Defrag Your RAM

On By John GrubbIn Training
Picture of RAM with a magnifying glass with the idea that you should defrag your RAM

A Common Question And Its Answer

It’s only Tuesday and two different customers have already asked me the following question: “Do I have to turn off my computer every day?”

The answer is “No. You do not have to turn your computer off every day.” It’s okay to put your computer to sleep instead. HOWEVER (and that’s a big “However”), you should turn your computer off completely at least once a week. Generally, I suggest that you pick a certain night of the week, say Sunday, and on that night, you shut your computer off until morning.

Defrag Your RAM By Turning Off Your Computer – Why It’s Important

Why is it important to shut your computer off? Your device’s memory (RAM), over a period of time, becomes fragmented. In simple terms, this means programs can’t use leftover areas of RAM. The longer you go without turning off your computer, the more fragmented the RAM becomes and the slower your computer will operate. Restarting your computer does NOT clear the RAM. Restarting the computer won’t help. You need to actually turn it off.

In closing, here are a few notes of importance:

  • You should not normally turn off your computer more than once a day. The most stressful time, both electronically and mechanically, for a computer is boot-up (start-up) so it’s never good to do that repeatedly in one day.
  • There is software that is supposed to defrag (free up) RAM but, in all honesty, I haven’t found one program that works as well as simply turning off your device.
  • What we’re saying here about the RAM in your computer affects both Windows machines and Macs.
  • It isn’t just computers that are affected by fragmented RAM. It’s also true of tablets, smartphones, and any device containing RAM. You should turn off these devices for at least 5 minutes from time to time.
  • If your computer is running Windows 10 or Windows 11, using Shut Down in the Power menu may not actually be turning your computer off. To understand what we mean by this, read the next blog “You’re In A Deep, Deep Sleep.”

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