What is the best way regarding turning off a computer.?

my son says not, because when you turn the power back on,it gives the hard drive a power surge, my daughter days that if you do not turn off the computer it doesn't give the computer a rest, so it can't run as fast, cause it's always dragging, I think it would be best for the conservation of energy to turn it off, and upgrade the internet service and computer but I do want to do what is best for the computer as it is one of my daughters and not mine.What is the best way regarding turning off a computer.?
It does NOT hurt the computer to turn it off and it does NOT slow it down. Keeping the computer running is what wears out parts. One of the biggest myths about using computers is that somehow, turning them off damages computers...all it really does, keeping it on, is waste energy, just like you said.



The longer moving parts move, the more they wear out, the shorter their life span. So not only is it SMART to shut it down when not in use, it is also an energy saver and a life extender for the parts.
If you aren't using your computer for a long time, of course it is best to turn it off. However if you will be using it after dinner, there is not point in turning it off and on as it does harm your computer. If you have a desktop then you can leave it on overnight to download stuff but not recommand for laptops as it is not build for that.What is the best way regarding turning off a computer.?
Oh my... people have been having this argument for twenty years, or ever since microcomputers became reliable. A typical machine draws about 100-150 watts from the wall, but maybe ten when hibernating. Turning on a PC does indeed jolt the electronics, but they seem to live these days, at least if you have a reasonable quality power supply.



I suggest you let it hibernate or turn it off when nobody will be using it for a long time. Perhaps just turn it off at night time, and turn it back on next morning. Most offices do that.



@Jim. Actually, I think the wear is a draw, but maybe, these days, computers are far less susceptible to damage from drive takeoffs and voltage spikes. 1980's semiconductors and 5.25" hard disks were far more fragile!
There is a debate on whether turning the pc off when you are not using it for a while or leaving it on - does it any damage.



Of course, it does save power if you turn it off.



I think it`s ok to leave it on sometimes...for one thing your windows should update sometimes, and it can do this while you are not using it (if you leave it online of course).

As long as you boot off and on properly, you won`t do it any harm.What is the best way regarding turning off a computer.?
ok best way to turn off always go to start button and shut down do not just turn off at power button it can harm your pc,as for it going slow do you know how to defrag hard drive or do a clean up, do you know how to delete temp internet files or cookies ?
Do you have dial up? It may be your memory card, you may need to upgrade that. That would be just one of the reasons it is slow.
It does not matter. Turn it off, or leave it on depending on how you use it.



Your son is partially right, but this generally hasn't been true on computers since 1993. Turning a computer off and on a lot can wear out the hard drive (especially if you turn it off and turn it back on less than 20 seconds later), but it's not something that is a huge concern.



Your daughter is partially right. Computers often build up junk in their memory. This gets cleaned out when they are turned off. This also gets cleaned out when they reboot. So if you leave your computer on, it's good to reboot it once every day or two. But the computer does not need to rest.



When you turn it on, it's best to leave it on for the day until you are done using it. If you use it in the afternoon then again late in the evening, it's best to leave it on until you are done with it in the evening. Only turn it off if you are certain it won't be used it again for several hours (since there's always a risk, at least in my household, that we'll want to look something up online real quick, we keep it on).



To save energy, use the power save options that are available on Windows and Mac OS X, and probably any other operating system you might be using. Also, turn off the monitor at every opportunity, and set the power save modes to turn it off as well.



You only need to leave it on over night if you have certain processs going - such as virus scan or a big download. Otherwise, turn it off.