Is it bad to leave a PC on all the time ?

You can unplug your internet connection and that would rule out any traffic coming to your computer...viruses and the like. If your monitor doesn't shut itself off then shut your monitor off or go to a screen saver to avoid whatever you've got on your screen becoming etched on there.

i dont think so. i keep my laptop on for almost 24 hours and connected to the internet. i dont think there is any problem with it. if any problem occurs hp service center is there to replace my laptop :) .. i use it to its limits. i've online scanner with firewall and a free antivirus(avg) as my offline scanner for my security. but i dont care about that much.

I use a laptop at home which tends to overheat lightly, making the fan work overtime. At work, the workstation I use must be switched off every night, but that's to run the antivirus on startup and save power. I would say that if you need to or want to leave your PC on, it should be fine. You don't say how much you use the computer, although I assume it's most of the day every day. I would always switch my PC off, but I can go days without using it at home, so it would be wasteful to leave it on. If it's in use all day and you run the antivirus checks and de-frag etc overnight then you should go right ahead.

this is a topic that has many answers & never the right one. It's all a personal choice actually. I've had a comp for 16 years & I very seldom turn it off. I have dial-up so my internet connection is on only when I log on so no worry about any hackers that way. The only time I turn off my comp is when I'm going to be away a few days from it. I also turn it off when we have severe thunderstorms around. The best bet is to use a surge protector so it prevents a surge of electricity running through the mother board. That's the only worry about leaving a comp on that I can see actually. A surge of electricity on any electrical item can destroy it in a minute. I've seen my dads outdoor light get fried & catch fire during a storm. I've also experienced my cordless phone fried due to lightening hitting near my house. Now i use a surege protector for most needed electrical itmes like the comp & phone. Thanks for this topic. Interesting replies also. As I said it's a choice each individual needs to make oh their own. Hope this was informative &/or helpful to you. Enjoy your time on myLot. LOL.

If you have a good ventilation in your place, it's ok to leave the PC on. That's what we do here in the office since there is aircondition. So most updates and patches run in the evening when the PC is not busy. But at home, we turn off the PC everytime we're finish beacuse our aircon is not turned on all the time. So the computer migth heat up if we leave it on all the time.

I think computers are made to be used 24/7. I had a pc that lasted 6 years, I think the dust and moisture in this country ruined it. I had a business and used it 24/7 for a good 4 years. It just gave up pretty recently but the hard disk is still working, I'm using it now. It is advisable to always have your antivirus on at all times! You shouldn't turn it off. A good antivirus to have is AVG and it's free.

my sister thinks its a bad idea leavin it on as it can burn out, but am not sure myself personally as wen am not usin mine i switch it off

I dont think that.as pc can stay in standby mode upto unlimited time.Many workstations and server pc are always on.They are used by clients to provide them service so they can not be off. So i think that if voltage is normal then no problem with on pc.

NO, it isn't that bad if you left your PC turn ON day in and day out. YES it is good for antivirus run during the night coz you are not using more resources.. But old PC need to be switch off coz of its components the new once are so durable and flexible for short and long term or usage.

I hardly ever turn my pc off...they tell you that the newer computers dont need to be turned off every night like the older ones do

yes it is bad to leave your computer on all the time it is wear and tear on your hard drive and it will slow your computer down do to the fact that if you ran all day how long would it take you to run down unless you have a sleeper not hibornate but like with hp there is a sleep button witch shuts down your hard drive in that case yes it shuts down your computer with out turning it off

It depends on the PC you use. If your PC has a good colling system you can leave it all time. To run anti virus fast and successfully run it on safe mode ( if you using windows) and disconnect it to network.

Ofcourse it can damage your computer to leave it on, every computer needs restarting now and then, but still it takes alot to make a difference in the computers lifelength. I do it all the time and my computer still works fine after several years.

Yes, because if you closely check your peripherals they each have a certain "lifespan" tagged on them. How many hours the companies expect their products to last. If you have it connected to the internet that adds up to the problem for fear that hackers, viruses and trojans might get in your system.

This could be a rather dubious practice with an old computer, but a modern system will suffer no ill effects from being left to run. You would probably have more wear on the components by booting the computer from cold than you would by leaving it running, not that booting is likely to be a problem.

yes but i do it any way. leaving it on alows your internet connection to be always on and that is how you get all these viruses and what not.

Nope i dont think so as far as necessary cooling is being provided..i have kept my pc running for 2 days at a stretch

No, i'ts not bad for the PC. However, it is bad for your electric bill. Newer computers are tough and durable, and if you have a good anti virus program installed, then you should have no worries. Just think of a company's server PC. I'ts never turned off except maybe once a month for maintenance.

i personally leave my pc on at all times unless required to shut down or on a vacation i then turn it off to save the electric bill a little bit. I do not think it really harms your computer in anyway just have a screen saver or something. if you just want to save time of turning it on and booting everything you could use an alternative method such as a hibernating mode or somthing instead of turning off your computer.

Well for me its not bad at all, coz i do it all the time in my computer shop. and it is good to do so that your computer wont stuck up.