There are few certainties in life: death, taxes and turning the computer off and on when there is a problem. This advice is usually the first tip you get from friends, family and technical support.
Rebooting your computer helps keep it running smoothly. It clears the memory, interrupting any task that is consuming RAM. Even if you close an application, it can still touch your memory. A restart can also correct peripheral and hardware problems. If your computer is still running slow, this internal trick can definitely help.
So, how often should you restart your computer? Let’s take a look at how a reboot can impact your system and when exactly you should do it.
Give your computer a fresh start
We recommend that you turn off your computer at least once a week. A restart process returns everything to its initialized state, from your computer’s CPU to its memory.
Many people turn off their computers by keeping the power button pressed. This can cause additional problems. Tap or click here to see how to restart your PC or Mac correctly.
Rebooting the computer involves two steps – shutting down the computer and restarting it. When you restart / restart your computer, it will lose power during the process and will restart on its own.
Occasionally, the computer itself will ask you to restart it, usually after downloading an update. Newer machines need fewer reboots, but a major software patch usually requires one.
PRIVACY NOTICE: Skipping updates? You are putting your PC at risk!
Reduces wear and tear
Your computer is full of moving parts. Your CPU, essentially the brain, has a fan. High-tech video cards also need a cooling system. Although solid-state drives are becoming more popular, most PCs still use hard drives, which consist of spinning disks.
All of these components wear out over time, and the longer you keep your computer running, the shorter its lifespan.
It is easy to get in the habit of leaving it on to avoid having to go through the boot process, but it will help you get more life out of your machine. If you are away for a few hours or prefer not to turn things off completely, you can put your PC on for a nap.
Sleep out
Sleep mode puts the computer in a low-power state. The fans will stop spinning and the hard drive will stop working, so everything will be quiet.
With the standby mode, the current state of the computer remains in memory. When you wake up your machine, your open applications, documents, music, etc., they will be right where you left them. Tap or click here to see how your iPhone and Apple Watch can help you improve your sleep habits.
To put your PC into standby mode:
1. Open the power options:
In Windows 10, tap Start> Settings> System> Power and sleep> Additional power settings.
For Windows 8.1 / Windows RT 8.1, swipe from the edge of the screen, tap Search (or if you are using a mouse, point to the upper right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down and click Search), enter Power Options in the search box and touch Power Options.
In Windows 7, tap Start> Control Panel> System and Security> Power options.
2. Do one of the following:
If you are using a desktop, tablet or laptop, select Choose what the power buttons do. Next to When I press the power button, select Suspend> Save changes.
If you are using only a laptop, select Choose what to close the lid on. Next to When I close the lid, select Suspend> Save changes.
3. When you’re ready to put your PC to sleep, press the power button on your desktop, tablet or laptop or close the laptop cover.
On most PCs, you can resume work by pressing the PC’s power button. However, not all PCs are the same. You can activate it by pressing any key on the keyboard, clicking the mouse button, or opening the lid of a laptop. Check the manual that came with your computer or visit the manufacturer’s website.
It takes less time to wake up a computer than it does to turn it on after a shutdown, but sleep mode still consumes power. To clear bugs, memory leeches, network connections that don’t work and more problems, a reboot is the way to go.
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