Will this hurt my laptop?

Vista Home Premium

As a previous note stated I am having trouble waking my laptop while
sleeping.

This is a separate question. If I set the laptop to never sleep, hibernate
or anything else and just use the screen saver will this hurt the laptop? I
realize it will use extra power but will its being fully on all the time
generate significant wear & tear on the computer?

--
Thanks... Bob

"Bob Newman" <> wrote in message
news:gSlpj.12615$...
> Vista Home Premium
>
> As a previous note stated I am having trouble waking my laptop while
> sleeping.
>
> This is a separate question. If I set the laptop to never sleep,
hibernate
> or anything else and just use the screen saver will this hurt the laptop?
I
> realize it will use extra power but will its being fully on all the time
> generate significant wear & tear on the computer?
>


It really is not a great idea to let the laptop run 24/7.

If the sleep option does not work...have you tried using hibernation?

My problem is that I am using an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse. The
laptop itself is stored under a shelf. For some reason I cannot get the
laptop to wake up using any of the external devices. I have to remove the
laptop from its storage area, open the cover and touch the space bar (or
power button) to wake it up. This is too inconvenient. If I could figure
out how to wake it with the external keyboard that would really solve my
problem.

Bob

"philo" <> wrote in message
news:. ..
>
> "Bob Newman" <> wrote in message
> news:gSlpj.12615$...
>> Vista Home Premium
>>
>> As a previous note stated I am having trouble waking my laptop while
>> sleeping.
>>
>> This is a separate question. If I set the laptop to never sleep,
> hibernate
>> or anything else and just use the screen saver will this hurt the laptop?
> I
>> realize it will use extra power but will its being fully on all the time
>> generate significant wear & tear on the computer?
>>
>
>
> It really is not a great idea to let the laptop run 24/7.
>
> If the sleep option does not work...have you tried using hibernation?
>
>

"Bob Newman" <> wrote in message
news:Zfmpj.27179$...
> My problem is that I am using an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
The
> laptop itself is stored under a shelf. For some reason I cannot get the
> laptop to wake up using any of the external devices. I have to remove the
> laptop from its storage area, open the cover and touch the space bar (or
> power button) to wake it up. This is too inconvenient. If I could figure
> out how to wake it with the external keyboard that would really solve my
> problem.
>
>

Yes...I now have noticed your other thread.

Is the external keyboard USB?

If so try a PS/2 keyboard (if the machine has a ps/2 port)

Yes, I tried it both plugged into a hub and direct, no difference. (The
"allow device to wake up computer" referred to in that thread is dimmed out
either way.

Bob

"philo" <> wrote in message
news:LPmdnahOZqIKYDjanZ2dnUVZ_v-...
>
> "Bob Newman" <> wrote in message
> news:Zfmpj.27179$...
>> My problem is that I am using an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
> The
>> laptop itself is stored under a shelf. For some reason I cannot get the
>> laptop to wake up using any of the external devices. I have to remove
>> the
>> laptop from its storage area, open the cover and touch the space bar (or
>> power button) to wake it up. This is too inconvenient. If I could
>> figure
>> out how to wake it with the external keyboard that would really solve my
>> problem.
>>
>>
>
> Yes...I now have noticed your other thread.
>
> Is the external keyboard USB?
>
> If so try a PS/2 keyboard (if the machine has a ps/2 port)
>
>

It is not recommended. Laptops tend to have heat build up issues. You
have indicated that your laptop is not out in the open. It it is not in a
well ventilated location the heat issue could be double trouble. If it is
in an enclosed area, I would want some forced circulation even if I did turn
it off between uses.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit



"Bob Newman" <> wrote in message
news:gSlpj.12615$...
> Vista Home Premium
>
> As a previous note stated I am having trouble waking my laptop while
> sleeping.
>
> This is a separate question. If I set the laptop to never sleep,
> hibernate or anything else and just use the screen saver will this hurt
> the laptop? I realize it will use extra power but will its being fully on
> all the time generate significant wear & tear on the computer?
>
> --
> Thanks... Bob

There is no ventilation problem. It is in an open area under a printer
stand that is designed to put paper in, there are no sides, no front or
back - just a top.

Bob

"Joseph Meehan" <> wrote in message
news:u$...
> It is not recommended. Laptops tend to have heat build up issues. You
> have indicated that your laptop is not out in the open. It it is not in a
> well ventilated location the heat issue could be double trouble. If it is
> in an enclosed area, I would want some forced circulation even if I did
> turn it off between uses.
>
> --
> Joseph Meehan
>
> Dia 's Muire duit
>
>
>
> "Bob Newman" <> wrote in message
> news:gSlpj.12615$...
>> Vista Home Premium
>>
>> As a previous note stated I am having trouble waking my laptop while
>> sleeping.
>>
>> This is a separate question. If I set the laptop to never sleep,
>> hibernate or anything else and just use the screen saver will this hurt
>> the laptop? I realize it will use extra power but will its being fully
>> on all the time generate significant wear & tear on the computer?
>>
>> --
>> Thanks... Bob
>

"Bob Newman" <> wrote in message
news:H8npj.38854$...
> Yes, I tried it both plugged into a hub and direct, no difference. (The
> "allow device to wake up computer" referred to in that thread is dimmed
out
> either way.
>
>


No...not USB

If your laptop has a ***ps/2 port***...try a ps/2 keyboard *instead* of a
USB keyboard...
the USB may disconnect while the machine is asleep...but a ps/2 connected
keyboard will probably not disconnect.


Also...you may want to just take a very small scrap piece of "L" shaped
plastic...and trim it down to make a small lever...
just enough to stick out of the laptop and allow you to push up and it and
depress the space bar

In a previous life I used to be a reliability engineer. In terms of the
electronic components, there is no harm at all in leaving your laptop on all
the time. In fact thermal cycling (due to switching on and off) seems to be
slightly more harmful.

However, your LCD screen backlight has a finite life, so I suggest you think
about letting the power options blank the screen after 20 minutes (or
whatever you like) of idle time. That shouldn't cause any of those problems
you've had when trying to "waken" it from sleep mode.

The electromechanical components - the fans and hard disks - also have a
finite life. To be honest, though, there's no reason to suppose that they
are any more prone to wear than those supplied with desktop machines, so you
can make your own judgement here. Just remember that when they do wear out,
it's much more difficult to replace them.

You might want to think about letting the disk spin down when blanking the
screen, although there is some uncertainty about whether this slightly
increases the failure risk (thermal cycling again). Personally I'd let the
disk spin down. Saves a few watts of power, too. The fan(s) will slow right
down anyway when the CPU is idling.

Finally, the air passages in a laptop are narrower and thus more likely to
clog with dust, which is another thing that gets worse with time.

So, there is no definite answer, and a lot of this is about judgement.
HOWEVER, I can tell you that my laptop sits in the spare room and is NEVER
switched off. It runs 24/7/365, and has done so for over two years, and is
still in fine fettle.

So my answer to your question is, "Yes, it's OK to let it run continuously,
so long as it's well ventilated and not sitting directly on a dusty floor."

SteveT

On Sun, 3 Feb 2008 13:00:53 -0500, "Joseph Meehan"
<> wrote:

> It is not recommended. Laptops tend to have heat build up issues. You
>have indicated that your laptop is not out in the open. It it is not in a
>well ventilated location the heat issue could be double trouble. If it is
>in an enclosed area, I would want some forced circulation even if I did turn
>it off between uses.

Could the issue here be that the laptop is CLOSED and the switch
typically in the lid is keeping it in this mode? OP states that he
has to take it out and OPEN it.