Re: Does Periodic Rebooting make my system run better?

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

From: Ken Blake (kblake_at_this.is.an.invalid.domain)
Date: 02/12/05 

Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2005 11:18:30 -0700

In news:l7rPd.65660$bu.27748@fed1read06,
Darrell S <dumbwid@fox.com> typed:

> Because I'm hooked to the internet by cable my computer is
> hooked to
> the internet whenever it's turned on. That makes it a little
> vulnerable to virus/etc even though I have Norton AV and
> Internet
> Security. So I plugged my cable modem into a surge protector
> power
> supply which has on/off switches for each plug in. If I want
> to
> leave my computer on for long periods of time when I'm not
> present, I
> switch off the power to my cable modem. When I turn it back on
> it
> only takes about a minute to re-establish my network
> connection.

Your choice, of course, but as far as I'm concerned there's
little point in doing that. You're removing vulnerability from
part of the day, but leaving it for the rest of the day. If you
have vulnerability from what you call "virus/etc," the times of
day your cable modem is on are enough to infect you.

The way to lower vulnerability is not by making the window of
vulnerability smaller, but by using appropriate tools
(anti-virus, firewall, anti-spyware) and keeping them up to date.

Of course, what you're doing can't hurt, but it can lull you into
a false sense of security. 

-- 
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
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