storing a desktop pc

[jamesb7a]

I have 8 desktops that I work on and run tests on by putting different distrobutions on etc. my question is 1) if Im not going to be running a desktop for more than 2 weeks should i unplug it?, 2) how long is it ok to leave a pc unplugged and it still be ok? 3) what happens if the battery in the desktop goes bad? , can I run it without the battery? thanks!

[absque fenestris]

Hello jamesb7a

That depends - battery-powered devices such as laptops, notebooks, tablets and smartphones can be very sensitive to completely discharged batteries.
Currently I have a Sony Android tablet from 2015 that stubbornly rejects any resurrection - battery is empty and apparently it has a loose contact on the mini USB port...
At least one old Mac Powerbook could not be started after a complete battery discharge...

Classic tower PCs with built-in 110/220 V transformers are much more robust - in the worst case the small 3 V Lithium batteries are empty and then you have e.g. very strange date entries and strange resolutions on the screen.

Just for fun, I connect my very first, stupidly expensive PPC-Mac from 1994 to the power every leap year - to revel in old memories...

[AZgl1800]

I have a Gateway Desktop with transformer power supply.
it is never turned off, going on 10 years now.

I have several laptops, they are always plugged in to keep the battery at ~98%
the battery manufacturers recommend that you keep them plugged in for preservation....

I have a 25 year old military laptop that the battery cells are totally shorted....
corrosion everywhere on them. had to remove the battery pack so the laptop will power up.

[absque fenestris]

I would be careful with lithium batteries, I only know that they should not be extinguished with water in case of fire.
For storing lithium batteries (after a lot of research) > Semi-charged in the refrigerator...
Just recently: Many plastic MacBooks (2006/2007) and also newer aluminium models of my friends and customers have monstrously inflated lithium batteries.
I advise them to dispose of the battery immediately. Starting with the power adapter (without battery) may work or not, but at least you won't have a freaky lithium battery flying around your ears.

[jimallyn]

if Im not going to be running a desktop for more than 2 weeks should i unplug it?

Maybe, maybe not. I probably wouldn't bother, unless you are in an area that gets frequent lightning. There are components that slowly degrade just from being powered up, and then there are components that fail from inrush current at powerup. So, if you unplug it, you will save those components that degrade whenever there is powered applied, but the next time you plug it in, some component might fail from inrush current.

how long is it ok to leave a pc unplugged and it still be ok?

Forever, I would think. Except, of course, that you will eventually lose BIOS settings.

what happens if the battery in the desktop goes bad? , can I run it without the battery

The battery is used to power the memory that stores settings you have made in the BIOS. If the battery goes bad, the BIOS will return to factory defaults. (But strange stuff might happen while the battery is in the process of going bad.)

[jamesb7a]

Thanks guys, thanks for reminding me about lightning, 2 years ago I had lightnind strike near my house that damaged a pc I had running, NOW everytime there is a thunderstorm I unplug the PC, my modem, and the cable that goes to the modem. lightning travels through the power cords and the internet cable that goes into the house.

[Pierre]

so I've got a couple of Test Desktop Boxes that only get fired up maybe 2 -3 times a year,
and the rest of the time, they just sit on the floor, in another room.

yeah - - periodically, I've had to change the CMOS battery, in them,
and swap out one or more of the HDDs in order to fulfill my latest requirements.

otherwise, they are left untouched & unloved,, until the next time

[AZgl1800]

Thanks guys, thanks for reminding me about lightning, 2 years ago I had lightning strike near my house that damaged a pc I had running, NOW every time there is a thunderstorm I unplug the PC, my modem, and the cable that goes to the modem. lightning travels through the power cords and the internet cable that goes into the house.

I did not mention that my Win7 Desktop is behind a 1500 Watt APC brand, UPS for powering it up.
Specifically to isolate the PC from the outside powerlines. must have worked, 2 years ago Lightning hit the power transformer in my driveway, blew it up, burned the power pole. The PC just kept on working.
I am in a very rural area, almost 'off grid', house is 300 feet back off the road, special power line loop just to get to my house with a small step down transformer to feed my home and shop.