Velma Beaupre from Canada writes:
How do I reboot my computer?
Hello Velma,
You probably know how to reboot, but just never knew the term. Reboot simply means to turn your computer off and back on while it is currently on. When you first turn on a computer, that is booting. So, to reboot simply means to restart.
The way to reboot your computer depends on your operating system. I’ll show screen shots of both Windows 7 and Windows 8. Windows XP and Vista do vary slightly, but have similar steps.
First, in Windows 8.1, right click on the Windows button in the bottom left corner (the 4 white squares). Point to Shut Down or Sign Out, and you’ll see several options on a new menu. Simply click Restart.
This will turn the computer off, but then immediately, without needing to press any power buttons or options, start the computer right back up.
In Windows 7, go the Start menu, click the arrow at the bottom next to Shut Down, and again find Restart.
That’s all there is to a reboot!
~ Audra
Audra, No mention of ‘Soft Reboot’ or ‘Hard Reboot’ or the difference. Some might also include a complete shut down and ‘unplug’ as another option.
I was in tech support and taught and tutored computer users for many years. I would never teach anyone the steps in the article.
The procedure to shut down a Windows computer that is much easier to remember for computer novices, aa well as faster for both newbies and experienced users is to forget the monitor is even there: hit the Windows key on the keyboard, then the right arrow, then the enter or return key. Once you remember that, you can hit the three keys in succession in less than a second and walk away as the computer shuts down.
To reboot, I always recommended to shut down as above, then wait a half minute to a minute after the computer shuts down completely before turning it back on with the power button.