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How to Check Uptime on Windows 10 with Task Manager, PowerShell, or Command Prompt

We show you how to check uptime on Windows 10 so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not to restart your computer.

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Though it rarely comes up daily, there are many instances where you may want to check your uptime.

Knowing how long your PC or Windows Server has been running can help you decide if you should restart it. This can be useful if you're troubleshooting an issue or are about to start a sensitive project.

Unfortunately, finding your uptime on Windows 10 isn't particularly intuitive, but it's still relatively easy. As well as the Task Manager, you can get uptime with PowerShell, Command Prompt, or via the Control Panel.

In today's guide, we'll show you how to check uptime on Windows 10 with each of these methods so you can choose your favorite. Let's get started:

How to Check Computer Uptime with Task Manager

This is probably the most familiar way to check your uptime, but it can prove slower than command-line-based methods.

  1. Open Task Manager


    Press Start and type “Task Manager”. Click on the top result.

  2. Click ‘More details'


  3. Check your Windows 10 uptime


    Click the “Performance” tab in Task Manager, then click on “CPU” in the sidebar if it isn't selected already. Underneath the graph and processor thread, you should see an “Uptime” heading with the amount of time your computer has been running underneath.

How to Check Windows Uptime via Control Panel

The second most intuitive method is the Control Panel, which may be preferred over Task Manager for fans of Windows 7 and lower. It also provides a different method, checking your uptime via the network connection length rather than your CPU.

  1. Open Control Panel


    Press Start and type “Control Panel”, clicking the top result.

  2. Click ‘Network and Internet' in the control panel


  3. Choose ‘Network and Sharing Center'


  4. Press ‘Change adapter settings'


    You'll find this on the left sidebar.

  5. Double-click your WiFi or Ethernet network device


  6. Check your computer's connection uptime


    The uptime in your Wi-Fi Status window should be displayed next to the “Duration” heading.

How to check PC uptime in Command Prompt using WMIC

If you have a GUI-less install or just want to find your computer's last boot as quickly as possible, the command-line is your friend. There are several ways to do this, but the first one we'll be discussing is WMIC. For reference, WMIC is a command-line utility that lets you tap into the Windows Management Instrumentation.

  1. Open Command Prompt


    Press Start and type “Command Prompt”, clicking “Run as administrator” with the top result selected.

  2. Type your Windows uptime command in Command Prompt


    You'll want to paste the following with right click and then press Enter:

    wmic path Win32_OperatingSystem get LastBootUpTime


    Your output may look a bit odd, with a string of seemingly random numbers and letters. However, once you know the format it becomes quite easy:

    Year MonthDayHourMinutesSeconds.Milliseconds+timezone difference from GMT
    2020   10     15   07       39        26     .  443615     +    060 

    In this case, then, our last boot-up time was on the 15th of November 2020 at 07:39 am. You can subtract the boot time from the current time if you want a specific uptime number.

How to Get your Windows Uptime via the SystemInfo Command in CMD

If the output above confused you, you may prefer the Windows update command that utilizes SystemInfo. The command itself is quite easy to remember and provides a nice, readable format.

  1. Open Command Prompt


    Press Start and type “Command Prompt”, clicking “Run as administrator” with the top result selected.

  2. Check your Windows 10 uptime with the systeminfo command


    Paste the following into your Command Prompt window:

    systeminfo | find "System Boot Time"


How to check PC uptime using PowerShell

If you're not a fan of Command Prompt, you can use the command below to discover when your PC was last booted.

  1. Open PowerShell


    Press Windows + X to open the secret Start Menu, then click “Windows PowerShell (Admin)”.

  2. Run the PowerShell get uptime command


    In your PowerShell window, paste the following and hit Enter:

    (get-date) - (gcim Win32_OperatingSystem).LastBootUpTime

    You'll get your information in a list so that you can easily discern when you last booted your computer.

That closes out this tutorial, but let that stop you from learning. If you struggled with copying and pasting the commands, for example, you can follow our guide to enable Ctrl + C/V for Command Prompt. You can also enable PowerShell scripts for future use.

 
 
 
Ryan Maskell
Ryan Maskellhttps://ryanmaskell.co.uk
Ryan has had a passion for gaming and technology since early childhood. Fusing the skills from his Creative Writing and Publishing degree with profound technical knowledge, he enjoys covering news about Microsoft. As an avid writer, he is also working on his debut novel.
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