on/off switches on computer

lipsthefish

I'm sorry that this is possibly the most stupid question ever! On the front of my tower is the on/off switch with the blue light that I use to turn the computer on, but also on the back there is an on/off switch near to the power supply and I don't understand what this one if for, should I be turning it to off when I shut down?

albertross_2

The one at the back isolates the machine from mains, the one at the front is more like a standby switch, it doesn't completely kill the power to the machine. Switching of at the mains is the best way off isolating the lot.

lipsthefish

Excellent - thankyou! (hangs head in shame at the stupid-ness of my question!)

Stephen_Leak

lipsthefish wrote: »

Excellent - thankyou! (hangs head in shame at the stupid-ness of my question!)

Please see the "Forum Etiquette" text box to the right of these posts!

A lot of people (including some computer tech's!) don't know this one, either. If the PC's are suitably equipped, it can be a very useful office IT April Fool "wheeze" ...

ManAtHome

A PC with a separate switch at the back is a bit unusual (many many years ago in a land that time forgot they all had just the one clicky switch).

Second-best IT April 1 wheeze in previously-mentioned land that time forgot was to turn the monitor (VDU) brightness down. Best was (in ye olden dayes with 2 screens per department), was to to say "sorry Mr x can't come to the phone right now, he's over at the VD Unit...

For all you post-PC peeps, the old "green screens" were aka Visual Display Units.

tankard_2

I can remember my boss playing with the layout and colours and tried black text on black background. And then wondered why he couldn't see the dialog box to change it back to normal..!!:cool: