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Ask HN: How often do you restart your computer?

14 points by gnicholas ↗ HN
I'm old enough to remember the times when computers were restarted regularly, both out of necessity (many software installs required this) and for performance reasons.

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.

43 comments

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wiwoworld
Mine runs for weeks, sometimes even months before restarting. Linux user here :)
runjake
Months. Usually when there's a new macOS update.

If it matters, I avoid installing third-party kernel extensions and any software that comes as a PKG.

LinuxBender
How often do you restart your computer?

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.

h2odragon
37 days uptime right now; since the last power blink. Reboots just to reboot; practically never. Config changes, maybe.
cpach
M2 MBP here. Not sure, I think I restart like once a month or so.
gnicholas
Do you find there to be a performance benefit? It seems like everything runs faster after a restart, down to the latency on my BT keyboard. But the most noticeable difference is my CPU usage, which is at basically 0% after I restart, compared to 20% before, both when idle and with my normal applications open.
cpach
I see! For me, no noticable performance benefit.
MattGaiser
Months. I have noticed the performance gap and when I peak at task manager/activity monitor, it is usually because I have left something running in the background. It might be Docker, might be Nginx, might be an updater.

I hate restarting, as then I have to reopen all my tools and restart everything all over again.

selectnull
$ uptime

21:08 up 30 days, 23:09

M2 Air. Restart only after OS finally nags me down into an upgrade.

pranitbauva1997
At least every day. Sometimes in between if I have ran any updates.
focusedone
Windows: once a week or as needed.

Linux, whenever I feel like it. 117 days on a home server right now. 42 days on a laptop.

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CogitoCogito
I usually hibernate instead of fully rebooting (and since it’s Debian the machine really is off until I turn it back on). That I do multiple times a day. But unless I actually need to hibernate to keep some things open, I will always turn it off normally.
torblerone
> How often do you restart your computer?

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.

mindcrime
For my Linux laptop: once every couple of weeks or so. It wouldn't even be that often, but every once in a while I'll suspend it by closing the lid, and when I reopen it, it won't come out of suspend without a power cycle. Doesn't happen very often, and boots are super fast, and all my apps auto-restart, so I don't really worry about it.
vgeek
Nvidia gpu? If so, you can disable Nvidia specific suspend/hibernate functions and it may work fine.
pmontra
When the battery won't keep my Linux laptop in standby for long enough.
ElCapitanMarkla
Maybe once a week... maybe once a month... depends if something bugs out.

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.

stevage
MacBook Pro: every couple of weeks

Windows: every couple of days.

comprev
Out of habit I power down computers I don't use any more. Every workday my M2 MBAir work laptop is booted from cold and shut down after work. Personal MBAir 2017 is the same.

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)

in9
Every week or so. I have a feeling stuff starts to run smoother. And I also tell macos to not recover the windows. I like a fresh start.
gnicholas
What do you think the reason is? I had hypothesized that it was because I keep tons of tabs open, and over time more of them are made active (they are in a quasi-hibernated state when I first reopen Brave). But if that is true, then quitting and restarting Brave would have the same effect — which it doesn't seem to.
in9
Honestly, memory leaks are common in software, so I really don't buy it when people say they don't need to do it. Unless it is a server where the memory footprint is arguably simpler due to not having graphics + UI + different interfaces and peripherals, I can't convince myself that a reboot won't freshen things up.
HeyLaughingBoy
I reboot my TV far more often than I reboot my laptop.
Lestertucker
Are filesystem corruptions more likely to happen in long uptime without ECC?
laksdjf
desktop pc. shutdown every night
dehugger
I have a job that restarts my Windows PC every night at 4AM. I've found that it is much more performant and stable since I started doing that
Quinzel
I restart my computer once every day or so mainly because I broke the power cable so when it runs out of battery I have to recharge it.

For the record I just have a regular MBA if this is relevant to turning computers off and on again.

satvikpendem
In this order:

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.

fuzzfactor
>How often do you restart your computer?

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.