Laptop Lifespan: Why You Should Definitely Shut Down Your PC Every Night

Powering up your computer, waiting for it to boot, and launching your work apps afresh – these are the processes involved in working with a turned-off computer. 

Many users consider that routine similar to getting a colleague out of bed and preparing them for work. That is why 33.39% of respondents in a SlashGear survey said they do not turn off their PCs at night.

Since computers have become indispensable coworkers, how we use them has evolved. We now expect the same level of readiness as team members who walk through the office door alongside us.

But computers are not humans. They cannot shut down, power up themselves, and get our apps back to how we left them – at least not yet.

The best way to maintain a PC’s work-readiness is keeping it on. 

But how safe is leaving an unattended PC on? Is it ok to leave a laptop on all the time? That’s the question burning through the minds of many work-heavy computer users who can’t cope with the inconvenience of turning their computers off.

This article will answer the question, “Should I shut down my PC every night?” and go through the pros and cons of keeping your PC turned on and off. We’ll also let you know why you should always shut down your PC when you’re done with work.

When Leaving Your Computer Turned On Makes Sense

Let’s start with covering those situations where keeping the PC turned is realistically sensible.

Using the PC As a Server

It’s not uncommon for gamers, small businesses, and hobbyists to use their PCs as servers for file-sharing, website hosting, gaming, media streaming, personal cloud computing, and development and testing.

If you want to use your PC as a server for any of these reasons, you must keep it turned on as these services require close to 100% uptime. Shutting the PC down will cause an outage, which can easily result in loss of data and other serious consequences.

Remote Access

Remote access technology allows users to connect to their computers from different locations. 

If you need access to your PC when you’re away, then you have to keep it turned on and connected to the Internet. That way, you can perform different tasks remotely as if you were with the computer. These tasks include running applications, syncing data, scheduling tasks, and even troubleshooting.

This particular need to keep your PC on is critical, depending on the situation. It may be the best thing for your work if you’re expecting something urgent to come up while away from your computer.

Background Updates, Virus Scans, Downloads/Uploads, and Other Activities

These make up another set of important reasons to keep your computer turned on. Most Windows updates (and other third-party app) require you to restart your computer. However, Windows respects your active hours by default and opts to restart your PC to install updates when you’re away from your computer.

Your antivirus application also waits till you’re not using your computer to perform sweeping virus scans. In this case, it is postponing the task as full system scans tend to eat up a lot of processing power. 

So, conducting them away from your active hours will spare your CPU the extra load and allow you to work without lags.

Downloads and uploads and other activities such as backups, video rendering, and heavy computing can be scheduled for a later time to reduce the burden on your PC.

Reliabilty

You may rely on your PC for other tasks that involve continuous operation. For example, if you use the computer as part of your home surveillance system, you need it turned on around the clock to monitor and record footage from CCTV cameras.

Convenience

Sometimes, the time it takes your computer to boot up and your applications to start is considered enough to hurt your productivity.

If you need instant access to work when you’re at the critical stage of a project, it makes sense to keep your computer on and your apps running. 

That way, you don’t have to guess where you left things and how to continue.

Why You Should Turn Your PC Off

Let’s uncover reasons why turning off your PC is a good idea and answer the question, “Should i turn off my computer every night?”

Protect Your Computer From Power Surges

Your area and quality of electrical infrastructure are among the many factors that determine how frequently you experience power surges. 

That said, one power surge is enough to cause significant damage. While using things like surge protectors helps, turning of your computer and unplugging reduces the likelihood of your PC suffering any kind of damage when electrical voltage suddenly spikes.

Conserve Energy

Conserving energy is one of the most significant reasons to turn off your computer when you’re not using it.

Your laptop or desktop’s computer impact on your energy bills may not be noticeable until you look at how much electricity they consume annually.

Depending on the type of system and what you use it for, computers can be notorious power guzzlers. While they don’t draw too much power while hibernated, leaving them on may mean that some power-hungry background processes may switch on at any point.

Protect Your Privacy

Leaving your PC running and connected to the Internet can expose it to security risks. Even if you have a firewall and antivirus software, vulnerabilities can still be exploited as long as it is running. Turning off the PC reduces the window of opportunity for potential attacks and unauthorized access.

Also Read: How to Prevent Malware: Lock Down Your Online Safety

Reduce Heating Issues

Heat is a terrible hazard for any electronic device. That is why your CPU and GPU have cooling technologies, whether it’s heat sinks or regular fans.

Sometimes, you’ll notice your fans spinning even when your computer is idle but turned on. In such scenarios, some background processes may be putting your CPU to work.

