For the last decade or so, the experts have said that we don't need to restart our computers. But I still find that my computer runs faster after a restart. I can see my CPU usage is much lower, and RAM is more available — even after I've reopened all of the applications I was using before shutdown.
I'm curious about how others approach this question. For the record, I have an M2 MBA.
Every day. I power off anything I am not using after clearing out temp files. I get less dust bunnies and less power usage. I only power on a computer if I want to use it and leave the computers I am not using off.
Every single time.
Whenever I think there's a possibility that the need to reboot has not been overcome since the DOS days and W9x.
I find many more unexpected needs to restart in Windows NT6.
Unless your PC is miserably encumbered, it only takes a few seconds to reboot or cold start, so why hesitate.
Reboot early and often.
>I'm old enough to remember the times when computers were restarted regularly
During those same times I remember other operators who never wanted to turn off their computers for any reason, almost acting like they were mainframes and afraid they might not boot back up.
Looking at the answers, here's my anecdata: I usually only turn one on when I'm really working on it, and completely power down when finished.
Never hibernate or sleep, why bother?
OTOH the ones I had at work hooked up to scientific instruments never get turned off for years, except for power failures in excess of battery backup time. Once I got IT out of the lab it was possible to craft Windows XP for far more reliability than they had dreamed about, or achieved since on their office machines with NT6.
My Macbook and Linux PC both hibernate after an hour or so idle time. And I only restart as its usually a quicker fix to turn it off and on than find out the process with the issue, etc.
I hate restarting, as then I have to reopen all my tools and restart everything all over again.
Linux, whenever I feel like it. 117 days on a home server right now. 42 days on a laptop.
Raspberry Pi 400 32 days
Pi Hole 11 months
I don't reboot unless something is complaining about it. Not a fan of the new software "new version every 11 hours, please install" (yes looking at you Chrome)
My Mac Mini also sleeps when not in use and only gets a reboot when there's a macOS update, which are typically months apart.
My Raspberry Pi runs Pi-hole and it gets booted every few months.
Everything is on a UPS so there's never a reboot due to power failure.
Even my TV and XboxSX get properly powered down when not in use.
Exception to the rule is my iPhone (7 Plus) and iPad Air (2019)
The worst part about rebooting is catching up on all the Chrome updates that I don't want -- most recently the one that removes the bottom downloads bar in favor of the upper right popout.
Every day. Whenever I clock out in the afternoon, I turn it off. When I want to do private stuff, I turn it on again, and turn it off when I'm done. The only thing with uptime worth mentioning in the house is my Pi Zero running PiHole.
For the record I just have a regular MBA if this is relevant to turning computers off and on again.
laptop 1 daily driver minimal manjaro once a day, if I go out for extended periods and after updates
laptop 2 for my Rpi stuff laptop MXlinux rarely
Rpi weather station = occassionally Rpi TV streamer = occassionaly
Whenever Windows wants to update; if I have some driver issue, especially for gaming; if I want to not have it heat my room staying on all night, especially in the summer.
If it matters, I avoid installing third-party kernel extensions and any software that comes as a PKG.
Desktop? Not very often.
> up 8 weeks, 2 days, 18 hours, 9 minutes
I do put it into sleep sometimes.
21:08 up 30 days, 23:09
M2 Air. Restart only after OS finally nags me down into an upgrade.
Windows: every couple of days.