Leave the computer on sleep or turn it off-which is better?

Friend of mine has an intel iMac, I have an iMac PPC-G5. He told me that it's better to ALWAYS leave the computer on. Instead of doing a complete shutdown, one should log out and select sleep. The computer will last longer. Anyone got any thoughts or inside information where I can find out if this is good advice or not? Thank you. Standing by.

I guess I completely disagree with leaving a computer on 24/7 unless it's used as a server as part of a network. I just can't see the sense in leaving a computer turned on when not in use for several hours. I don't leave the TV on, the radio on, or the car running when I'm not using them. If I don't plan to use my computer for several hours (six or more), I shut it down. Doesn't matter how much energy it uses.
During my career at a large semi-conductor company, we all shut our computers off at the end of the day. They lasted for years. The idea of it being hard on the hard drive and electronics to shut it down and then back on is a myth in my estimation. As a matter of fact, it think it does the electrolitic capacitors good to exercise.
My method is to set the "energy saver" to shut the display off when not in use over ten minutes, and shut the computer down at the end of the day. I run scripts manually once per week and repair permissions on the same schedule.
Just an opinion;no proof one way or another...virg

Similar Messages

  • I have a password problem. After importing data and settings from one MacBook Pro to a new one, I have to put my iCloud password in when re-starting, but the password from the old computer in when waking the computer from sleep.

    I have a password problem. After importing data and settings from one MacBook Pro to a new one, I have to put my iCloud password in when re-starting the new computer, but the password from the old computer in when waking the computer from sleep. I want to use my iCloud password on both computers consistently. How can I fix this?

    The only other place to change a password for the computer login is in Users & Groups preferences. But I don't really know enough here to fix your problem. You can try fixing the keychain:
    iCloud- Frequently asked questions about iCloud Keychain
    Tutorial: Resolving Keychain Issues
    If you can't access your keychain, or forget your password If you can't get into your keychain file because you've forgotten your password or the keychain file appears to be corrupt, there are a couple of options.
    First, if you've forgotten your password, you can use the "Keychain First Aid" utility to make the keychain password the same as the login password. This can be accomplished via the following process:
      1. Open Keychain Access (located in Applications/Utilities)
      2. Go to the "Keychain Access" menu and select "Preferences"
      3. Click the "First Aid" tab
      4. Make sure the "Synchronize login keychain password" box is checked
      5. Close the Preferences window
      6. Go to the "Keychain Access" menu and select "Keychain First Aid"
      7. Enter your username and password
      8. Click the "Repair" button
    The second option is to completely delete your keychain then recreate it. This routine is useful if your keychain appears to be corrupt or otherwise inaccessible. This can be accomplished as follows:
      1. Launch Keychain Access (located in Applications/Utilities)
      2. Click "Show Keychains" in the lower-left corner of the window.
      3. Select the problematic keychain from the left-hand pane.
      4. Navigate to the "File" menu and select "Delete Keychain '(name of keychain)'"
      5. Check all options for deletion and press "OK"
      6. Create a new keychain by going to the "File" menu, then "New" and selecting
          "New Keychain"
      7. You can now make this keychain your default if you desire by selecting it, then
          going to the "File" menu and selecting "Make '(name of keychain)' Default"
    Login as root and perform repair In some cases, problems with keychains can only be resolved when logged in as the root user.
    First, you want to enable the root user:
      1. OS X Mountain Lion: Enable and disable the root user
      2. OS X Lion: Enable and disable the root user
      3. Mac OS X 10.6: Enabling the root user
      4. Enabling and using the "root" user in Mac OS X
    After enabling the root user, and logging in under this account, again open Keychain Access. First attempt repairs using Keychain First Aid, and failing that, delete then recreate the keychain as described above while logged in as root.
    Persistently asked for stored passwords If you are persistently asked for passwords in various applications that you have specified should be remembered in a keychain, your "login" keychain may not be active for one reason or another.
    Navigate to ~/Library/Keychains/ (this is the Library folder inside your user's home folder). Find the file named "login.keychain" and double-click it.
    Failing that, select the "login" keychain within the Keychain Access application and make sure it is the default keychain by going to the "File" menu and selecting "Make 'Login' Default"
    Turn off Keychain synchronization in applications having problems If specific applications are experiencing issues when accessing password-protected material, the Keychain may be to blame.
    The above comes from an article published on MacFixit.com.

