Can shutting your laptop down with the power button hurt it?

[Wheatthinswag]

If I press and release the power button on my laptop it goes into the normal boot cycle and brings up the blue screen with "Shutting Down..." on it just as if I turned it off from start. I just wanted to know is this harmful to my computer on any software on it?

 

[Gallarian]

The problem with using hard shut downs like that is that it gives no warning to the programs running on your laptop. So all of those little background processes are suddenly ended, which can sometimes cause errors. Sometimes, programs will be updating themselves (as some do automatically), which would be negatively impacted by a hard shutdown.

90% of the time, you'd get away with it no problem, but I dont really think its worth the risk as using a keyboard shortcut or clicking the start menu is almost as fast.

 

[Wheatthinswag]

The problem with using hard shut downs like that is that it gives no warning to the programs running on your laptop. So all of those little background processes are suddenly ended, which can sometimes cause errors. Sometimes, programs will be updating themselves (as some do automatically), which would be negatively impacted by a hard shutdown.

90% of the time, you'd get away with it no problem, but I dont really think its worth the risk as using a keyboard shortcut or clicking the start menu is almost as fast.

press and release

I already knew that, I'm asking about pressing and releasing shortly after...

 

[Gallarian]

I already knew that, I'm asking about pressing and releasing shortly after...

Im confused.. what exactly is your question?

 

[jsmithepa]

A simple Press&Release is exactly as you would from the desktop. Windows says "Shutting Down" as you said, so Windows KNOWS, is aware, and is in control of the shutdown process, because that's default action of the power button as per Windows.

Gallarian is talking about a forced shutdown by pressing and HOLDING power button for 4 seconds and no message whatsoever, simply goes to black screen.

In another word, I have no problem you using the power button, if that's what makes ya happy.

 

[Gallarian]

Ah, understood.

If Windows is going through it's normal shutting down cycle, then there is no problem whatsoever with doing it.