# What happens if you don't turn on your computer/laptop for a long time?



## Andre36 (Jul 18, 2019)

Hi,

What happens if you don't turn on your computer / laptop for a long time (for me more than 2 weeks)?

My laptop turned on but I could see nothing but the cursor. And I tried to fix it by turning it off several times but the problem is still there.

What should I do in this situation? Help! I need to do my summer lesson 

Thanks.


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## Vayra86 (Jul 18, 2019)

This is a bit of a... limited opening post.

We need your system specs, most notably age of laptop and the exact model name would be even better.

What you should do... plug the laptop into wall socket, let it sit there for a while, try again. And give it time, as well. If you see a cursor, at least _something _went OK. You were already booted into Windows.

As for your first question, nothing usually happens. PC's can be left off for years and still work. The thing that ages a bit might be power delivery; the battery, or the circuit itself does suffer from prolonged use but also from doing nothing as dust accumulates. Another one is mechanical hard drives, those are not great for (very) long term storage either.


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## Andre36 (Jul 18, 2019)

I think battery is the problem. It's non-removable battery so I can't discharge the power. But thanks for your answer  I will try again


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## dorsetknob (Jul 18, 2019)

Andre36 said:


> What happens if you don't turn on your computer / laptop for a long time (for me more than 2 weeks)?


If stored with a charged Battery   then it should boot no Problem (If possable always fully charge before reuse)
if it was stored in Hibernation Mode then over time it would Drain Battery (never store laptop in hibernation mode always fully shut down).

Plug laptop into its wall charger and leave for an hour ( See if the Charge /battery light is indicating)
test again later ( also check it will enter Bios   esc or F1 /F2).


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## Bill_Bright (Jul 18, 2019)

Andre36 said:


> What happens if you don't turn on your computer / laptop for a long time (for me more than 2 weeks)?


It _should_ boot normally - unless the battery was dead and the charger not plugged in. I agree with the others. Plug the charger in and walk away for a couple hours. 

It is likely you will be behind in Windows and security updates, so you should probably let it update too. 

All this assumes your battery and notebook are not otherwise damaged.


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## theonek (Jul 18, 2019)

nothing happens though, for me turns out that I haven't been power on a pc for 6-8 months and everything runs just fine!


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## Bill_Bright (Jul 18, 2019)

Note a PC (desktop or tower computer) does not behave the same way as a battery operated notebook. 

Unless you unplug the PC's power supply from the wall (or flip the master power switch on the PSU to "0" or off - if it has such a switch) a PC simply goes into standby mode. It is not totally "off".


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## kapone32 (Jul 18, 2019)

Bill_Bright said:


> Note a PC (desktop or tower computer) does not behave the same way as a battery operated notebook.
> 
> Unless you unplug the PC's power supply from the wall (or flip the master power switch on the PSU to "0" or off - if it has such a switch) a PC simply goes into standby mode. It is not totally "off".


 Exactly why some MBs have RGB on even when the system is powered down.


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## Bill_Bright (Jul 18, 2019)

kapone32 said:


> Exactly why some MBs have RGB on even when the system is powered down.


I don't know about RGB (as in red, green and blue LEDs) but many do have a single LED to show that power is still present. This is primarily to remind users not to go yanking out or inserting RAM or pulling other components or connectors while the +5Vsb standby voltage is still running through many circuits.


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## kapone32 (Jul 19, 2019)

Bill_Bright said:


> I don't know about RGB (as in red, green and blue LEDs) but many do have a single LED to show that power is still present. This is primarily to remind users not to go yanking out or inserting RAM or pulling other components or connectors while the +5Vsb standby voltage is still running through many circuits.



I should have said ARGB. I have only had one board that actually turned it off on Windows shutdown.


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## Mussels (Jul 19, 2019)

if the battery went flat, it was probably resuming from hibernate which can be incredibly slow if the laptop has a slow hard drive

also, sometimes hibernate just doesnt recovery very well, a reboot makes things right.


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## Bill_Bright (Jul 19, 2019)

kapone32 said:


> I should have said ARGB. I have only had one board that actually turned it off on Windows shutdown.


