Restarting windows every day?

[mk313]

Genuinely interested if people on here who use Windows for work shut down their computers every day? At my previous job, I used to just sleep it every day until a coworker suggested that that eventually led to issues. He restarted his every day. I started to do the same, and have done that since then (maybe 8 years now). At my current job, it seems like I'm one of the few who sits down every night. Most others just let theirs go to sleep.

I don't use Windows outside of work, so I don't really have a deep amount of knowledge on this. But the few times I have tried to let it go to sleep, I feel like I end up having random issues after a day or so that I attribute to the lack of shut down.

Just curious how other people handle theirs.

 

[Cape Dave]

I turn my computer off every night. No reason ever to leave it on.

 

[maflynn]

None of my computers are shut off at night. I have my work laptop, it stays on 24x7x365, and the same goes for my Studio and desktop PC

 

[pshufd]

In the old days, we were told not to shut down our computers with hard drives as the action of stopping and starting them could result in more frequent failures. With SSDs, I don't think that it matters.

Sometimes I turn it off and sometimes I let it sleep. The motherboard I use has very deep sleep states and it takes a minute to wake from sleep. Quite a big difference from my Lunar Lake which wakes instantly, scans my face and is up and running.

It may be more of an Asus thing than a Windows thing.

 

[kamikazeeMC]

In my brief stint in help desk, a simple restart helped with some random issues. Users would have crazy up time when checking task manager. We disabled fast start up so their machines would restart more often.

 

[1BadManVan]

No, mine sleeps. but I do restart it maybe once a week or. Anytime I have updates, whether windows update, Nvidia drivers or big game updates. I'll run Glary utilities and then do a reboot

 

[Steve Adams]

Since I am running a Dell laptop It gets shut off every night. If I don't I pick it up in the morning and I can fry eggs on it.

My Dell XPS stays on in sleep 24/7

 

[macguy167]

Genuinely interested if people on here who use Windows for work Shute down their computers every day?

Well, as an engineer, my advice is to always start your electronics in a KNOWN STATE! By rebooting (or starting up after shutdown), your device, OS, et cetera is in a know state. This works for computers, phones, laptops, TV, printer, or even a toaster!

 

[maflynn]

Well, as an engineer, my advice is to always start your electronics in a KNOWN STATE! By rebooting (or starting up after shutdown), your device, OS, et cetera is in a know state. This works for computers, phones, laptops, TV, printer, or even a toaster!

Why?

If I leave them on, they're in a known state and I don't risk causing something unexpected on reboot and we all know that windows can self-inflict damage at the most inappropriate time.

 

[Luftkopf]

When I still used my Windows PC most days I would shut it down whenever I was finished for the day. It would get issues if I didn't. Now, although I do still need it from time to time, I can go months without booting it, so I'm happy.

 

[pshufd]

Why?

If I leave them on, they're in a known state and I don't risk causing something unexpected on reboot and we all know that windows can self-inflict damage at the most inappropriate time.

Like Windows Update.

 

[edubfromktown]

I prefer my systems to be powered up, in either a running or awakened from sleep state after pressing a key or wiggling a mouse.

I do not intentionally power off or reboot any of my small herd of personal Mac's and Linux Raspberry Pi's or my work issued Mac and Windows laptops.

The only time I reboot anything is if it is requested by the OS after applying updates.

I do shutdown and power off non-server systems when I'm going on extended vacation.

 

[someoldguy]

If I'm not using it , my computer's are shut down . The couple of seconds it takes to turn them on isn't going to make any difference to me one way or the other . They're no different than any other power tool , if you're not using it , you turn it off.

 

[edubfromktown]

If I'm not using it , my computer's are shut down . The couple of seconds it takes to turn them on isn't going to make any difference to me one way or the other . They're no different than any other power tool , if you're not using it , you turn it off.

They are in a different category than certain types of "appliances" and power tools in my opinion. Also, they are used as both a hobby and my longtime (mostly working from home now) enterprise IT career.

Sleep mode for the devices on my desk use a total of ~5 watts when sleeping (far right column) which is ok by me.

Dell Latitude Enterprise Laptop	15-30	1-3
HP Elite C1030 Chromebook	15-25	0.5-1
M1 Max Studio	18.6	1.2
M3 MacBook Air 13"	15-18	0.21
M3 Pro MacBook 14"	16-22	0.21

 

[Cape Dave]

If I'm not using it , my computer's are shut down . The couple of seconds it takes to turn them on isn't going to make any difference to me one way or the other . They're no different than any other power tool , if you're not using it , you turn it off.

Finally, someone who gets it! Leave the room, turn out the damn lights. Not rocket science.

 

[Steve Adams]

Rocket surgery.

 

[maflynn]

If I'm not using it , my computer's are shut down . The couple of seconds it takes to turn them on isn't going to make any difference to me one way or the other . They're no different than any other power tool , if you're not using it , you turn it off.

Nah, not worth it.

 

[Steve Adams]

Nah, not worth it.

I got to shut my laptop down. Did the "sleep" thing again last night, left it on the table at the hotel room here and woke up to a system ready to cook breakfast. I have to shut it down or it will cook away over night.

 

[maflynn]

Did the "sleep" thing again last night

Not for nothing, but sleep has never worked for my PC and Mac. I've always had issue with both platforms going to sleep. Oddly, though my linux desktop goes into sleep mode, and wakes up, problem free. I think its the first computer I've had in as long as I can remember that did not have problems entering sleep, staying in sleep, and waking up

 

[Steve Adams]

My dell 11 inch running Zorin 17 has the same issues. Put it to sleep and it won't wake up. Have to restart it again.

 

[pshufd]

I have no problems with sleep on any of my Macs or Windows PCs.

 

[dmr727]

I always shut down my desktop PC, but I think that's more out of habit than anything. It sleeps just fine under Windows or Linux.

My Macbook Air only sleeps - it gets rebooted pretty much only for an OS update.

 

[Luftkopf]

My old 2012 MacBook Air running Catalina had an uptime of over a year at one point. My M3 Pro gets every update that comes out so is rebooted much more frequently.

 

[edubfromktown]

My old 2012 MacBook Air running Catalina had an uptime of over a year at one point. My M3 Pro gets every update that comes out so is rebooted much more frequently.

One of my 2011 Mini's had 3+ years of uptime. A recent 4-hour power outage far exceeded the UPS battery runtime on it and my cable box. Booted right up when power was restored and keeps humming along. I run Intermapper uptime monitoring on it to keep tabs on work ISP connections and internet accessible resources in our 3 US sites. Runs great on relatively humble macOS, Linux and Windows systems.

My two 1500 VA UPSes in the basement (one in a 7' Chatsworth 2-post rack and the other in my office work area) barely outlasted the outage. I shut down non-essential equipment... both UPSs were flashing on the lowest bar when power kicked back on.

I too have an M3 Pro (14") and M1 Max Studio that both get the latest updates when they are released (and reboot more often as a result).

The only system that does not reliably sleep is my work issued Enterprise Dell Latitude laptop. Sometimes my bag gets toasty warm during rare commutes into work as Winblows 11 keeps churning away with lid closed 😀My work M3 Air sleeps like clockwork (same as all of my personal systems).

 

[maflynn]

Enterprise Dell Latitude laptop

I think that's a dell thing, I've owned a number of Dells in my life, and like clock work, if I put it to sleep, put in my bag. It will be scorching hot when I finally pull it out. I've had numerous models, I now just completely shut it down before I get ready to travel, even if its a short trip