Question: Can you turn off a pc at the powerpoint? and if not - why? I am referring to a home pc. If I closed all the running programs and logged off, then just turn the pc off using the powerpoint would this harm it?

Answer: I guess you're saying either turn it off with the power switch or pulling the power.  Neither way is a recommended method.  Even if you've closed all programs there are still processes running in the background in Windows.  Doing the Shut Down procedure in Windows is the preferred way because it stops everything and then turns it off.  Now sometimes it's not avoidable such as during a lockup but that's the only time I would suggest doing that.  Over many times of shutting the machine off improperly you will get system errors.
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