Measuring Windows uptime: How long's it been since your last reboot?

Julio Franco

Posts: 9,090   +2,042
Staff member
If you’ve ever wondered just how long your PC has been continuously running without a reboot and you are using Windows, there are a couple of simple ways to obtain this information using tools built right into the OS.


Method 1: Windows NT/2000 and XP

Open up the command prompt (Start > Run > cmd > Enter/Ok). When the command prompt has loaded type “net stats srv” (or “net statistics server”). NT4 users (are there any, really?) need to download a special utility instead.

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Method 2: Windows XP and beyond

Alternatively, you can use the command prompt to obtain system information, type “system info” which will also provide you with your PC’s uptime.


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Method 3: Windows Vista, 7 and 8

For those on Vista or Windows 7, things are a little easier (although the above will work just fine). Right click the taskbar and choose “Task Manager” or “Start Task Manager”. Head over to the “Performance” tab and on the bottom right of the window you ought to see your system uptime.


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In Windows 8's revamped Task Manager it looks like this:

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Note: This is a copy from the old TechSpot blog/tips archive. This is a much better home for this valuable tip for the years to come.
 
Ohh every couple of days, I'm forced to reboot because of system freeze. Other than that, I shutdown every night now that I'm not crunching CPU and GPU intensive projects. Funny thing though; as long as I was crunching those projects, I never had issues and was up weeks at a time.
 
I do not have my computer running for long stretches. I usually boot my computer on a few hours after getting home from work in the evening -- to check my mail, browse the web for news, perhaps game for an hour or two. I shut down before I hit the sack. On weekends, I might have my machine running for a few hours longer as I tend to play a lot more games then.

I don't spend all day in front of the computer unless work forces me, though. I love being outdoors too much.
 
I shutdown my computer every day before bed. It is a good habit.
Sure is.


Work:
I try not to shut this thing down. It doesn't have SSD and it keeps loading up maintenance tasks upon reboot. It's sitting on 1:20:08:00 right now.

Home:
I shut this down at night, or when I stop using it.

HTPC:
This hardly ever gets shut off, currently.. I tend to run it in Sleep though. It wakes up and does its thing, then goes to sleep again.
 
Mine goes off once a month or as needed, but otherwise, never. I've heard multiple reasons for shuting it down vs leaving it on & have decided its up to the individual that ownes it. :)
 
Hm, what happened to the three posts that were here? That would be a very odd thing for mod to delete ....

Uptime on work laptop is now 9d,23hr. It'll probably need restarting next week due to automatic updates, heh..
 
Hm, what happened to the three posts that were here? That would be a very odd thing for mod to delete ....

Uptime on work laptop is now 9d,23hr. It'll probably need restarting next week due to automatic updates, heh..
Thank you. Me wundering same.
 
I thought my browser wasn't refreshing until I logged in from another computer. Very odd indeed. Does the mod not want anyone to know that Windows 7 professional is stable enough to run 3 months solid with no errors? Is he perhaps that much of a Linux fan??
 
The mod is only concerned that this is a tutorial and the question asked is not literal but rather is a rhetorical question to pique your interest.
 
Alright, I guess I see your point. The topic remained unlocked, with some previous discussions, so that's why I thought it was okay. :(
 
It's open because members might have comments or questions related to the tutorial itself. Not so much the rhetorical question. :)
 
I wish I would of known this years ago. I've been under the impression a pc needed to be rebooted a few times a day. This forum has taught me a good bunch, thanks.(y) :D
 
HTG= How To Geek just had this in there news letter today & it makes me ask this. How can a pc NOT be rebooted for 100 days or whatever because there have been times MS updates do it anyhow automatically.?
 
Computers used for long periods of time by researcher. Really do not update. They are most likely set not to get updates . I would think. Or you can just set your computer to receive updates. But not install them till you get around to it. I know are computers where I work . Receive Updates. But I can bet you they are never installed. More and likely does not make a difference . In a company wide network.
 
WOW, it was my understanding one should install them. Thanks, I'll continue to install them on Patch Tuesday. :)
 
Yes you and me should always install them. It is good security measures. The only reason I state about my work is. I will go from computer to computer during the day. I see each one wanting updates. Then when I go back a couple of days later they are still wanting the same updates. I would gather. It must not be to important on the shop floor. All though they all get internet out there to.
 
To update or not to update; That is the question . . .
(btw: my win/7/pro sp1 laptop is showing uptime 3:11:39:59 as I write)

I'm a control freak; I bought, it's mine and I want to know/control what/when things are being performed. Really freaks me out to have an update take off when I'm at a hotspot and have 10 minutes to pull a report. ERGO, no autoupdates for me please.

Update Tuesdays? Seen too many systems forced into recovery due to bad updates that were soon retracted - - I wait at least until the following Monday to let the dust settle.

When DO I update? Calendar event set for 1st of every month to Check For Updates - - and I may defer still further, depending on critical schedules for that week. Commercial systems typically go into freeze mode at year end (no updates allowed), just be be sure the accounting books can be closed w/o surprises.
 
To update or not to update; That is the question . . .
(btw: my win/7/pro sp1 laptop is showing uptime 3:11:39:59 as I write)

I'm a control freak; I bought, it's mine and I want to know/control what/when things are being performed. Really freaks me out to have an update take off when I'm at a hotspot and have 10 minutes to pull a report. ERGO, no autoupdates for me please.

Update Tuesdays? Seen too many systems forced into recovery due to bad updates that were soon retracted - - I wait at least until the following Monday to let the dust settle.

When DO I update? Calendar event set for 1st of every month to Check For Updates - - and I may defer still further, depending on critical schedules for that week. Commercial systems typically go into freeze mode at year end (no updates allowed), just be be sure the accounting books can be closed w/o surprises.
I can understand a person with your knowledge doing it that way, but how many in here can read & know what ALL the MS updates are for & do? I for one certainly don't & I will not bother coming in here to ask somebody if I need it because why should they? They don't have my pc in front of them. I'll shut up now. Thank you @jobeard
 
I can understand a person with your knowledge doing it that way, but how many in here can read & know what ALL the MS updates are for & do?
My point is don't be the first on your block to apply every update - - let them 'season' at least a week before you jump into the pool.
know what ALL the MS updates are for & do
that's an entirely different issue (but point well taken).
 
Case in point
a few days after Microsoft rolled out its latest Windows update, the company has pulled it, and is recommending users to uninstall it. The move comes after there were reports that the update caused the infamous Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) to pop up.
At the heart of the matter are four individual updates (2982791, 2970228, 2975719, and 297533) that addressed security and features. The Redmond-based company identified three issues regarding the behavior it had seen when users installed these updates.
see this
 
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