  • Is it okay if we never shut down and just make the computer to sleep or we just put the flap(screen) to save the energy?

    is it okay if we never shut down and just make the computer to sleep or we just put the flap(screen) to save the energy?

    I recommend users to put their computers into sleep mode to save energy, and also, they won't waste time turning on their computers. You should only turn off your computer if you aren't going to use it for a very long time, but sleep mode is perfect. If you just turn off the display, your computer will still be working, so you mustn't do this unless you are going to use your computer in a short time

  • Regarding putting the computer to sleep.

    Hey everyone. This is only my second question on Discussions, and I really apologize if the answer to this is dead obvious, but I'm having a minor issue...
    I was under the impression that the use of Time Machine would allow you to simply plug in your external, and let Time Machine basically take care of the rest. I haven't actually had a problem there. It works great on backing everything up, but what I'm not sure of, is if I'm using the application properly AFTER it finishes with it's backups. I'm on a new 21.5" iMac, and I'm using a SimpleTech S320U 320gb External Hard Drive. Now, I rarely, RARELY, ever shut my Mac down. Rather, I often put it to sleep. However, if I leave the external plugged into the computer, and put the computer to sleep, once I wake it back up I receive the message that my storage device was not unplugged properly.
    This has lead me to manually ejecting my external every time I want to put my iMac to sleep, and I was just wondering if this is normal procedure. Again, apologies if the answer is completely obvious... thanks for any help in advance.

    Harmz
    Generally it is not a good idea to leave external drives plugged in when putting the PowerBook to sleep as they can prevent the PB from either going into or waking from sleep properly. Personally I think USB devices also have a greater tendency to be problematic than a FireWire equivalent.
    I haven't had such problems, but then I always unmount external drives if they are not being used.
    Take a look at this Apple document for more info.
    2.0GHz MacBook, 15" 1.25GHz/12" 1GHz PBs, 2xPPC Mac minis, 12" iBook G4,   Mac OS X (10.4.8)   Cube, 2xTAMs, iPod 4G & nano 2G, 1G & 2G iPs, AEBS, AX

  • HT1449 I moved my itunes library to the time capsule. Everytime I put the computer to sleep, I have to change the location back to the time capsule. I cannot get the iTunes library to stay located in the time capsule.

    My itunes library does not stay in its new location in the time capsule. Every time I put the computer to sleep or leave it alone for awhile, the itunes location goes back to the original location in the macbook. Then I have to change the location back to the time capsule and wait for it to reorganize all the files again. So the question is how to keep my itunes in its new location the time capsule?

    Welcome to the discussion area!
    +Can someone please provide a definite answer, or at least warn against using the TC as a shared media device on a network. The whole point of getting such a device is to be able to offload large multimedia libraries from the laptops, yet access a shared library when networked. N'est ce pas?+
    We're all users here...not pros...so you'll get few definitive answers on a forum with varying opinions about almost every subject.
    My opinion would be this: Apple designed the Time Capsule for Time Machine to automatically backup all the files on your Mac and other Macs in the household on a regular basis and provide a way to retrieve a file that had been deleted recently by mistake. It's a pretty good router as well.
    If you check the info about the Time Capsule on Apple's site, the main features mentioned are backup of your Macs and a dual band wireless network capability.
    The Time Capsule was never designed to be a media server housing audio, video and other multi-media files and has never been promoted as such. Nevertheless, some users seem to have adopted the stance that this should be one of the benefits of the device, if not a main feature.
    There may be a need for media server type device, but the Time Capsule, at least at this time, is not the answer. If you feel otherwise, you might want to speak directly to Apple and let them know via Time Capsule Feedback.

  • My iTunes v.10.6.3.25 is intermittently refusing to open. Sometimes re-booting my laptop works, sometimes not. I just put the computer to sleep, and when I woke it up, iTunes started automatically. Any thoughts?

    My iTunes v.10.6.3.25 is intermittently refusing to open. Sometimes re-booting my laptop works, sometimes not. I just put the computer to sleep, and when I woke it up, iTunes started automatically (I had been trying to open it just before by clicking on a song file in my Documents window, and that's the song that started playing when the pc woke up). I went to my iTunes Help and clicked Updates/download iTunes 10.7 twice, but got nothing. Now, Im wondering if I should downloacd the entire 10.7, or whether that would overwrite all my files, erasing my songs. Anybody know? Thanks.

