Rebooting and why I should do it

For many, having to reboot/restarting our computers seems to be such an issue. Why can’t I just leave it turned on for days at a time and even connected to the company for hours and days without anyone complaining.

Here are some of the reasons why we all need to reboot/restart our computers/device:

• A full shut-down restart/reboot is required for completing many of the security patches needed to keep your (personal, corporate, and family) data and reputation safe.
• A restart refreshes your system of the many "temporary" processes that have done their job, but haven't fully release system resources

We have been working with a client and when we talk to them about getting the end users to reboot/restart their devices it seems to be such a challenge. Of course, there are so many reasons why someone cannot reboot their system on a timely basis:

• I have files open that I need to keep open because I am working on the files (these files are open for hours even when the person isn’t working).
• My system takes too long to reboot when I do a restart (maybe the issue is you haven’t done restarts lately and there are too many things that need to be updated).
• I just don’t have time to do a restart (why not restart your computer at the end of the day, and it will ready when you get back the next business day).

There are so many reasons why someone will tell you that they cannot reboot/restart their system, and a lot of those reasons are that they just can’t be bothered or there isn’t a reason for them to reboot. In some cases, the reason someone isn’t rebooting/restarting their device in a timely manner is because there is no policy in place that says that all devices must be restarted with x number of days. When a business doesn’t have a policy as to how often machines need to be rebooted/restarted, that doesn’t help at all.

For a business to be successful and secure, they need to understand the importance of restarting/rebooting each machine is vital. Some users think that either putting their device into hibernation mood/sleep or a system crash means that a computer has rebooted, has completed the task. What people don’t understand is a crash doesn’t mean a total system restart, and putting a computer into hibernation is not a restart.  For a device to work effectively, they need to have regular, total reboot/restarts. It doesn’t matter if it is a computer or tablet, they all need that bit of time when they can turn off and restart to clear all the stuff that has been bothering/hindering them.

It is important that we understand that our devices, either a computer or tablet, need a bit of time when they can turn off and refresh. So, yes, it is important that we remember that our devices need a bit of time to sleep, even if it is just for a couple of minutes. It helps them recharge and know that they are ready to go and meet your needs again.