How often do you switch your computer OFF?
 

Since my rampdown/rampup sessions take about 5 minutes each way, I tend to keep my laptop on most of the time, but would probably switch it off each night if the whole process was easier and quicker.

How about you?

Everynight...

OK Martin, check 'Every Day':winkwink:

once a day/night...

Almost never.
Really only when I go on vacation.

Never,only when it comes to higher force which shutdown computer.

I use to keep all 4 computers running 24/7. Now I put all of them in standby mode whenever they aren't in use. Standby = 2 about 24 hours a day. 1 about 12. and 1 about 6-8 hours. I never actually turn them off unless I go on vacation or a storm is going through. I have all of them set to turn off the hard drives after 3 mins. Except my main machine which I set to 10 mins. I've seen about $20 less on my electric bills each month over last year (also switched all the halogen and incandescent light bulbs to fluorescents).

I did all that to save electricity (not for monetary reasons - just the right thing to do), and the hard drives I set to turn off because of 2 hard drive failures in the last year (my firsts in 11 years).

I voted every day

does rebooting count when installing a program?

if not then its almost never, unless the power goes out.
think the last time I turned off the computer was jan 2007.

LOL :D

I would say once a week...

2-3 days per week!

Usually daily, at most I will do 2 days before shutting down.

Done. :)

My laptop gets shut down at night about 3 times a week. The desk top every night.

Main computer's always on

always on.

About 3 times per week.

I used to always cut mine off every night. Now I never do unless I'm forced or the power goes out.

Always On

After every use

main desktops: always on.
laptop: only turn it on when i need it.
umpc: only turn it on when i need it.

Never unless power cut.

every night and when I'm out for more then 2-3h during the day

Question... is it better for hard drives to be left constantly on or go through a power cycle each day when booting up/powering off?

I used to leave it on most the time, but now i switch it off almost every night...

2 or 3 times per month. I put my computer in "sleep" mode pretty much every night though.

Saves like 70% power usage.

In university I had mine on for two literally two years with the exception of installs and reformats, etc. I noticed that computer didn't last very long so I turn mine off at night now. These days they only take about 30 sec to boot up so why waste the power and put extra strain on it when I'm not even using it. At work I turn off every night to save power.

Only if im gone for a few days. This computer has lasted me for six years and its on all the time.

Maybe once a month

Whose it made by BlackCrayon?

I leave them on 24/7.

Just had a fan on a agp video card go out the other day... on a dell that I bought in 98.

Every night, usually

Backup all my shit and run extensive deep scans every night in the middle of the night. So I only shut down when I need a reboot or if I'm going out of town.

Its just something a local computer store built for me. I've had to replace the power supply a couple of times but otherwise its been good to me. I'm going to replace it really soon though as its just too outdated.

I use a lot of computers so i switch them all off when im out or asleep. Saves me a bundle of $$$ and keeps my office cooler in the summer time :thumbsup

on 24/7, only if i really have to reboot (e.g. windows update, software installation etc.).

Mine are always on, I only turn off my production servers at night... ;)

But seriously, I leave mine on, I find if I turn it off for a day the next day I'm much more likely to have problems booting, HD's failing, etc etc. Computer worked fine, turned it off, and bleh.

So fuuuuck that.

I turn it off every night..

ACPI was really fucked up with my old ATI video card. After wrestling with it for ages, I finally got it to hibernate properly.. and by then I decided 'screw it, it's a laptop. Who cares?'

I turn mine off every night. I'm guessing it saves a little electricity and gives the computer a chance to cool off plus it clears up the RAM.