Why Shut Down Windows XP properly?

[Sir Babydum GBE]

I'm having a debate with my landlord about the importance of shutting down an XP PC properly.

I say that you should use "Shut Down" to power down the PC - he says "as long as you've saved any work you're doing, no harm is done if you switch a logged-in PC off at the wall - which he often does.

The trouble is - it's my PC we're using - and I'd rather go in with a reasoned argument than a "listen punk - it's mine, so use it like I say - or not at all" stance.

Can someone tell me then why Microsoft say a PC should be shut-down properly - what are the short and long term effects of not following the rules? Or - please no - is my landlord right????

Sir BD

[Paul_Hossler]

MHO: (may be out of date some what)

1. In addition to having user apps running (i.e. Excel), the O/S and other utililies are doing a lot behind the scenes. While you saved your spreadsheet, other programs are likely doing something and they need to be told to finish what they're doing. Especially critical O/S things like writing to the page file

2. The HD could be using write caching, which buffers data until the whole block gets written. This delay is transparent to the user, who did a FileSave, but not all the data is committed to the HD instanainously

3. If the O/S is physically writing to the HD when power is lost, it would seem that the data on the HD could be corrupted as the HD shuts down but is still writing.

[Sir Babydum GBE]

MHO: (may be out of date some what)

1. In addition to having user apps running (i.e. Excel), the O/S and other utililies are doing a lot behind the scenes. While you saved your spreadsheet, other programs are likely doing something and they need to be told to finish what they're doing. Especially critical O/S things like writing to the page file

2. The HD could be using write caching, which buffers data until the whole block gets written. This delay is transparent to the user, who did a FileSave, but not all the data is committed to the HD instanainously

3. If the O/S is physically writing to the HD when power is lost, it would seem that the data on the HD could be corrupted as the HD shuts down but is still writing.

THanks for your reply Paul. So barring possible data corruption errors on apps that haven't closed properly - there are no other issues? I once heard that the Hard Drive and other hardware can have its life expectancy shortened if the PC is switched off at the socket too much. Just an old wives tale?

[Bob Phillips]

I once heard that the Hard Drive and other hardware can have its life expectancy shortened if the PC is switched off at the socket too much. Just an old wives tale?

No more so than switching it off by the power supply I would think. You will prolong the machine generally if you never switch it off, but that is consuming power.

But ... if it's your machine, tell him to do it your way or leave it alone.

[Paul_Hossler]

Not sure about shortening the life, but I expect the shutdown process on a newer machine uses "soft" control to shut off HW and PS etc. which MIGHT be less abrupt that a hard "switch it off". I recall that thermal shock occurs when chips get that first blast of power when you switch it on, so maybe there's a similar effect if you turn it off at the switch with everything powered up.

How come there's never a HW engineer around when you want one?

Paul

[Bob Phillips]

I recall that thermal shock occurs when chips get that first blast of power when you switch it on, so maybe there's a similar effect if you turn it off at the switch with everything powered up.

But how would that differentiate between a switch on the PC and one on the wall. The only difference that I can see is the role of the power unit in these, and I don';t see that as affecting the chips?

[Paul_Hossler]

Interesting thread ... I wish some HW engineer would look to this forum.

Well, the O/S controls the PS (sleep mode, hibernate) and the On/Off button on the from the the box doesn't switch 120/240v (only a low voltage control circuit, which is why you have to hold it down for 10 sec to really power off when you're froze), so possibly ShutDown is a kinder, gentler way to do it instead of just yanking the cord out of the wall?

I figure Bill Gate$ makes more money that I do, so I'll do it the way he says

Paul

[Bob Phillips]

I figure Bill Gate$ makes more money that I do, so I'll do it the way he says

But he makes more money than us BECAUSE we do things the way he says

[Sir Babydum GBE]

Well,

Though it may be entirely coincidental, my PC popped when my landlord switched it on last week and hasn't worked since. Then he decided to change the Power supply himself (to no avail) and then took out my hard drive and Creative X-Fi soundcard and put them in his machine (all before I got home from work). The soundcard doesn't work on his machine (I've no idea whether it's fried or just incorrectly installed).

So I'm not too happy at the moment. Of course - it may have been its time to blow anyway - but I can't help thinking there's a connection.

[Bob Phillips]

Sounds like it is time to move, and give your landlord a parting gift!