Summary
It's an old adage in I.T. - Reboot! But more often than not, it can and will solve many problems, especially if the computer has been running a long time! In this article you will learn how to determine the length of time your computer has been running (without being restarted in an effort to determine if restarting could possibly improve performance.
Prerequisites
Instructions
In our daily routines, often our computers remain on and running all day every day. This is especially true in environments where a device is shared among coworkers. While it's convenient to just lock the computer (or log off for the next person), often this leads to decreased efficiency and performance. Many native Windows resources, running processes, open files, etc. simply accumulate, thus negatively affecting your computer's ability to run efficiently! Did you know that your computer keeps a running timer on how long it's been up?
Step 1: Press [CTRL] + [ALT] + [DEL] keys simultaneously to access the menu.
Step 2: Select the "Task Manager" option. You will see several tabs across the top, and the current tab ("Processes") will have a list of currently running Applications as well as background processes.
Step 3: Select the "Performance" tab.
Step 4: The left margin has several items that can be selected (CPU, Memory, Ethernet, et. al.). The default selection is CPU...make sure it remains selected. In the lower part of the larger area of the window is "Up Time" and an increasing timer in the format of DD:HH:MM:SS. In this example, this computer has been running for over 7 1/2 days!!
Step 5: A good rule of thumb is to reboot your computer once a day, so establish a routine to do so. For example, do so at the end of your shift, at the beginning of your shift before you clock in, etc. Rebooting can also do such important things as install any pending Windows updates. To reboot, simply select the Windows button in the task bar, choose "Power" and then "Restart." Make sure to save any documents that you are working on and properly close out of any applications or browser windows before doing so.
Conclusion
You have successfully learned how to determined how long your computer has been running and restart if necessary. If further assistance is needed, please contact the Service Desk.
* support@cpspharm.com
* 844-638-1630