To switch off or not?

[Ice Queen]

I have recently changed my internet provider and previously I have shut down the computer and turned everything off. I have been advised to just shut down the computer and leave the rest running, apart from wasting electricity, is this a good idea?

 

[muleman]

That is what I do. I must say that turning off all the dang transformers for all the electronic goodies we seem to accumulate in life has lowered my electric use. If you really look around there a lot of things that don't need to be always on. I mainly leave my modem on so the wife's laptop has service. I have my printer and other devices unplugged till I use them.

 

[Doc]

In Win7 you have a hibernate function that works great. I use hibernate rather than shutting all the way down. Win 7 also has a sleep option. If I will just be away a short while I use sleep, this way it comes back up quicker when I'm ready to get back at it.

 

[Gatorboy]

I never turn OFF computer ... unless I'm going away for a week or two.

 

[Cowboy]

In Win7 you have a hibernate function that works great. I use hibernate rather than shutting all the way down. Win 7 also has a sleep option. If I will just be away a short while I use sleep, this way it comes back up quicker when I'm ready to get back at it.

Thats what I do as well on WIN 7 , but I cant remember how or where to go to change the settings.

Is there anyway to set it where I dont have to keep typing in my password? Also for some reason I cant get my screen saver to work? Sorry for the threadjack Ice Queen.

 

[muleman]

I never set a password. will look around on the wife's later for what you need to do. The screen saver and the settings should be under appearances or whatever they call it now. I need to sit with hers in front of this one and do an install of Thunderbird for her. Will look then and try to keep the right mouse in my hand. It is hell with 2 keyboards and 2 mice at the same time.

 

[muleman]

Cowboy, you go to control panel,hardware and sounds,power options and select change settings that are currently unavailable. Select no password required. Goofy shit where they hide stuff now. Still trying to get the screensaver and display stuff sorted. Might need a walk to clear the head before I go back to it.

 

[muleman]

Try this for screensaver. Control panel, appearance and personalization,personalizations and click on screensaver. Then select what you want for a screensaver and set it and apply.

 

[Cowboy]

Cowboy, you go to control panel,hardware and sounds,power options and select change settings that are currently unavailable. Select no password required. Goofy shit where they hide stuff now. Still trying to get the screensaver and display stuff sorted. Might need a walk to clear the head before I go back to it.

Thanks Bill, found it again. The only problem is it is set to not require a password, but when it goes into sleep or hibernate i have to type it in again.

 

[joec]

I never turn OFF computer ... unless I'm going away for a week or two.

I agree and that includes TV and other modern electronic devices. Now when we depended on tube technologies well it meant a longer life as they had a life span. But today with modern circuity technologies it is really not necessary. The power surge of turning it on and off probably has a more adverse effect than anything else you can do to it. Heat is also rarely a probem either like tubes used to be.

 

[bczoom]

Thanks Bill, found it again. The only problem is it is set to not require a password, but when it goes into sleep or hibernate i have to type it in again.

Cowboy,

If you don't want a password on the computer, I think this is the approach.
Control Panel
User Accounts
select the account if you have multiple
Click on "Remove Password".

I think that makes it where no password is required on system start or wake-up.

 

[Cowboy]

Cowboy,

If you don't want a password on the computer, I think this is the approach.
Control Panel
User Accounts
select the account if you have multiple
Click on "Remove Password".

I think that makes it where no password is required on system start or wake-up.

Thanks BC, I went there and clicked on that and it said do you REALLY want to remove your password? Some reason that scares me a little bit, surely if I did that it wouldn't somehow lock me out of my own puter would it ?

 

[joec]

Good question with XP you could turn off the prompt using the Powertoys from MS but not sure about Win 7. I would like to turn it off on my desktop but not my laptop as that travels with me. Enter the password wrong or finger print doesn't match, after three tries it locks the computer into a brick. Gives me time to contact Lowjack to track where my computer is.

 

[muleman]

Control panel, hardware and sounds,power options, system settings. then click on the little blue change settings that are currently unavailable. Select no password required.

 

[Cowboy]

Thanks Bill, found it again. The only problem is it is set to not require a password, but when it goes into sleep or hibernate i have to type it in again.

Control panel, hardware and sounds,power options, system settings. then click on the little blue change settings that are currently unavailable. Select no password required.

See above post, it IS set to no password required but it still asks for one.

 

[bczoom]

Thanks BC, I went there and clicked on that and it said do you REALLY want to remove your password? Some reason that scares me a little bit, surely if I did that it wouldn't somehow lock me out of my own puter would it ?

I don't know

I don't have the balls to try it myself.

 

[Cowboy]

I don't know

I don't have the balls to try it myself.

Me neither, oh well its not that big of a deal. Thanks to all for the advice though.

 

[muleman]

Did you burn restore discs when you got it? I never had a computer lock me out that I could not break into it. Had a tough time with a Compaq that the kid let his buddy set a password on the bios one time. After a call to a couple different compaq dealers I found one who could tell me how to jump around it. He offered me a job as a tech. That was back in 96. Used to be you beat most in DOS pretty easy. No wonder my brain hurts some days.

 

[Cowboy]

Did you burn restore discs when you got it? I never had a computer lock me out that I could not break into it. Had a tough time with a Compaq that the kid let his buddy set a password on the bios one time. After a call to a couple different compaq dealers I found one who could tell me how to jump around it. He offered me a job as a tech. That was back in 96. Used to be you beat most in DOS pretty easy. No wonder my brain hurts some days.

Nope wouldn't have a clue how to either, never got a restore or windows disc with it either when I bought it from tiger direct last year, that kind of surprised me too. I best just leave things alone with my luck.

 

[joec]

According to the Microsoft help file perhaps you should do the following before attempting this.

Create a password reset disk


If you forget your Windows password, you can use a password reset disk to create a new one. We recommend that you create a password reset disk when you create your password, so you don't lose access to your files and information.
To complete these steps, you'll need removable media (a USB flash drive or floppy disk).

1. 
   Go to the Windows website to watch the video. (0:59)
   
   <LI class=step>Insert your removable media.
   <LI class=step>Click to open User Accounts.
2. In the left pane, click Create a password reset disk, and then follow the instructions. Make sure you store the password reset disk in a safe place.

 

[Ice Queen]

After all that I am still not sure whether I should go back to switching it all off. By the way I am still using XP, (if it ain't broke, don't mend it mentality). Do I switch off or not?

 

[muleman]

I kept mine on for years. Main reason I turn it off now is the hard drive runs a little warm and makes a heck of a racket.