Assuming you mean Alpha and not Adobe (or even amber), I don't see where it makes a difference. When in standby mode, "*IF*" a LED is lit, I still have only seen 1 LED. But that certainly does not mean there are no boards that light multiple LEDs when simply shutdown (put in one of several stand-by modes). I'm just not aware of any, nor do I see a purpose for more than one lit LED when in stand-by.

It should be noted there is no industry standard for LED lights on motherboards. None are required. If any are present, there is no standard for the color. And regardless the color, there is no industry standard for their function. When powered up, a lit LED can mean anything - depending on what the motherboard maker chooses. They could be solely for aesthetics. Or they could simply indicate power is present. Or, if more than one, they could represent some code that is supposed to be useful in troubleshooting. 

All I am saying is when in standby, a lit LED usually just indicates there is still voltage present on the board. 



Mussels said:


> if the battery went flat, it was probably resuming from hibernate which can be incredibly slow if the laptop has a slow hard drive
> 
> also, sometimes hibernate just doesnt recovery very well, a reboot makes things right.


Right. The thing about hibernate mode and notebooks is the notebook is supposed to boot back to exactly where it was when it went to sleep (or you closed the lid) - with all your programs running and open windows opened as they were - even if the battery runs down completely. So the notebook is not just booting to the Windows desktop, but if you had a Word document or Excel spreadsheet running, and your browser was open with several tabs open, they are all supposed to be restored too. That's why notebooks, even under normal conditions, often take longer to come out of hibernate mode - especially if your network/Internet connection is not the fastest. But the point is, you "shouldn't" lose any data (most recent Word doc edits, for example) when coming out of hibernate mode.

The function does work perfectly _most_ of the time. But as Mussels noted, sometimes it doesn't.  I have found one of the common reasons for hibernate failures is low free disk space. 

Note for PCs, there is the "hybrid" sleep mode. This is different from hibernate in that the +5Vsb standby voltages also keeps the data in your RAM alive for even faster wake speeds. DDR4 really takes advantage of this.  But if the computer loses power for any reason when in hybrid sleep mode, no problem because the hiberfil.sys file (used by hibernate) was also created when it went to sleep and that's the file that restores all your open programs, open windows and documents.


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## kapone32 (Jul 19, 2019)

Bill_Bright said:


> Assuming you mean Alpha and not Adobe (or even amber), I don't see where it makes a difference. When in standby mode, "*IF*" a LED is lit, I still have only seen 1 LED. But that certainly does not mean there are no boards that light multiple LEDs when simply shutdown (put in one of several stand-by modes). I'm just not aware of any, nor do I see a purpose for more than one lit LED when in stand-by.
> 
> It should be noted there is no industry standard for LED lights on motherboards. None are required. If any are present, there is no standard for the color. And regardless the color, there is no industry standard for their function. When powered up, a lit LED can mean anything - depending on what the motherboard maker chooses. They could be solely for aesthetics. Or they could simply indicate power is present. Or, if more than one, they could represent some code that is supposed to be useful in troubleshooting.
> 
> ...


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## John Naylor (Jul 19, 2019)

How was it stored ?  Subject to cold / hot temperatures .  

I am still PO'd that no one offers a decent cell phone with replaceable batteries any more or one whose charge doesn't last a week.  But I could never agree to a laptop design that didn't have a replaceable battery.

I'll repeat the question in your 1st post .. Wjat is the make / model of the laptop.  While the laptop might not be designed to be user replaceable ... neither was my phone screen, battery, lappop HD, and GPU ... , nevertheless, I have done all of these.  Won't be able to determine how feasible this might be w/o make / model.


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## denrick (Jul 24, 2019)

I heard that placing the battery in the refrigerator is a good method if you're planning not to use your laptop for a long time. Is this true?


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## Mussels (Jul 24, 2019)

denrick said:


> I heard that placing the battery in the refrigerator is a good method if you're planning not to use your laptop for a long time. Is this true?



it could cause condensation inside the battery, so i'd never do it.


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## Komshija (Jul 24, 2019)

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. There were times when I didn't even touch my current and my previous laptop for like 3 months. Really. They were all the time connected to the power grid. I also didn't touch my PC for a three weeks while being on vacation. Do you know what happened? Nothing.