    Hey thanks for replying.
    Here's what I did:
    First I tried the Winsock reset in the Command prompt. Nothing changed.
    Next, I tried the instructions on http://http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4123. The only other program that came up on the 'Winsock Providers' tab on the program was 2 Windows Live applications, which I can do without. So I deleted all Windows Live Applications.
    I did the Winsock reset in the Command Prompt again and rebooted my comp.
    Unfortunately, nothing has changed. iTunes keeps freezing at various stages of the sync, then shows the candy cane-striped bar with either the words 'Finishing sync' or 'Cancelling sync', before showing the Apple logo.
    Sometimes, iTunes gets to the syncing stage - "Copying # of ####" - where it will trudge through the first, second and third tracks before flashing "Copying 4 of ####" for a split second and I catch "Cancelling sync" briefly before the Apple logo appears.
    Again, I've repeated the steps I mentioned in my previous post. Does ANYONE know when the new version of iTunes is set to be released?! This one is driving me INSANE, to say the least!!

  • "Allow power button to put the computer to sleep" setting is not available but button does it anyway

    This has never happened before. Computer stayed at gray screen with no progress wheel so I held the power button to shut it down. Since startup afterwards the power button sleeps the computer. There's no "allow power button to put the computer to sleep" choice available in Energy Saver but button does it anyway. Is there a defaults command that will fix it? Something else?

    I've had Mavericks for a week and a half. I don't believe yesterday could have been the first time I used the power button in an attempt to get the Restart Sleep Cancel Shut Down box, but I've been around long enough to know that memory will fool you.
    Yours 'til it doesn't,
    llee

  • I need to add a new computer and take off a old one but can't find the site or place to turn it off i can only have two computers but i got three please help let me know where to go to shut one off to put the new one on?

    i need to add a new computer and take off a old one but can't find the site or place to turn it off i can only have two computers but i got three please help let me know where to go to shut one off to put the new one on?

    Hello,
    the way is written there Activation & deactivation help >>> (see there only to understand the procedure) Common activation problems >>> "Activation limit reached for [product]. This serial number has already been activated on 2 computers." "Maximum activations exceeded."
    >>> How to deactivate or sign out >>> A single license for Adobe software lets you install the applications on two computers—for example, at home and at the office. However, you can use the software on only one computer at any given time.
    If you want to install the software on a third computer, deactivate the software on the computer on which you will no longer use the software. Then, activate the software on the new computer.
    Hans-Günter

  • DPC spike at Windows automatic maintenance startup. Can not leave the computer alone processing real-time streams.

    This is what happens when I leave the computer idle for a while and the Windows automatic maintenance starts:
    Driver file      Description               ISR count  DPC count  Highest execution (ms)  Total execution (ms)
    ntoskrnl.exe  NT Kernel & System   0              50764        0,235854                    
     332,950426
    A DPC spike is generated by ntoskrnl.exe causing drop outs in real-time streams.
    JTS

    Hi Fjtorsol,
    We hope your issue has been resolved, if you've found solution by yourself. you could share with us and we will mark it as answer.
    This high Deferred Procedure Call (DPC) latencies are usually caused by certain drivers, if it is caused by automatic maintenance, please re-check your task schedule which is marked as “when computer is idle”. As what has been suggested by MVP ZigZag, please
    use the Microsoft Windows Performance Analyzer from the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) to identify the cause of any DPC latency spikes.
    https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=39982
    DPC CPU Usage Summary Table will open containing a list of drivers/program. This list is already correctly sorted (by the Actual Duration column). The process on the very top of the list is therefore likely to be the cause of your problem.
    Regards
    D. Wu
    Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help, and unmark the answers if they provide no help. If you have feedback for TechNet Support, contact [email protected]

  • How Put the computer to sleep with a "F key?

