Why Does Rebooting Your PC Take Care of So Many Issues?

When you call tech support, you’re probably going to get the same response every single time: “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” There’s a reason that this happens so often, and it’s because restarting your computer is a great, low-tech way to resolve some basic issues with your system. However, it’s still good to be cautious about more serious issues that a reboot won't fix. We’ll walk you through what a reboot does, and it can be effective at fixing minor issues with your PC.

What Happens When You Reboot
When you restart your PC, it can resolve a surprising number of problems. According to HowToGeek, most problems that lead to the failure of a Windows operating system are caused by bad code (code that’s not being processed for whatever reason). This can be caused by something as simple as a failing driver or a hardware failure. Either way, something went wrong, and if this code isn’t processed properly, it can lead to what’s known as the “blue screen of death.”

Sometimes you might even notice that your computer is just acting sluggish or unstable, rather than experiencing a complete and total system block like a blue screen or error. Restarting your PC can often fix these problems.

Restarting your PC provides the operating system an opportunity to process the code properly and proceed as intended. Hopefully the problem works itself out, and you’ll be able to use the PC without further incident. In general, you can restart your computer whenever you’re experiencing poor computer performance. This gives your PC the chance to start fresh, and hopefully move forward with minimal complications.

Common Issues Solved By a System Restart
If you think that rebooting your computer will fix a problem, you should know that it’s one of the most immediate and simple ways to do so. These are some of the most common issues resolved by a system reboot:

• Is Windows moving slowly? If your Windows operating system is running slowly, you might have a program that’s using up all of your computer’s resources. While it’s possible to just open up your task manager and find the program that’s causing the trouble, you can reboot the operating system without needing to experiment.
• Do your programs eat up memory? Many programs, like Mozilla FireFox, are notorious for causing memory leaks. These can slow down your computer and make it difficult to accomplish any work. Restarting your computer gives you a chance to start fresh.
• Are you having Internet or network problems? This doesn’t just apply to your PC. This advice can apply to any computing hardware that you use on a daily basis, like Internet routers, modems, etc. If it’s not working the way it should, try restarting it. Unplug it and plug it back in. This is what’s known as a hard reset, and can be an easy fix to a difficult problem. Keep in mind that it won’t fix major problems, but it should be a solid go-to strategy for troubleshooting minor technical difficulties.

If you’ve ever tried calling your computer manufacturer’s tech support, you’ve probably been asked several times if you’ve turned your computer off, and then back on again. Despite how repetitive this advice can be, it’s a pretty easy way to fix some technical problems.

Bonus: Check out this funny clip from The IT Crowd, showcasing just how repetitive this response can seem.

If you’re still having issues with your technology, be sure to contact the professional IT technicians at Directive.