Turning off your computer at night has an obvious benefit: it saves electricity, which saves you money. Rebooting your computer, on the other hand, has less obvious benefits. Most laptops can go into sleep mode, which makes it easier to skip rebooting. Even though improved operating systems and more efficient computers have made rebooting less necessary, it still has advantages.
Flushes RAM
Your computer’s random access memory (RAM) is also known as volatile memory because it’s constantly in flux rather than solid-state memory, such as your hard drive. Your RAM handles many short-term tasks and data, like running processes and holding program values. Rebooting your computer flushes out all this information, allowing your device to start anew and helping it run faster and more efficiently.
Stops Memory Leaks
Memory leaks occur when a program doesn’t close properly. Every program on your computer uses memory (usually RAM) while it’s open. When you close the program, that memory should return to your computer. However, outdated, overused or glitchy programs can have memory leaks, which occur when memory isn’t returned to the computer. Rebooting your computer each night can help prevent memory leaks from occurring.
Fixes Small Errors
Many computer users are unaware that when they reboot their computer, it runs diagnostics on itself, automatically fixing minor errors. These errors can range from buggy or glitchy applications to problems with the RAM. This is why you’ll often find that when your computer freezes or has a problem you don’t know how to fix, simply restarting resolves the issue.
Installs Updates
Every piece of software on your computer has the potential to receive updates, which can add new features to an application or fix issues that occurred with older versions. Microsoft releases new updates for its components on the second Tuesday of every month, known as “Patch Tuesday. A restart is required on your computer to download and install the necessary updates and patches that help it run quickly and smoothly.