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## dcf-joe (Jul 24, 2019)

I am telling the absolute truth in this post.

We were cleaning out some old areas in our office building about two months ago, so still in the year 2019, and we found this old laptop that we thought probably hadn't been turned on in years. Of course the battery was dead, but the power supply for the laptop was with the laptop, so I thought what the heck and plugged it in. This laptop turned on just fine and booted into Windows 98 just fine . Being an old mechanical hard drive, this laptop took forever to boot, but it did go straight to the desktop just fine.

I was looking around on the C drive, and some of the documents had last modified dates from the year 2000. I was around nine years old possibly the last time somebody had used this laptop and I'm going to be 30 in a couple of years .


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## Bill_Bright (Jul 24, 2019)

denrick said:


> I heard that placing the battery in the refrigerator is a good method if you're planning not to use your laptop for a long time. Is this true?


40 years ago, that was not an uncommon practice. But not today. The problem with condensation is very real. Refrigerators provide a very cool and dry environment. The problem is not when the battery is in the refrigerator, but when the battery is taken out and exposed to warm, humid air. In some scenarios, condensation could form. 

That said, all portable devices may be exposed to cold or even freezing temperatures. For example, if left in the trunk of a car in sub-zero weather, or in the cargo hold of an aircraft, the devices could be frozen. This typically is not harmful to the batteries or the devices *IF* allowed to acclimate to normal room temperatures slowly before applying power.

Removing the battery from the laptop if not being used for long periods is fine - but just put it on a shelf, not in the refrigerator.


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## shovenose (Jul 24, 2019)

Well, I recently plugged in an HP/Liteon power supply that had sat in my closet for about 4 years. It exploded in a shower of sparks and smelled nasty. So I took another PSU out of the box and it worked fine. So basically nothing happens unless you have a rare failure.


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## Bill_Bright (Jul 24, 2019)

First, that was a HP/Liteon PSU.   

Also, electronics do age, even if not in use. 

Items in storage, unless sealed in some protective box or bag, can still collect dust, insects, and other debris that, once power is applied, may cause a short. For this reason, when I take electronics out of long term storage, I take it outside and blast with compressed air. 

Items in long term storage may also be exposed to other abuse, including falling to the floor, water damage, damage by hungry insects or rodents and more.


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## eidairaman1 (Jul 26, 2019)

shovenose said:


> Well, I recently plugged in an HP/Liteon power supply that had sat in my closet for about 4 years. It exploded in a shower of sparks and smelled nasty. So I took another PSU out of the box and it worked fine. So basically nothing happens unless you have a rare failure.



Capacitor failure


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## biffzinker (Jul 26, 2019)

Bill_Bright said:


> The problem is not when the battery is in the refrigerator, but when the battery is taken out and exposed to warm, humid air. In some scenarios, condensation could form.


Would it be possible to vacuum seal the battery before placing it in the frig? Thinking Food Saver


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## Mussels (Jul 26, 2019)

biffzinker said:


> Would it be possible to vacuum seal the battery before placing it in the frig? Thinking Food Saver


yes, but then it'd need to be left in the bag for several hours after removal to prevent the condensation issues

people misunderstand what batteries in the fridge does, all the lower temperatures do is keep the battery CHARGED for longer, it doesnt make its overall lifespan any longer


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## shovenose (Jul 26, 2019)

eidairaman1 said:


> Capacitor failure



I assumed as much but I popped it open and no capacitors appeared leaking or bulged. I suspect something conductive fell into it through the vents and shorted it out.


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## biffzinker (Jul 26, 2019)

shovenose said:


> I assumed as much but I popped it open and no capacitors appeared leaking or bulged. I suspect something conductive fell into it through the vents and shorted it out.


One of the capacitors could of dried out unless  there solid state capacitors. Even solid state capacitors go bad eventually.


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## heky (Jul 26, 2019)

Guys, if the laptop boots to desktop (cursor is visible), than it has nothing to do with the battery. It is possible windows installed some updates last time before shut down, which could cause the black screen.

If the laptop was truly in hibernate mode, try holding the power button for a couple of seconds for a complete shutdown, then power it back on. If it still doesn't boot normally, try windows restore to fix the problem. If it does not fix it, it is time for a clean install.


