Have you ever experienced the frustration of a frozen computer that just won’t respond to any commands? Most people who use a computer daily have experienced this at least once, and it can be a pain.
In those situations, the best and only solution is to force the shutdown of your computer. This means you either unplug the power cord or press and hold the power key until the computer shuts down completely. Although in cases like these where a hard shutdown is needed, understand that hard shutdowns are bad for your computer.
But what exactly does it mean to perform a hard shutdown, and why is it considered bad for your computer? Well, that’s what we’re going to provide to you in this article.
So let’s dive into this topic and see how a hard shutdown impacts you and your computer, and what to do about it.
Potential Data Loss
Imagine the sinking feeling of realizing that all your important files and documents have disappeared in an instant.
This scenario is not far-fetched in the computing world, as potential data loss looms whenever we neglect to safeguard our digital information. Hard shutdowns can be a culprit for losing some if not all your data.
The reason for this is that they interrupt the normal process of saving and closing files. Sure, modern software is created to autosave, but there’s still a chance that the autosave function will not suffice.
The reality is that, when you abruptly power off your computer without allowing it to shut down properly, you risk corrupting essential system files and losing unsaved work.
It’s important to recognize the potential consequences of data loss, to encourage precaution in the direction of a hard shutdown.
Whether it’s losing irreplaceable family photos or critical business reports, failing to address potential data loss can be a costly oversight. Because of this potential, I suggest having a regular backup system in place.
That way, in the event your computer decides to start acting up on you and you have to resort to taking drastic actions for it to respond, such as a hard shutdown, you’re not worried that your data may be jeopardized because you have a reliable backup in place.
Therefore, implementing preventive measures such as regular backups and investing in reliable surge protectors becomes imperative for ensuring the safety of your digital assets. Whether for personal use or professional purposes. By understanding the implications of data loss due to improper power down of your computer, you can begin to take proactive steps to mitigate those risks.
Ultimately that’s what you want.
File System Corruption
Similar to you potentially losing your data from a hard shutdown, corrupting your computer’s file system is there in the same category.
The hard shutdowns can spell disaster for your file system. Let me explain what I mean.
When your computer is forcibly powered off, it doesn’t get to “neatly” close out all its programs and go through the normal power-down cycle. Which lends itself to properly storing your data, which we’ve just talked about.
This can lead to what’s known as file corruption, where important files become damaged or inaccessible. It’s even worse if any of those corrupted files are system files, which are needed for your computer to boot back up.
Now, you might be thinking, What’s the big deal? Can’t I just run a disk check and fix everything? Well, unfortunately, it’s not always that simple.
First, not everyone knows how to run a disk check on a drive with a corrupted file system. Also, disk repair tools don’t always work, depending on the severity of the damage that was done to your system.
Even if you do manage to clean up some of the mess with disk repair tools, there’s no guarantee that every bit of data or corrupted files will be fully restored.
My suggestion in this case is to get in the habit of creating a restore point on your computer. You might be saying, how can I create a restore point if my files are corrupted? What I’m saying here is to get into the habit of creating a restore point on your Windows computer, in the event catastrophe strikes.
That way, if your files do become corrupt from a hard shutdown and you’re not able to fully recover all the files. You’ll at least be able to log into your computer and restore your system back to where it was before the issue occurred.
Here’s a quick video on how to create a restore point in Microsoft Windows.
Hardware Damage
Ok, now let’s talk about the impact hard shutdowns have on your computer’s hardware.
When you perform a hard shutdown, you’re essentially cutting off the power supply to your computer without giving it a chance to shut down its processes properly. This sudden loss of power can lead to physical harm to the internal components of your computer, like the hard drive, motherboard, or even the CPU (Central Processing Unit).
It’s similar to that of a power outage during a thunderstorm. The sudden loss of power can damage the circuits on the main board. This is why we as IT professionals recommend having a surge protector for your computer, particularly for servers. A surge protector will give you enough time to properly power down your system in the event of a power outage to prevent electrical damage to your computer’s hardware components.
Think of it this way, let’s say you were in the middle of baking a cake and someone yanked the oven out from under it (I know this could never happen in reality…but just go with it) or the oven suddenly lost power before that cake was fully baked. You’d have quite a mess on your hands, wouldn’t you?
The same principle applies to your computer – abrupt power cuts can cause some issues with your computer hardware that can sometimes be difficult to fix. The best solution is to get a new computer or replace that fried component altogether.
So definitely something to consider as you’re considering doing a hard shutdown on your computer.
To Conclude: Why Hard Shutdowns Are Bad for Your Computer
Potential data loss and file corruption alone should caution you from doing a hard shutdown on your computer.
I get it, there are times when your computer decides to act funky and non-responsive and the best solution in that case is to unplug the power cord. I’ve done it myself while troubleshooting different computers throughout my career, so I completely understand that this sometimes is unavoidable.
However, just keep these things in mind such as keeping a good backup system in place and creating a reliable restore point in the event your computer starts to malfunction even more after the hard shutdown.
So it’s good to implement proper shutdown procedures and allow your computer to go through its normal shutdown process. This of course can significantly extend the lifespan and reliability of your computer. Go with that option first if you can.
Your computer will appreciate that.
But if you’re unable and you have to resort to a hard shutdown, just be prepared for those potential damages mentioned here.