I recommend that you UNPLUG your computer equipment when you are not using it and before you leave for the day or go to bed. This will protect your computer from any power surges if you lose your power or if the power flashes on and off ! Just shutting it down may not be good enough! You should UNPLUG them! Also, be sure to make sure you have recent backups of any important files including your pictures. Any easy and cheap way to backup your files is to copy everything in your “My Computer” folder to an external USB flash drive.