How to Find How Long System is On in Windows and Mac?

It is always a good idea to properly shutdown your computer whether it is a Mac or Windows PC. It helps to save battery and avoid damages while you are traveling. However, many times you might have forgotten to switch off the computer. During such times, did you ever wonder how long your system was running from last shutdown? In this article, we will explain how to find how long your system is on in Windows PC and Apple Mac.

System Up Time or Time Since Last Boot

Good thing is both Windows and macOS will keep a record of the system’s running time. The counter will start when you boot the system and the time will be reset when you reboot again. Windows uses the term “Up Time” for recording the duration while Mac uses the term “Time since boot”.

Finding System Up Time in Windows PC

To find system’s up time in Windows, you need to open Task Manager app. There are multiple ways to open this app.

• Use “Control + Shift + Esc” shortcuts keys.
• If you are using Windows 10, right click on the taskbar and select Task Manager option. However, this option is no more available with Windows 11.
• Press “Alt + Control + Delete” keys and then choose Task Manger from the list of available options.
• Another easy option is to use Windows Search to search and find the app.

The Task Manager app will open with “Processes” tab and show all the processes running on your system.

Click on “Performance” tab and then select “CPU” section. It will show various CPU parameters and find the time showing against the “Up time” option.

Windows shows the up time in “Days : Hours : Minutes : Seconds” format. As you can see in the above screenshot, the system is running for the past 10 hours 49 minutes and 26 seconds.

How to Find Time Since Last Boot in Mac?

Follow the below instructions on Apple Mac to find the time since last boot:

• Click on the Apple logo showing on the top left corner of your screen. This logo will show as part of top menu bar regardless of the app you open.
• Select “About This Mac” option from the list of menu items.

• Check under “Overview” tab and click on “System Report…” button.

• This will open the complete details of your Mac showing hardware, network and software details.

• Scroll down and click on the “Software” option from the left sidebar.
• You will see the “Time since boot” duration as a last item on the right pane.

Mac uses “Number of Days, Hours : Minutes” format for showing the time. As you can see in the above screenshot, the system is running for 11 days, 13 hours and 8 minutes. This is a good indication that the system needs to be restarted as it is more than 11 days since last boot.