How to Restart a Client Computer

Sometimes trouble gets a computer so tied up in knots that the only thing you can do is reboot. In some cases, the computer just starts acting weird. Strange characters appear on the screen, or Windows goes haywire and doesn't let you close programs. Sometimes the computer gets so confused that it can't even move. It just sits there, like a deer staring at oncoming headlights. It doesn't move, no matter how hard you press the Esc key or the Enter key. You can move the mouse all over your desktop, or you can even throw it across the room, but the mouse pointer on the screen stays perfectly still.

When a computer starts acting strangely, you need to reboot. If you must reboot, do so as cleanly as possible. I know that this procedure may seem elementary, but the technique for safely restarting a client computer is worth repeating, even if it's basic:

1. Save your work if you can.

   Use the File Save command, if you can, to save any documents or files that you were editing when things started to go haywire. If you can't use the menus, try clicking the Save button on the toolbar. If that doesn't work, try pressing Ctrl+S-the standard keyboard shortcut for the Save command.

2. Close any running programs if you can.

   Choose the File Exit command or click the Close button in the upper-right corner of the program window. Or press Alt+F4.

3. Shut down the computer.

   For Windows XP, choose Start Turn Off Computer. For Windows Vista, click the Start button, click the right-arrow that appears next to the padlock icon, and choose Shut Down.

   The Shut Down Windows dialog box appears.

4. Select the Restart option and then click OK.

   Your computer restarts itself.

If restarting your computer doesn't seem to fix the problem, you may need to turn your computer off all the way and then turn it on again. To do so, follow Steps 1–3 in the previous steps. Choose the Shut Down option rather than the Restart option, and then click OK. Depending on your computer, Windows either turns off your computer or displays a message stating that you can now safely turn off your computer. If Windows doesn't turn off the computer for you, flip the On-Off switch to turn off your computer. Wait a minute or so and then turn the computer back on.

Tip 

Most newer computers don't immediately shut themselves off when you press the power button. Instead, you must hold down the power button for a few seconds to turn off the power. This precaution is designed to prevent you from accidentally powering down your computer.

Here are a few techniques to try if you have trouble restarting your computer:

• If your computer refuses to respond to the Start Shut Down command, try pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete-the "three-finger salute." It's appropriate to say "Queueue" while you do it.

  When you press Ctrl+Alt+Delete, Windows 9x and later versions attempt to display a dialog box from which you can close any running programs or shut down your computer entirely. Unfortunately, sometimes Windows 9x becomes so confused that it can't display the Restart dialog box, in which case pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete may restart your computer.

• If Ctrl+Alt+Delete doesn't do anything, you reached the last resort. The only thing left to do is press the Reset button on your computer.

  Warning 

  Pressing the Reset button is a drastic action that you should take only after your computer becomes completely unresponsive. Any work you haven't saved to disk is lost. (Sniff.) (If your computer doesn't have a Reset button, turn off the computer, wait a few moments, and then turn on the computer again.)

• If at all possible, save your work before restarting your computer. Any work you haven't saved is lost. Unfortunately, if your computer is totally tied up in knots, you probably can't save your work. In that case, you have no choice other than to push your computer off the digital cliff.