How to Find out How Long Your Computer Has Been On

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Co-authored by Luigi Oppido and Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: March 16, 2024 Tested

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This wikiHow teaches you how to determine the amount of time for which your computer has been on since its last shut-down.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Windows

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1
Open the Task Manager. You can do this in a few different ways:
- Press Esc while you hold down ⇧ Shift + Ctrl .
- Press Del while you hold down Alt + Ctrl , then click Task Manager .
- Type "task manager" into the Start search bar, then click the Task Manager app at the top of the results.
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It's at the top of the Task Manager window.

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3
Click the CPU tab. You'll find this option on the left side of the Task Manager window.
- If you're using Windows 7 or down, skip this step.
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You'll see this in the bottom half of the Task Manager window.
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5
Look at the number right of the "Up Time" heading. This number, which will appear in DD:HH:MM:SS format, dictates the amount of time for which your computer has been on since you last turned it off.
- For example, an Up Time value of "01:16:23:21" would mean your computer has been on for one day, sixteen hours, twenty-three minutes, and twenty-one seconds without shutting down.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

macOS

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It's on the top-left corner of the screen. Doing so will display a drop-down menu.
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This option is near the bottom of the drop-down menu.
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You'll see this on the left side of the "About This Mac" window.
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It's on the left side of window. Clicking this heading will open the "Software" overview in the main window here.
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This option is near the bottom of the list of information in the middle of the page. The number to the right of this heading determines how long your Mac has been on since its last shut-down.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Linux

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1

Open the Terminal. You'll usually find the Terminal in the application menu of your distribution. If you are using GNOME, press ⊞ Win and type Terminal to find it.
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2

Type uptime -p and press Enter . This will output your PCs uptime.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How long can a computer run continuously?

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

Luigi Oppido

Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Answer

As long as you have your computer plugged into a surge suppressor or a battery backup, you can really leave it running as long as you want, especially if you're running it on clean power. Then, you can just restart once a week or whenever you need to install an update.

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If your computer has been on for more than a day, consider restarting it.

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Warnings

Not shutting your computer down from time to time will eventually cause it to run much slower than optimal.

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How to Find out How Long Your Computer Has Been On

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