Why should you turn off your computer every day when finishing work?
There is the old adage: ‘turn it off and turn it on again, and it will work.’ But seriously, this is a fundamental technique to ensure your devices work properly and are secure. Whether a large organisation in a big office or a small company with remote employees who work off laptops, devices must be constantly switched on and off. This advice might usually be what you’d expect from friends and family. Still, it is also standard advice from tech support. They don’t suggest this as a joke; it benefits your device and the company. Here’s why you should consistently reboot your desktop or laptop.
Turning off your computer every day keeps it running smoothly
When you turn off your computer, it helps to clear the memory. In the case of a laptop, shutting the lid could mean that memory is still being used, therefore eating up RAM. Additionally, your device may need an update, which is why it is running slowly. Therefore, automatic updates and installation should happen if you shut your computer down. Updates help keep your device running as well as it can, so ensure you update where and when. Turning on and turning off your PC and laptops does really make a difference in making your machine more efficient.
You still need to turn it off properly though
There is a tendency among work colleagues and employees to shut down a computer by holding down the power button. Unfortunately, just because this is the way to turn it on doesn’t mean it is the way to turn it off!
You must follow the correct steps because otherwise, rebooting your computer could do more harm than good. The device won’t update just because you shut it down; you also need to restart it; this is when the update will happen. After that, the machine should lose power and start on its own again.
To keep your device updated, turn it off and on again regularly. That way, when it does come to software updates and new patches, it won’t always take so long. People often prefer not to reboot the computer because of how long updates take. Some take up to 2 hours. If it is a newer machine that has also been regularly turned off, then the restarts and updates don’t take as long.
Turning off your computer every day lessens the risk of the hardware getting damaged
Because they’re not easily visible, people forget that computers contain a lot of moving (and expensive!) parts. Next is the CPU, which basically makes your device function properly, and this comes with a fan to help keep it cool. That is the noise you often hear if your laptop or tower feels exceptionally hot, it is working in overdrive to keep it cool. For businesses and organisations (particularly Marketers), devices with a high-end graphics card will need a cooling system.
Graphic Designers often get very tetchy when it comes to their devices, but for a good reason. To perform their job to the best of their ability, they will need an advanced device that can cope with the graphics card and other components. It is essential in this case that machines are rebooted often. Most PCs will use hard disk drives, which wear and tear over time. Turning your device on and off will increase the lifespan of your machine – that’s the essential takeaway!
Your device is more secure
Another issue that many companies face is security and cyber leaks. If a device is left on, for example, and an employee is logged into the backend of a website, there is the potential that the device can be hacked. Your employees must log out of their locked accounts and then turn off their computers. Otherwise, it is basically a gateway for hackers. Cyber criminals can find their way into open browsers and tabs that don’t have secure firewalls.
So, the lesson from this is to always turn off your computer as it reduces the chances of your device being remotely hacked (or even non-remotely). Learn more about Managed Security Awareness Training. There’s also an insight into how business owners can teach employees about cyber security and why it matters for companies.
