“Have you tried restarting it?”

That’s a question that gets asked a lot by IT professionals, so much so that the concept gets joked about, not only in regards to computers, but in other areas of life as well. Seriously though, there is a reason we hear that recommendation first when calling for technical support: Oftentimes, it just WORKS. Rebooting (restarting) your computer (PC, Mac, Mobile Device) gives the operating system a clean slate, which can allow the computer to correct problems with applications, drivers, or other issues that slow it down or cause crashes.

However, the reboot doesn’t just help fix problems after they happen. It can also help PREVENT problems from ever happening in the first place. There are lots of technical reasons why rebooting is a good idea, but in the interest of Making Tech Easy, here’s our list of reasons why you should reboot your computer every day. Yes, EVERY DAY!

1. Rebooting saves you time
   This sounds counter-intuitive, right? You’re thinking “It takes my computer 5 minutes to restart! How would doing that every day save me time?” Think of it this way, however; if the restart is the last thing you do when leaving the office, it doesn’t take you any extra time, and you’ll reap the benefits of time saved with your smoothly running computer tomorrow.
2. Rebooting allows updates to be performed
   Some software and operating system updates cannot be performed when a user is logged in, so they might not be able to be installed if you don’t log out. Since a restart combines a log out with the clean slate mentioned above, your system will likely have a better success rate with installing updates, leading to a better-performing system and less downtime.
3. Rebooting is good for security
   Leaving a PC logged in with open applications can be a security risk. Rebooting logs all users off, leaving the computer more secure.
4. Rebooting increases the longevity of the PC
   Like a car that is well-cared for, a properly maintained computer will last longer, and perform at levels like when it was new for longer.