To reboot computer means restarting a computer system. Rebooting your computer is very important after installing a software program, installing system updates, can help you recover from an error, re-initialize drivers or hardware devices, and install an application update.
How to reboot computer
On Windows:
- On the Desktop menu in your system.
- Go to Start.
- Select the Power button.
- Select Restart.
On Mac:
- Select the Apple menu.
- Click Restart.
If your Mac becomes unresponsive, you have to use a different startup method. You can manually restart Mac by:
- Pressing and holding the power button on your Mac till it shuts off.
- After some seconds, press the power button again to restart.
How to do a hard reboot on Windows
- Press and hold down the computer’s power button on the computer.
- The computer will turn off after 5-10 seconds.
- Wait a few seconds once the computer is off and then turn the computer back on.
Rebooting a computer can resolve many issues on your computer. Internet connectivity issues, slow browser response, and software issues.
Hard reboot vs Soft reboot
A reboot may be a cold reboot or hard reboot, which means the power was physically shut off and then turned back on. It can also be a warm reboot or soft reboot, which means the system restarted without loss of power.
How to reboot a computer from Command Prompt
- Reboot Windows through Command Prompt using the shutdown command.
- Open Command Prompt and enter the following command:
- shutdown r
- “/r” here specifies that it should restart the computer instead of just shutting it down /s stands for shutting down.
- Then Wait while the computer reboot.
Additionally, be careful if you see the option to reset. Rebooting is also sometimes called resetting. But resetting is also often used synonymously with a factory reset, meaning to completely wipe-and-reinstall a system.
FAQs
Why do computers need to restart after installing an update?
How do you remotely shut down a computer?
How do you make computers restart on a schedule?
Windows Task Scheduler is another tool to create an automated task that restarts the machine; launch the app > choose Create Basic Task > follow the on-screen instructions to set it up.
