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Should you leave your computer on at night or turn it off?

We have been asked by clients whether or not they should leave their computers on all the time or turn them off at the end of the day when they go home.

Several years ago, we would have told them to turn off their computers to save power. But with the proliferation of viruses and threats over the last few years, we have changed our mind.

Today, the anti-virus programs and anti-spyware applications need frequent and regular updating. These updates are often scheduled to run in the wee hours of the morning, when you are not using your computer.

Furthermore, Windows needs to be updated whenever a new security patch is released. This is usually not a daily occurrence, but does happen several times a month. It is important to update your operating system as soon as the patch is available because hackers move very quickly to reverse engineer Windows updates. As soon as a Windows update is released, hackers create a specific virus to that vulnerability and start looking for unprotected machines to infect and invade.

In addition to the above, you should be backing up your data every night (preferably to an offsite location!) and the best time to do this is at night when you are not using your computer.

So bottom line, leave your computer on all night and restart it two or three times a week to clear the memory.

Call us if you have any questions at 503-241-3499. Δ