A Windows laptop comes with sleep as well as shutdown options. When you put your laptop in sleep mode, it enters a low-power mode and you can resume your work in whichever way you have left it. If you shut down the laptop, you need to close all the programs as well as your work and begin again. Sleep mode or Hibernate is good if you want to take a small break from your laptop in a day. What about Shutdown? Should I shutdown my laptop every time? Let’s find out.
Should I shutdown my laptop every time?
If you are wondering if you should shut down your Windows laptop every time, just put it in sleep mode, or leave it as it is, it is personal preference. During the day, if you take small time away from your laptop, it is okay to put it in Sleep mode to continue the tasks. You don’t have to shut it down! However, if you take long breaks, such as a week or so, it might be a good idea to shut down the laptop for the following reasons:
- Energy consumption
- Enhanced Performance
- Security
- Updates
- Saving charge cycle
Let’s get into the details of each one.
1] Energy consumption
When you put your laptop into sleep mode, it consumes a very minimal amount of power. This helps your device to run the background processes. When you shut down your laptop, there will be no program or process that runs in the background. So, it consumes no power. Though sleep mode or shutdown does not make much of a change in your electricity bill, it is still good to shut the laptop when it is not in use just to reduce some carbon footprint.
Read: Should you Sleep, Hibernate or Shutdown Windows PC
2] Enhanced Performance
If you do not shut down your laptop for a long time, the processes that run in the background pile up. We do not regularly check the background processes unless there is a need. These background processes put pressure on the performance and it gradually slows down the PC. When you shut down the laptop every night, it allows all the processes to end and restart the necessary ones when you turn the laptop back on. Restarting your Windows PC can fix problems!
3] Security
Our laptops are always connected to the internet. Without the internet, there is much we can do about it. Shutting down the laptop when you do not have work with it is considered a good security practice that prevents unauthorized access to the laptop via the network. If you are concerned about data and security, shutting down your laptop when not in use is a good idea, especially when connected to public networks.
4] Updates
Windows users get security or some other OS updates regularly. To make the updates effective, you need to restart your laptop. Many of us avoid the restart until our work is done. If you have the habit of shutting down your laptop every night, you can get the updates to take effect, making your laptop more secure with new features.
5] Saving charge cycle
The laptops’ battery comes with 500 to 1000 charge cycles before we start seeing battery draining or other battery issues. By shutting down the laptop, you can make the battery last longer and save the charge cycles, improving the battery life.
It is entirely your preference if you want to shut down your laptop every time or put it in sleep mode. If you are running a web server from your laptop or PC, or it is used for remote connection, etc. you do not have a choice to shut it down.
Read next: Should I turn off my Router or WiFi Network when not in use?
Is it better to shut down your laptop or sleep?
Putting a laptop in sleep mode gives you the convenience of resuming from where you have left. If you shut down your laptop, you must wait until it is completely on, and open programs to start your work. If you are in a hurry, shutting down the laptop won’t help. For short breaks, sleep mode would be fine. For long breaks like overnight, it would be better to shut down.
Also read: Laptop Battery drains after shutdown
Is it OK to close laptop without shutting down?
Yes, it is OK to close the laptop without shutting down. If it is done over a long time, you may see performance issues with the laptop, which can be avoided with shutdowns at least once a week. If closing the laptop lid does not put your laptop to sleep, the battery may drain quickly. You need to tweak them in the power options.
Related read: Windows computer goes to sleep automatically randomly.
