[deanhills]

also remember that leaving it off and not unplugging leaves it very vulnerable to surges. especially from lightning strikes even if they are not close by. that high amount of potential difference travels through gaps by induction.

suggestion of UPS use is very sound. i use a really old one with a surge protector. ups is a big help especially if it is always online one. they dont last as long. but there you are always getting power from the battery. so it is what gets damaged in surge situations.

but switching type is good too. much better than none.

You're right @rudra. UPS is a good suggestion, just resisting the expenditure of one for now. But I think for me specifically the discipline of turning off the computer when I know I won't get to it for a few hours, is best. So far I've learned the greater of the damage is usually if there is a surge that happens when the power comes on again, and if the computer was not disconnected it can get damage. So I have to make sure that it is turned off after the power went off, and the best way of doing that is to acquire the discipline of turning the computer off when I anticipate not using it for a while, or there is load shedding coming.