How to restart a laptop if it glitches or freezes

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Simple instructions for when the system is behaving incorrectly.

Things to try before rebooting

If the computer does not respond to your actions, gives errors or slows down, the reason for this is most often a failure in one of the running applications. Therefore, instead of rebooting the system, it is usually sufficient to close it.

Often the problem is caused by the program whose window is currently open. If you can't close it in the standard way, try to force it with the following keyboard shortcuts: Alt + F4 on Windows or Command + Q on macOS.

If that doesn't work, use a special tool to force close applications. In Windows, this is the "Task Manager", you can call it with the keys Ctrl + Alt + Del.

MacOS has a similar utility that can be opened with Option + Command + Esc.

Calling any of these tools, select in its list the program that, in your opinion, could become the source of problems, and quit its work using a special button (“End task” or “Finish”). If nothing changes, try closing other applications in the same way.

If unsuccessful, restart the system using one of the following methods.

As a result of the restart, all unsaved changes in documents can be reset to zero. Don't forget this.

How to restart a laptop using the interface

Just in case, let's recall the simplest standard reboot methods.

If you have Windows

Open the start menu with the left mouse button and click on Shutdown → Restart. Or right-click on the Start icon and select Shut Down or Log Out → Restart.

If you have macOS

Open the Apple menu (apple icon) and select Restart.

How to restart a laptop using hotkeys

If you have Windows

Press Win (checkbox key) + D to exit to the desktop. Use the Alt + F4 combination to bring up the Windows Shutdown window and press the down arrow key until the Restart command appears. Then press Enter.

Alternatively, you can use the Win + X combination, select with the arrows Shut Down or Log Out → Restart and press Enter.

If you have macOS

Press Control + Power (power button) to bring up the reboot window and confirm it with the Enter key.

If that doesn't work, press Control + Command + Power - this combination immediately restarts the computer.

How to restart a laptop using the command line

If you have Windows

Press the Win key and type cmd on the keyboard. In the menu that appears, use the arrows to select "Run as administrator" and press Enter.

In a window with a black background, enter the command

shutdown –r

and press Enter again.

If you have macOS

First press Control + Spacebar to bring up the Spotlight menu. When the search form opens, type in it

Terminal

and press Enter.

In the window that appears, enter the command

sudo shutdown -r now

and press Enter again. You may need to enter your MacBook administrator password.

How to restart a laptop using the power button

This method is universal and works roughly the same on different laptops. To be precise, it does not reboot, but turns off the device. Therefore, the computer will then have to be started again.

Hold down the power button and hold it until the laptop turns off. This usually takes up to 5 seconds. When the display turns off, wait about a minute and start the laptop in the usual way. In the case of a MacBook, after shutting down, close the lid and open it again. If after that the device does not activate on its own, start it with the power button.

The described method usually works even with the most serious failures. But this is an emergency measure. It is worth resorting to it only when the above methods do not help.

How to restart a laptop using the battery

If the laptop cannot be turned off with the power button, which is extremely rare, there remains a radical way. Unplug the power cord, if connected, and remove the battery. After a minute, plug it back in and try to start the device.

If the battery is built into the laptop and cannot be removed, simply unplug the cable and wait until the computer restarts on its own or the accumulated charge runs out. After that, charge the laptop, if necessary, and start it up.