In simple terms, turning off your PC keeps it cool. So, extending the period it stays off means you’re reducing the risk that heat poses to your hardware and internal components.

This factor is one of the strongest arguments for turning a PC off every night.

Also Read: How to stop a Windows 10/11 laptop from overheating while gaming?

Boost Performance

Programs and processes tend to clog system memory and bug down the CPU if a computer runs for an extended period. Fragmented and temporary files may also overburden the processor after long-term use.

These occurrences explain why you notice software glitches and reduced performance after running your computer for days or weeks without turning it off.

Shutting down or rebooting your system will clear the memory, stop some background applications, and clear temporary and fragmented files. That way, your PC will get the long-needed refresh it needs to start functioning optimally again.

Also Read: How to Clear RAM and Reduce RAM Usage in Windows 10

Hardware Longevity

The hardware components on your computer have limited lifespans. That’s because they are subject to physical stress when operating, and repeated use causes wear and tear.

Heat and dust are also hazards that chip away at any hardware device’s lifespan, and they tend to increase with prolonged use.

As a result, the longer your computer runs the closer each component gets to its end-of-life.

So, every time you shut down your PC, you’re pausing the clock on your hardware components’ lifespan and extending their longevity.

Read More: Enjoy a Dust-Free PC: Expert Tips on How to Clean a Computer

Healthy Work-Life Balance

Shutting down your computer at the end of your workday or when you’re not using it can help establish a clear boundary between your work and personal life. It prevents you from being constantly connected to your computer, especially when you keep hearing beeps and notifications.

This disconnect from work ensures you begin the next day refreshed and energized, boosting your productivity.

Should You Shut Down Your Laptop Every Night?

Modern computers are designed to conserve energy and last longer. They have built-in power policies and settings that activate when the user is away for specific periods to reduce power consumption and shut down hardware components when.

So, the risk of leaving a modern laptop turned on is not as significant as that of leaving old PCs running for long.

That said, you cannot ignore the importance of turning off your PC, especially the safety perks.

Escaping the risk of power surges, boosting your security, prolonging your PC’s lifespan, and reducing the dangers of overheating are compelling reasons to turn off your computer when you don’t need it.

How Often Should You Shut Down Your PC?

Is it good to shut down your computer every night? The short answer is yes. But the long answer depends on why you need to keep your PC turned on.

If you have reasons to keep the computer on, consider sticking to a policy that involves shutting it down from time to time. For example, you can have a backup computer if you use your PC as a server, as part of your security monitoring system, or for cryptocurrency mining.

That way, you can periodically switch to the backup computer and turn off your main computer.

Schedule a Shutdowns

If you’re used to keeping your PC running, you can schedule shutdowns for those times you don’t remember turning off your computer. Follow these steps:

• Open the Start menu, type Task Scheduler, and open the program from the search results.

• After the Task Scheduler opens, go to the right pane and click Create Task.

• Enter a name for the task, add a description, and choose when it runs under the General tab of the Create Task Wizard.

• Go to the Triggers tab and click New.

• Select the task start time and recurrence when the New Trigger window opens.

• Go to the Actions tab and click New.
• Under New Action, choose Start Program next to Action, type Shutdown under Program/script and enter /S /F into the Add arguments text box. Click OK.

• Go to the Conditions tab to set the conditions for the task and use the Settings tab to specify the task’s behavior, such as forcing it to stop if it does not end when requested.

• Click the OK button once you’ve applied all your preferences.

Managing Your Computer’s Boot Process

If the main reason for keeping your computer turned on is because its boot process is long and frustrating, you can take steps to speed up Windows startup. This means you do not have to wait too long.

While disabling startup applications is a way to shorten the boot time, you can make the apps you work with start once your computer boots. 

That way, you don’t have to double-click their shortcut or open the start menu whenever you turn on your PC.

Follow these steps:

• Tap the Win+R keyboard combination to launch the Run dialog.
• Type shell:startup in the text box and click OK or hit Enter.

• After the Startup folder opens, copy the shortcut of the app you want to add to the Startup folder.

• For example, we want to make Excel a Startup app as it is currently not listed as one. 

• The steps involve opening the Start menu, locating Excel, and right-clicking it. After right-clicking Excel, select Open File Location. 

• Next, copy Excel’s shortcut to the Startup folder.

• You will now see the application in the Startup Apps list. Make sure you switch it on.

Conclusion

So, is it good to shut down your computer every night?

While it is not significantly harmful to keep your PC turned on, shutting it down is safer and offers more perks. Alongside shutting down your computer, you should also take other measures to care for your PC.

FAQ