    Hi,
    How do you Put the computer to sleep with a "F key?
    I do remember seeing a version of osX where there was a (say) "F2" key next to the Apple>Sleep pull down menu.
    with 10.2.8 or 10.3.9 is there a way to set up a "F" key instead of using the pull down menu?
    I looked into the system preferences> keyboard & mouse but no luck. The sys Pref> keyboard & mouse is different on 10.2.8 that on 10.3.9.
    An neither one has an option to use an F key to put to sleep.
    help!
    Michel

    Not an F key command, but here's a keyboard command.
    http://www.apple.com/pro/tips/quicksleep.html
     Cheers, Tom

  • What is the best way to erase my computer for personal stuff while leaving the computer ready to use

    what is the best way to erase my computer for personal stuff while leaving the computer ready to use

    If the Mac came with Mountain Lion or Lion, press Command, Option and R keys on boot, open Disk Utility, erase the disk and reinstall Lion or Mountain Lion. If it came with Snow Leopard or older, insert the DVD, press C key on boot, go to Utilities > Disk Utility, erase the drive and reinstall Snow Leopard

  • Am having major issues! this does not work i dont understand..does the ipod have to be off while pressing the buttons if so how is it possible if it is connected to the computer either way it turns on..and when i tried these steps while the ipod was on it

    i am having major issues! this does not work i dont understand..does the ipod have to be off while pressing the buttons if so how is it possible if it is connected to the computer either way it turns on..and when i tried these steps while the ipod was on it still doesnt  work it just asks me “slide to power off” please someone help me i just cant seem to put my ipod in DFU mode

    To get the iPod in recovery mode and DFU mode you first have to turn the iPod off.
    Just what is the problem you are tying to resolve?
    Sometimes you have to let the battery fully drain if you can't turn the iPod off. After charging for at least hour try again.

  • I have a 25" 2.8 GHz Intel core 2 Duo working on OS X 10.8.4, within past 2 days we've had the black screen and the white screen, we are up and kicking again but I can leave the computer playing music from iTunes, but within 10 minutes the screen is back.

    I have a 25" 2.8 GHz Intel core 2 Duo working on OS X 10.8.4, within past 2 days we've had the black screen and the white screen, we are up and kicking again but I can leave the computer playing music from iTunes, but within 10 minutes the screen is back, yet the music is still playing in the background. I can't get rid of the black screen unless I force quit the computer, then it starts ok. Then the process starts all over again.

    I have a 25" 2.8 GHz Intel core 2 Duo working on OS X 10.8.4, within past 2 days we've had the black screen and the white screen, we are up and kicking again but I can leave the computer playing music from iTunes, but within 10 minutes the screen is back, yet the music is still playing in the background. I can't get rid of the black screen unless I force quit the computer, then it starts ok. Then the process starts all over again.

  • Is the trackpad supposed to also wake up the computer from sleep?

    Hello,
    I am not sure if I am able to before, but right now making a swipe or even a click on my trackpad doesn't wake up the computer from sleep - although typing on the keyboard does. Is this really the case? Or can the trackpad also wake the computer? I've already tried resetting the PRAM but it would still not do the trick. It doesn't bother me much though.
    Thanks!

    Swiping the trackpad should also wake the computer. Touching a keyboard key that is benign is usually preferred. i.e. shift key.

  • Hello my Mac Air is frozen on the grey screen (with the apple symbol, sleeping mode, restart-and off button), once you turn it on.

    hello my Mac Air is frozen on the grey screen (with the apple symbol, sleeping mode, restart-and off button), once you turn it on. I Can`t press any button.My Mouse still works. Battery is charged. Alt-cmd-escape doesn`t work It even after a forced shutting off, the problem is the same.   what should i do? Thank you for your help.

    Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
    Step 1
    The first step in dealing with a boot failure is to secure your data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since your last backup, you can skip this step.   
    There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to boot. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
         a. Boot into the Recovery partition, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.”
    b. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, boot the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
    c. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
    Step 2
    Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to boot, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can boot now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
    If you've booted from an external storage device, make sure that your internal boot volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
    Step 3
    Boot in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
    Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
    The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
    When you boot in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, your boot volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 5.
    If you can boot and log in now, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on your boot volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
    If the boot process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
    Step 4
    Sometimes a boot failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
    Step 5
    Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select your startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.
    This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it may produce. Look for the line "Permissions repair complete" at the end of the output. Then reboot as usual.
    Step 6
    Reinstall the OS. If your Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
    Step 7
    Repeat step 6, but this time erase the boot volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically reboot into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer your data from a Time Machine or other backup.
    Step 8
    This step applies only to older Macs (not current models) that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery. The battery is distinct from the main battery of a portable. A dead logic-board battery can cause a gray screen at boot. Typically the boot failure will be preceded by loss of the startup disk and system clock settings. See the user manual for replacement instructions.
    Step 9
    If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine tested.

Maybe you are looking for