How often should I reboot or restart my computer?

There is no minimum or maximum amount of times a computer should be restarted (warm booted). Unless your computer is requesting to be restarted, leaving your computer on without restarting will not harm the computer in any way.

Restarting your computer can also be a useful troubleshooting step if it's experiencing issues that cannot be resolved.

Should I restart or shut down my computer?

If you're still using your computer or you're troubleshooting a problem, it should be restarted instead of shut down and then turned back on. If you're done with the computer for the day, we recommend shutting it down. Both restarting a computer and shutting down a computer and then turning it back on will re-initialize your operating system, software, and hardware.