Get Reboot History

When should you use this PowerShell Worklet to check reboot history?

Using PowerShell, you can easily pull reboot reports for remote computers to maintain an accurate inventory of devices within your organization. And by tracking reboots, you’re able to validate the operational status of devices and update asset management records accordingly.

How to get device reboot history with this PowerShell Worklet

This Worklet uses a PowerShell script to generate a report of the past five reboots (by default) on a given device(s), along with important fields pertaining to the reboot, including:

• Date of last boot time(s)

• User

• Action

• Process

• Reason

• ReasonCode

• Comment

You can customize the number of reboots you want to report on. 

This Worklet is compatible with Windows 7 and above (and requires PowerShell 3.0+).

Why pull a reboot history report?

A reboot report with event logs helps your IT team maintain device health, address potential issues, ensure compliance with security policies, and optimize system performance. It provides valuable insights into the reboot activities of end user devices so that you can take action as needed. For example:

Maintenance and Updates

Rebooting devices is often necessary after installing software updates, patches, or system configurations. By generating a reboot report, IT admins can verify that devices have been restarted successfully and that updates and maintenance activities have been applied properly.

Troubleshooting and Issue Resolution

Rebooting can resolve certain software or system issues, such as resolving conflicts, freeing up system resources, or clearing temporary files. By obtaining a reboot report, you can identify devices that haven't been restarted recently and proactively address potential issues or performance bottlenecks.

Compliance and Security

Rebooting devices can be a security best practice to apply critical security updates effectively. By monitoring and reporting on device reboots, you can make sure that devices are in compliance with security policies and have the necessary patches or configurations in place to mitigate security risks.

User Experience and Productivity

Rebooting devices periodically can help maintain optimal system performance, responsiveness, and stability. By tracking reboot activities, IT admins can make sure end users' devices are functioning efficiently, minimizing disruptions and improving overall user experience and productivity.

Scheduled Maintenance and Downtime Planning

Reboot reports provide valuable information for planning scheduled maintenance and downtime. By understanding which devices have been recently restarted, you can schedule maintenance tasks, updates, or system changes during periods of low usage, minimizing disruption to end users.

Asset Management and Inventory

As mentioned above, reboot reports help you maintain an accurate inventory of devices, including remote computers, within the organization. By tracking reboots, IT admins can validate the operational status of devices and update asset management records.