id=”article-body” class=”row” section=”article-body” data-component=”trackCWV”> Leaving your PC on all the time might be convenient, but you should still shut it down roughly once a week. Turning your computer off gives it a chance to close out of background processes that can accumulate over time and drain your PC’s performance. Shutting down also gives your computer’s components — such as its cooling system — a chance to rest. Just like any other machine, computers can break if they run nonstop for too long. Sleep mode helps minimize that risk, but your computer can still benefit from a complete shutdown from time to time. Restarting your PC is sometimes required to apply important updates, including security patches, which is why you should shut down or restart every week or so. Here are a few of the ways to turn off or restart your PC in Windows 11. How to shut down and… read more