computer be on when I'm asleep, at work, not home for whatever reason, etc.? But now I'm reconsidering that. When I turn the computer on it makes a sound which I guess is perfectly normal, but I hate hearing it. It reminds me that the disk drive is a mechanical device (don't want to hear anything about SSD, thanks) and could fail one day.

    When I'm not using the computer, everything is closed, so I'm not concerned with saving or losing anything.

    I know there are options like Sleep, Hibernate, do nothing. And there are considerations like constant power putting unnecessary wear-and-tear on the electrical circuitry, greater threat of hacking if the computer is on all the time, and the on/off button light burning out if it's on all the time. If there's anything I've missed here, let me know. Concerning hacking, I assume the computer can be hacked any time the computer is on, even if the browser is closed, correct?

    With Hibernate, apparently the computer is shut down, and I turn it back on by pushing the on/off button. Is this correct? If so, doesn't seem like there's much benefit to Hibernate as opposed to turning off.

    I'm not saying I would never turn the computer off, just not as often. I do system cleaning and software updates once a week, then restart it and create a system image. Somewhere along the way, every now and then, I would turn it off, just out of general principle if nothing else. Maybe I should change the system image restart to turn off/turn on. That would give me a guaranteed off/on at least once a week. Then again, based on the FWIW below, maybe I should pick another time/occasion to do the shutdown.

    Any thoughts/advice? Thanks.

    [FWIW, I found this on sfError404Exception: This request has been forwarded to a 404 error page by the action "urlswitch/index".

    Hawkeye
    27th Jan 2018
    2:45am

    Microsoft changed the Shutdown process in Windows 10.
    In previous Windows Versions, both "Shutdown" and "Restart" did a complete system shutdown and clear-out of volatile data etc.

    BUT in Windows 10 If you use "Shutdown" it actually does the equivalent of Hibernate.
    That is, it records its current system state (including any errors) in a hidden system file called "hiberfil.sys" before powering off.
    Next time you turn it on again, it reads "hiberfil.sys" and opens at the same system state (including all those errors) as it was in before the shutdown. This allows it to boot-up faster but system errors don't get cleared and tend to build up over time, slowing it down and possibly resulting in lock-ups.

    To clear these system errors, you have to use "Restart"
    Restart momentarily completely shuts the system down, unloading drivers, clearing memory caches, etc. Then it starts up again in a fresh state without referencing the "hyberfil.sys" file, thus clearing out the build-up of errors.
    This is also why you must use "Restart" NOT "Shutdown" after installing some Updates in Windows 10, to unload the old drivers and load up the new ones.

    So, if you have Windows 10, Shutdown and Hibernate are virtually the same, so just use Shutdown at the end of each day.
    But also, take the time use Restart every couple of days (and especially after updates if you don't have it set to automatically restart)[.]]

    EDIT: Not sure what happened to the URL above. I'll try it again here (Should you leave your computer on or switch it off at night?).
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 2,487
    Windows 10 Home, 64-bit
       #2

    vanp said:
    But now I'm reconsidering that. When I turn the computer on it makes a sound which I guess is perfectly normal, but I hate hearing it. It reminds me that the disk drive is a mechanical device (don't want to hear anything about SSD, thanks) and could fail one day.
    Is that sound the only reason you are thinking about changing your tactics?
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 207
    W10 Pro v22H2 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #3

    I suppose so.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 347
    Windows 10 Home Version 21H1 OS Build 19045.2130
       #4
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 2,487
    Windows 10 Home, 64-bit
       #5

    vanp said:
    I suppose so.
    Well, you say it rises to the level of hate.

    For that reason alone, I would change tactics. Who needs to endure something hated?

    Unless the sound is indicative of a problem, but I have no idea about the noise.

    Is the noise a new development?
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 207
    W10 Pro v22H2 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #6

    ignatzatsonic, I don't think we need to get philosophical and bring 'hate' into this. To answer your question, it's the sound of the disk drive starting up; it's always done it.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 207
    W10 Pro v22H2 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Thanks, Eddie Doc, a bit more detailed than I'm comfortable with, but still enlightening.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 42,735
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #8

    You must have good hearing, or a problematic drive.

    Suggest you run a test on your drive.

    If the sound is your disk spinning up, then I'd assume you'd hear that on resuming from hibernation or sleep as well.

    Note: if you change to a SSD there are no moving parts, boot is faster, and you may as well eliminate hibernation/hiberfil.sys unless you need it specifically to resume a given state with lots of things open.

    Yes, noted you said you didn't want to hear about SSD. But you equally seem to dislike hibernation- which is a powered off state. So it seems you could kill two birds with 1 SSD.
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 207
    W10 Pro v22H2 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #9

    dalchina, after posting my issue, I started testing with Sleep Mode. You're right, when I 'waken' the computer I hear the disk drive (my hearing may be good, but it's far from perfect, I assure you). Maybe there's no difference between turning off and any kind of 'sort of on, sort of off' mode except the amount of electricity used. Thanks.

    Still accepting comments/questions/observations and still experimenting/thinking about it myself.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 1,345
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
       #10

    @vanp post #1 "When I turn the computer on it makes a sound which I guess is perfectly normal"
    --- Run a HDD diagnostic program.

    Please do consider an SSD
    I had a 1TB HDD that needed to be replaced a few years ago.
    I checked my HDD usage and it was somewhat less than 100GB
    I purchased a 250GB SSD and it was the best decision I made.
      My Computer


 

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