Duh Sleep Mode!!!

[jwtheiv]

I'm running a R7 260x and have had more than a few issues with the screen going completely black and the only way to get the system to restore has been a hard reset. It does seem a bit of an issue with the R9's as well, but as you've said, there's more than a few google links on the subject.

[drivertime61]

CCleaner did not hose my system, it got rid of registry entires it thought were bad, like my PMDG entries and Snag It and 3D Crafter to name a few. Windows and the system still worked fine. Cleaning the registry did not make any noticable improvement either. I normally don't bother with those things but something I was installing at the time suggested I do it. I just let it do it's default thing and it deleted 4 or 500 entries.

This is why I normally resist all temptation and don't do Geek Speak, except as a lurker and knowledge sponge. I'm far from an expert when it comes to computer lingo. I didn't say what I meant to say the way it should have been said, but you said it the way it should have been said, so now it's been said the way I meant it!

IOW, I knew it only had a limited effect on your system and didn't "hose it" entirely. Still, it did enough damage, didn't it! I wonder what Piriform would have to say about your incident.

On my 13 year old XP Dell Dimension 8200 (which is still going strong) cleaning out the Registry made a serious difference in performance, if I had let it go a long time in between cleanings. With this 8.1 system, like you, I haven't seen a difference. I'm going to let it go for a longer period and see what happens when I run the Reg. cleaner.

[artimrj]

Nah no real damage, considering this happened 2 years ago and I still have not re installed the software it took out, no time or need. I got 4 TB of hard drive, I tend to collect a lot of things and try them out. Then forget about them. I only fret about what I use daily like RW Tools, Photoshop, Train Simulator 20xteen, Skyrim, Panzer Corps, Vietnam 65, Assetto Corsa, ETS 2, you get the point...

[drivertime61]

I'm running a R7 260x and have had more than a few issues with the screen going completely black and the only way to get the system to restore has been a hard reset. It does seem a bit of an issue with the R9's as well, but as you've said, there's more than a few google links on the subject.

Well, I already used the "I don't know much about computers" cop-out above, but truth is I never considered the issue could be monitor-related and not an OS quirk. Thanks for that.

I really don't mind not using sleep anyway. I never leave the computer turned on when I'm done for the day. This results in it being turned on for roughly 10-11 hours at a stretch and off the rest of the time. I've seen zero ill effects with this usage pattern on my ancient Dell 8200, other than the delay waiting for start-up or shutdown, and no ill effects with the new computer so far. The new system fires up and shuts down amazingly fast to me. Once I hit the power button it's ready to open programs, go on line, etc. in roughly 25-30 seconds most of the time. Shutdown is about the same or faster.

[drivertime61]

Nah no real damage, considering this happened 2 years ago and I still have not re installed the software it took out, no time or need. I got 4 TB of hard drive, I tend to collect a lot of things and try them out. Then forget about them. I only fret about what I use daily like RW Tools, Photoshop, Train Simulator 20xteen, Skyrim, Panzer Corps, Vietnam 65, Assetto Corsa, ETS 2, you get the point...

Yes sir, I understand completely. Even with my "puny" 2tb data hard drive, after one year I'm already tending to play pack rat, salting away things for some nebulous future use I absolutely know I will put them to - if I live long enough. I think this is what real men with big hard drives were meant to do, so I'm OK with it.

[buzz456]

There has been a ongoing conversation about whether to shut off computers or not forever. One of my shirt tail relatives was some hot shot hardware guy for HP and said it was better to never shut your computer off except when you did a upgrade that required a reboot. He further said that sleep mode really didn't do much, just used a little less electricity. I never shut my computers off at home or at work and have never had a component failure without warning. Having said that everything I have is backed up on WD SSD external drives at home and to our server at work.

[artimrj]

The worst thing you can do is turn on an electrical device. Thats when light bulbs usually blow (see the other thread about light bulbs). The initial shock is what wears them out. But I shut mine off every night for the last 4 years, only thing I really lose over the last 5 computors is a power buttons and nVidia boards. The nVidias barely last a year for me, but knock on wood, this 760 has been going just great. I added more fans to the case and a bigger power supply with a bigger fan and the 760 has 2 fans on it. It also sits close to the AC vent on the floor ;) I have to wear sweat socks, knee length or my feet freeze from the AC vent location.

[Ericmopar]

I shut mine off at night, but put it in sleep mode between uses during the day. I've never had a failure doing that.

[buzz456]

Bob that's why you wore out the start button shutting the thing off all the time.

[Ericmopar]

That thing about not turning your PC off is old school, back when OS' needed several minutes to boot and frequently had problems after booting.
Things are much, much better nowadays.
The debate is still on.
The comments at the end of the article are priceless.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/ ... -at-night/

[krellnut]

The wear a computer could receive on fire up can be directly compared to starting your car. The most wear the engine will have is when it just starts, and is running at speed without oil pressure. You don't leave you car running all the time, do you? I shut my car and computer off when not in use. As a matter of fact, I shut everything off when I'm not using it.

[peterhayes]

But doesn't the battery (read psu) give up well before the engine does.
I don't agree with this theory about shutting down and starting a PC daily will shorten its life that's just not true. There is no evidence to show this one way or the other.
A PC is more likely to suffer harm by being switched on all the time with dust accumulation, mechanical parts (fans, HDDS), domestic power supply variations, temperature, being constantly operated and so on.
Plus any PC plugged in is receiving current to the psu even if the PC is switched off - all you do when you press the on/ off switch is to supply a constant source of power to the electronic and mechanical components, with the latter more likely to fail before the former. There is no start up like a car - electronic components don't respond like the internal combustion engine and all of its mechanical parts. Any way take the car example, you turn your car off overnight or when you stop don't you? - and that means if you have a modern car (not a Model T) then you also switch off the onboard computer and switch it on again the next time you drive. Which wears out first?

pH

[artimrj]

Well I got 4 computers here that the power button broke on and 2 monitors. When my last monitor button broke I was able to turn it on one more time and I left it on. When I do not want it on, I unplug it. 3 of my old computers I could not get a new power button so I let the wires hang out of the case and just hot wired it every day. For the last 6 computers I bought 9 nVidia boards, the only one that did not burn is the newest one, I just replaced it cause I wanted the 760 instead of the 550 that came in it.

My newest monitor has a touch button, no physical moving parts. So maybe my next computer will have one of those too. Cause I wear them out.

[artimrj]

OK so I lay my computor on it side and the power button works!!! ??? I looked at the case and I have to tear it all apart to get to the power button, may end up setting up another hot wire for it.

[Ericmopar]

Get a switch with the proper number of pins and functions like momentary, normally closed or normally open and drill a hole in the side of the case and mount it there. You can install an appropriate connector to make it easier to remove the panel.
If you can mount a new switch in the top of the case it won't need a connector.
Knock on Wood...
I've never had a PC power switch go out like that.

Maybe those PCs don't like Bob's rough stone cutter hands, touching their soft satiny finish.