How to Restart a Computer


This advice may seem very simple, but the act of completely shutting down a computer and turning it back on can sometimes be very helpful. Most of the time when a problem happens on a computer, the best solution is to restart the computer. By doing this you are forcing a reboot of the computer, a complete restart of the operating system and other applications. This forces the computer to go through the checklist for running itself and most often finds the problem and cleans it up real quick. Restarting is different from shutting off the computer and turning it back on. Since Windows 8, shutting down a computer means that it goes into a sort of hibernation. All of the messy memory and bugs that might be affecting your computer are still present. The right course of action would be to restart the computer. This action is different because it clears all of the temporary memory that might be causing bugs and forces a reboot of the operating software.

Before suffocating the computer with the power button until it shuts up or ripping out the power cable, a few things must be done in order for the computer to shut down properly.

1. Turn off all open applications
This step might seem unnecessary, but having windows open when while the computer is trying to restart could redirect processing power away from restarting and towards those open applications. Closing out of windows might also make the user remember to save their file, and it would be very bad if all that hard work was lost.

2. Press the Windows button in the bottom left corner, select the power button right above the Windows button, and then select “Restart”
It is important to remember that “sign out”, “shut down”, and “restart” are all different actions. “Sign out” tells the computer that this user is done working and signs them out of the account, but does not turn off the computer. “Shut down” both logs the user out of the computer and turns off the computer, but puts it into a sleep state. “Restart” logs off the user, turns off the computer, clears temporary memory, and reboots the operating software, ensuring the most thorough and effective process in order to “turn it off and on again”

3. Let the computer restart
The computer restart process might take a few seconds, so allowing the focus solely on shutting down and saving important information is very important. This means minimising keyboard strokes and mouse movement. It is also a good idea to keep the monitor of the computer on so upon starting the computer again, you will know when it is ready to use.

4. Wait for the computer to load up and then sign in
Upon the completion of the restart, sign into the computer and check to see if the problem is still there. If the problem is still there then you should contact a STAT team through schooldude.com to come look further into the issue.

Congratulations! You have just learned how to properly restart a computer, an important tool in computer self-management.

Comments