Do I need to keep my computer on 24/7 to solo mine?

No, you do not need to keep your computer on 24/7 to solo mine Monero. You only mine while your computer is awake and your mining software is running, so switching it off reduces your chances of finding a block but does not bring a special penalty.

What happens when you switch off?

Solo mining means trying to find a valid block yourself, rather than sharing rewards with a group. A block is a batch of transactions added to Monero’s shared record, called the blockchain.

When you shut down, put your computer to sleep, or stop the miner, you stop making attempts. When you start again, you can resume mining once your setup is ready.

You do not lose saved progress toward a reward, because there is no progress bar to fill. Each attempt is a new chance. Mining for several hours without finding a block does not make a reward “due” when you return.

If you already found a block that the network accepted, turning off afterward does not erase its reward. Newly mined coins remain locked for 60 blocks—roughly two hours at Monero’s target pace—even if your computer is offline.

How much does your schedule matter?

Your chance of finding a block depends mainly on your hashrate—how many mining attempts your computer makes each second—compared with the whole network.

At the same mining speed and similar network conditions:

• Mining six hours a day gives you roughly one-quarter as many attempts as mining all day.
• Mining only on weekends gives you fewer chances than running every day.
• Taking breaks does not make later attempts less effective.

Those comparisons describe opportunity, not guaranteed income. Solo mining has a lot of luck involved. A home computer may run for a very long time without finding any block, even when kept on continuously.

Monero aims for one block about every two minutes across the entire network, not one block per miner. Use a live mining calculator to estimate your average waiting time, and remember that your actual wait could be much longer.

Your node may need to catch up

For a typical solo-mining setup, you run a Monero node: software that checks blocks and keeps a copy of the blockchain. Your miner needs current block information and a working network connection to mine usefully.

If you turn off both the miner and the node, the node must download and check the blocks it missed when you restart. Wait until it is synchronized—caught up with the network—before expecting useful mining.

You can also keep the node running while stopping only the miner. This helps you restart mining sooner, but it is a convenience, not a requirement. A node running by itself does not earn mining rewards.

The bottom line

Choose a schedule that suits your electricity costs, cooling, noise tolerance, and normal computer use. Short mining sessions are valid; just remember that sleep mode stops them, while turning off only the screen usually does not.

Running 24/7 gives you more chances, but it does not guarantee a block or a profit. You can stop whenever you need to, let your node catch up when you return, and start mining again without a penalty for the break.