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## FinneousPJ (Jul 26, 2019)

This, or what I would try is a live Linux bootable USB to exclude an OS issue.


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## Splinterdog (Jul 26, 2019)

If all the OP's seeing is the cursor, I'd boot to other media such as Linux or a Win 10 USB (for repair purposes) remembering to get to the bios first with F2 or Del.
They do go wonky if shutdown during a Windows update, but with scant information from the OP, it's hard to say.
I have a laptop that I only use when travelling, so it could go for months without use and always starts up without any problems, to answer the OP's original question.


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## dorsetknob (Jul 26, 2019)

OP appears to have abandoned thread after his first and follow up post  " Another of life's unsolved mystery's "


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## Bill_Bright (Jul 26, 2019)

biffzinker said:


> Would it be possible to vacuum seal the battery before placing it in the frig? Thinking Food Saver





Mussels said:


> yes, but then it'd need to be left in the bag for several hours after removal to prevent the condensation issues
> 
> people misunderstand what batteries in the fridge does, all the lower temperatures do is keep the battery CHARGED for longer, it doesnt make its overall lifespan any longer


Sure, you can vacuum seal the battery but for the reasons Mussels note, I see no advantage to it. As Mussels noted, all the cold does is slow down the inevitable discharge process by slowing down the chemical reaction going on inside a battery. Decades ago, before alkaline batteries (which tend to have a long "shelf-life" of several years), this was a big deal because "brand new" old technology batteries would go dead sitting sealed in their packaging in a drawer after just a few months. So folks would put them in the "ice box" in the hopes they would last a little longer. Note those were NOT rechargeable batteries.

Unless you start talking extreme colds (like outer space and absolute zero temps), the freezing cold itself does not hurt the battery, but it does not help the battery either.

In fact, it is likely to get moved about in the freezer, possibly taken in and out multiple times, and subject to other abuse as people go digging for that last Eggo buried in the back or bottom of the freezer. Every time the freezer door is opened, warm, moist air gets in which is also not good. It would be better to just cover the battery (to protect it from dust) and put it on a closet shelf where it can remain undisturbed until needed again.


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## Redwoodz (Jul 26, 2019)

Ahhhhh.... Windows Auto Update strikes again. That cursor is Windows trying to install 6 months of updates when nothing is working right. Good luck....get ready for recovery.


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## Bill_Bright (Jul 26, 2019)

Redwoodz said:


> Ahhhhh.... Windows Auto Update strikes again. That cursor is Windows trying to install 6 months of updates when nothing is working right.


 Highly unlikely Windows Update caused this. Typically, even if WU hangs up, you see the WU screen. Nothing but a cursor typically indicates a boot failure long before WU has a chance to kick in. 

Plus, the OP said, "more than 2 weeks". Nothing said suggests 6 months have passed.


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## Redwoodz (Jul 26, 2019)

Bill_Bright said:


> Highly unlikely Windows Update caused this. Typically, even if WU hangs up, you see the WU screen. Nothing but a cursor typically indicates a boot failure long before WU has a chance to kick in.
> 
> Plus, the OP said, "more than 2 weeks". Nothing said suggests 6 months have passed.


 Boot failure due to Windows trying to update the kernel. Windows is pushing the latest updates...forcing it. If you turn the power off or the battery dies while in the process this can happen.


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## Bill_Bright (Jul 26, 2019)

"IF" you do that, then perhaps. But you don't know "IF"  the user killed power or "IF" the battery died. And even "IF" that happened, you still typically get to the WU screen because Windows can't push or force anything until the boot drive is touched, well into the boot process.

Nothing but a flashing cursor suggests the boot process was halted before Windows had a change to even start loading.

And again - nothing about months, especially 1/2 year passing.


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## cucker tarlson (Jul 26, 2019)

I have an ultrabook that went through a few periods of several month of lying on the shelf,worked fine every time I needed it.


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## Bill_Bright (Jul 26, 2019)

Yeah, my 9 year old Toshiba running W10 regularly sits unused for several weeks, some times longer, at a time. It may take what seems like forever to boot after being off for those times, but it is easy to see it is updating.


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