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Does your computer need restarting? The science of the right computer rebooting is not that easy – you don’t just shut down your computer.
To restart your computer the right way – and to avoid serious operating system foulups and registry problems that could cause major headaches, read this article. I’ll provide five steps to properly reboot any PC or Mac computer without damages to apps.
Sometimes even a computer running slowly needs a good reboot to speed it up!
Step 1. Shut down and save programs
If your computer isn’t completely frozen, make sure to close all programs. When computers restart, they delete short-term memory. This means that any Microsoft Excel worksheet that you were working on will be deleted unless you SAVE IT NOW.
Step 2. Make sure there are no scripts or processes still going
If there are running scripts like a hard drive defragment or system restore, these actions could be terminated and cause major damage to both the software installed itself as well as any files associated.
Step 3. Do a “soft computer reboot” through the Start Menu
I’m talking only to Windows OS users now, but the same general logic applies to Apple Macbook users too. Find the Shutdown options, and click “Restart”.
Step 4. If that doesn’t work, do a hard PC reboot
This is when all else fails and your PC laptop freezes or a soft reboot “Restart” isn’t working. Find your power button, and hold it down. Don’t let go! That’s key – hold it down until your monitor shuts down (usually in 5-10 seconds).
Your computer has been forced into power down – what’s known as a hard PC reboot. This unfortunately will cause data loss and in the wrong circumstances, corrupt programs and operating system files.
Step 5. Once your PC laptop computer has rebooted
Do a check of major programs that load on rebooting. These are the first to get messy during rebooting procedures. Remember, proper rebooting eliminates the need to buy cheap computer repair parts!
