Is it OK to leave my lap top on all night?

You’re going to get yes answers and no answers, depending on which method different jellies are comfortable with and accustomed to. Me, I’ve been turning all my computers at night since the ‘80s, and nothing anyone will ever say will get me to change that habit.

For what may perhaps be more expert advice, read this and/or ask this question in a Google search.

All I have is an anecdote: I left my last laptop on all night to listen to music, and one day I received a black screen message saying my computer had to turn itself off because it was overheating.

After turning it back on the next day, it said it couldn’t find my hard drive and wouldn’t boot up.

I think it will automatically go into sleep mode after no keys are pressed for a certain time.

Even in sleep mode, it will eventually break it if you leave it on.

Trust me on this one, I am talking to you from a laptop that is resting on top of a broken laptop, that is resting on top of another broken laptop that is resting on top of yet another broken laptop.

My laptops only last me 6 months, the reason being I never turn computers off

I have tried and tested, and a laptop will last 5 to 7 months when left on 24/7.

@Pachyderm_In_The_Room: You left out the critical word here: “Me, I’ve been turning all my computers _____ at night since the ‘80’s. Is that “on” or “off”?

The difference between leaving it in sleep mode and shutting it off is minimal. But whether you should leave it working or not probably depends on the laptop and what kind of shape it’s in. If it’s brand new, then probably your fans are working properly and you don’t have a keyboard full of lint and crumbs. So, it probably won’t overheat during the night if you’re playing videos or downloading or whatever (Umm… as long as it’s not on your bed. Never leave it running on a soft surface like that).

But eventually, the balance will shift, and your fan will either fail or not be able to keep up with the heat being produced, and then you risk harming your hard drive. I would advise that you not get into the habit of relying on it to get to sleep. Find another means of playing something to drop off to.

Ideally, there should be a setting that allows you to put your laptop on a timer, so that it shuts down or goes to sleep after 90 minutes or something. I’ve searched long and hard for such a solution, and never found one. Mind you, I’m running Win7, so perhaps there is something for your OS.

That all depends on how long you want your laptop to last, if your not bothered and ah hell I will go out get another one tomorrow, then yeah fine leave it on however if you would like it to last then turn it of. More laptops and pc’s break down from over heating. What is wrong with music stick a cd in your radio or your favourite radio channel you will soon drift off.

My laptop is 4. 5 years old and I leave it on all day usually, or in sleep mode when gone. I do shut down every night, but no issues here.

I keep my laptop on for days (sometimes weeks) at a time, but I close the cover and let it “sleep” at night and during the day when I’m away for an hour or more.

Check your system’s Control Panel for Power options and see what appeals to you. (I haven’t seen Windows 8 yet, so I can’t say what the interface might look like there, but I’m familiar with Win 7, XP and some earlier versions by memory.)

My laptop is over three years old now. I rarely turn it off. It’s often left on over night. It goes to sleep and hopefully so do I.

t’s just come back from the repair place because it was getting hot but I knew this because it happened during the day. I suspected it needed a good clean out to get rid of dust and that’s what it was. It’s fine now. Not getting hot and working fine.

Laptops are especially vulnerable to overheating in a bed or anyplace where the air vents or fan exhaust may be blocked by sheets, blankets, etc. On mine this is at the bottom of the device, so just setting it on a soft surface might be a problem.

Aside from that it should be ok, though best to use software settings that puts it in sleep or hibernate status after an hour or so of inactivity.

@poisonedantidote If you laptops last that short I would check the electrical system where you live. I have bought 3 or 4 laptops the last 7 or 8 year, and most of them have been permanently on.. None died reall.. Some batteries went flat, but thats about it.. they have only been replaced since I wanted more powerfull ones.
Maybe there is a power surge or something that keeps killing your laptops. Only times I restart is for updates of software crashes really…

I second @Staalesen‘s advice to @poisonedantidote: You need a better power supply. Even though you’re running a laptop, and it has its own battery and in that case it’s kind of redundant, I’d put a good-quality Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) between the wall outlet and that computer when it’s plugged into house current. A UPS will “condition” the power that it receives, making the laptop not have to experience regular power surges – or drops. That, or buy higher-quality laptops to begin with.

But I doubt the laptop is the problem, since they’ve become so standardized nowadays. Local power distribution around the world, however… Yeah, get a UPS.