Reboot is nothing but restarting a computer and reloading the OS. Rebooting is sometimes necessary in case of following scenarios:
- After installing a new software.
- Installing operating system updates.
- To recover from an error.
- To re-initialize drivers or hardware devices.
If your PC is running on Windows OS, then you can reboot it by hitting "turn off computer" from the start menu and clicking on the "restart" option from the window that pops up. Another way is through the Ctrl-Alt-Delete key combination. In the case of Mac devices, you can reboot by selecting the "Restart" option from the Special menu.
Types of reboot
- Hard Reboot or Cold Reboot: In this case, power will be physically shut off and then it’s turned on.
- Warm Reboot or Soft Reboot: Warm reboot or soft reboot means the system restarts without loss of power.
Note: In case, if the computer is frozen then users should perform hard reboot to prevent damage to the hardware components.
Other Types of Reboot
- Safe Mode Reboot
- Factory Reset Reboot
- Force Reboot
Reboots the computer by only starting the essential drivers and services. They are often used when the computer has trouble starting up normally.
Restores the computer to factory default settings. This is used to fix serious problems and wipe out any existing user data.
A hard reboot that is initiated by the operating system itself and is mostly used to bypass errors or avoid data loss.
Note: In case, the computer is frozen then users should perform a hard reboot to prevent damage to the hardware components. Otherwise, a soft reboot is sufficient.
Conclusion
Rebooting almost always helps users resolve minor start-up and operational issues. However, it is always recommended to take precautions to prevent freezing and rebooting issues during Windows start-up. I hope that this article was able to help you learn about rebooting.
