Some people say a computer / laptop will wear out quicker the more you leave it on. Some people would say that, in fact, a computer wears out quicker if you switch it off at night because the internal metal parts are repeatedly being warmed up during the day and cooled down at night.

Personally, I generally switch off my system at night but I don't worry if I leave it on for a few days continuously. Most people would only think of it as a bad thing to leave your PC / laptop on continuously from the point of view that your electricity bill will be a little higher.

Files will continue to download from the Internet if your screen switches off and your laptop ought to stop itself from going into Standby or Hibernate if the system is still busy downloading files.

Having said all of this, a Windows 98 system should generally be rebooted or switched off at least once a day if you have been using numerous documents or applications. WIndows 2000 and XP are very good at memory management but Windows 98 will slow down as the day progresses, eventually grinding to a halt.

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DJNafey
http://www.FutureSystems-Sussex.Co.UK
Future Systems (Sussex) - IT services to homes and small businesses

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