The three ways to restart your computer
A restart closes every program and clears your computer's temporary memory, then boots the system fresh. Most of the time, you restart through the operating system's own menu. On Windows, you open the Start menu, select the power icon, and choose Restart. On Mac, you go to the Apple menu, select Shut Down, and tick the box that says "Reopen windows when logging back in" — this restarts rather than shuts down completely. If your system is frozen and the menu won't respond, you can force a restart by holding the power button for ten seconds until the screen goes black. A third option, less common but useful when troubleshooting, is to restart in Safe Mode, which loads only essential drivers and programs.
Each method serves a different situation. The normal restart through the menu is what you use when your computer is responding normally and you want to clear out background processes or install updates. A forced restart is what you do when the screen is locked up and nothing responds to clicks or keyboard input. Safe Mode restart is for diagnosing problems — if your computer runs smoothly in Safe Mode but crashes in normal mode, the problem is usually a recently installed program or driver, not a hardware fault.
Key Takeaways
- On Windows, open the Start menu, select the power icon, and click Restart to restart through the operating system.
- On Mac, go to the Apple menu, select Shut Down, and check "Reopen windows when logging back in" to restart instead of powering off completely.
- If your computer is frozen and menus do not respond, hold the power button for ten seconds to force a restart.
- Safe Mode restart loads only essential drivers and helps you identify whether a recently installed program is causing crashes.
Normal restart on Windows
The standard way to restart on Windows is through the Start menu. Click the Windows icon in the bottom left corner of your screen, then look for the power icon — it looks like a circle with a line at the top. Click that icon and a small menu appears with three options: Sleep, Shut Down, and Restart. Select Restart. Your screen will go black, you will see the Windows logo, and after 30 seconds to two minutes your desktop will reappear with all your programs closed.
If you cannot find the power icon in the Start menu, you can also restart through Settings. Open Start, type "Settings" and press Enter, then select System on the left side. At the bottom of the System page, click "Power and battery" or "Power and sleep," then select Restart. The result is identical — your computer shuts down and boots fresh.
Normal restart on Mac
On a Mac, click the Apple menu in the top left corner of your screen. A dropdown menu appears. Select "Shut Down" near the bottom. A dialog box will ask if you want to reopen windows when you log back in — check that box if you want your programs to reopen after the restart, or leave it unchecked if you want a completely fresh start. Click "Shut Down" and your Mac will restart.
Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Control + Command + Power button (or Control + Command + Eject on older Macs) to restart when ready without the dialog box. This is faster if you know you want to restart and do not need to save anything first.
Force restart when your computer is frozen
If your screen is completely unresponsive — the cursor will not move, buttons do not respond to clicks, and the keyboard does nothing — a normal restart through the menu is impossible. In this case, hold down the power button on your computer for ten seconds. The screen will go black and the computer will shut down completely. Wait five seconds, then press the power button once to turn it back on. Your computer will restart normally.
On a Mac, if the power button does not work, try pressing Command + Control + Eject at the same time. If that also fails, hold the power button for ten seconds. Do not be afraid to force a restart — it will not damage your computer, though you will lose any unsaved work in open programs.
Safe Mode restart for troubleshooting
Safe Mode is a special startup mode that loads only the bare minimum — the operating system, essential drivers, and nothing else. If your computer crashes or runs slowly in normal mode but works fine in Safe Mode, the problem is almost certainly a program or driver you installed recently, not a hardware problem.
On Windows, restart your computer normally, then when ready press F8 repeatedly as soon as you see the Windows logo (before the login screen appears). A menu will appear with startup options. Select "Safe Mode" and press Enter. Your screen will say "Safe Mode" in the corners and look slightly different. To exit Safe Mode, restart again and do not press F8 — it will boot normally.
On Mac, restart your computer, then when ready hold the Shift key as soon as you hear the startup sound. Keep holding Shift until you see the login screen. This boots into Safe Mode. To exit, restart normally without holding any keys.
What happens during a restart
When you restart, your computer closes every open program without saving (so save your work first), clears the RAM, and shuts down completely. The power button then turns the system back on, the operating system loads from the hard drive, and your desktop appears. This process usually takes one to three minutes depending on how much software your computer runs at startup.
A restart is different from Sleep, which keeps your computer powered on but uses very little electricity — you can wake it when ready by moving the mouse or pressing a key. A restart is also different from Shut Down, which powers off completely and does not turn back on automatically. Restart is the middle ground: it clears everything and boots fresh, but you do not have to manually press the power button to turn it back on.
When to restart your computer
Restart your computer after installing major updates, especially Windows or macOS system updates. Restart if a program is crashing repeatedly or running slowly — a fresh boot often clears temporary files that are causing the problem. Restart if you notice your computer is running slowly overall, because background processes accumulate in RAM over time. Restart if you have installed new software and it is not working correctly. Restart if you are about to do something important and want to make sure your system is stable.
You do not need to restart every day. Modern computers can run for weeks without a restart. However, restarting once a week or once every two weeks is a good habit if you leave your computer on constantly, because it clears out accumulated temporary files and processes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will restarting my computer delete my files?
No. Restarting closes all open programs and clears temporary memory, but it does not touch files saved on your hard drive. Everything you have saved — documents, photos, videos, installed programs — remains exactly as it was. You will only lose unsaved work in programs that were open when you restarted.
How long does a restart take?
A typical restart takes one to three minutes from the moment you select Restart until your desktop appears. Older computers or computers with many startup programs may take longer. If your restart takes more than five minutes, something may be wrong — try restarting again.
What is the difference between restart and shut down?
Shut Down powers off your computer completely and does not turn it back on. You have to press the power button to turn it on again. Restart powers off and then automatically powers back on, loading the operating system fresh. Use Restart when you want a quick refresh; use Shut Down when you are done for the day.
Can I restart my computer while it is installing updates?
No. If Windows or macOS is installing updates, do not restart or shut down — let the update finish. Interrupting an update can damage your operating system. If an update seems stuck, wait at least 30 minutes before assuming it has frozen. If it is genuinely stuck after an hour, hold the power button to force a shutdown, then turn the computer back on — the update will usually resume or roll back safely.
Why is my computer still slow after restarting?
If your computer is still slow after a restart, the problem may be a program that runs at startup and uses a lot of resources, or a hardware issue like a full hard drive. On Windows, open Task Manager (press Ctrl + Shift + Esc), click the Startup tab, and disable programs you do not need to run at startup. On Mac, go to System Settings, select General, then Login Items, and remove programs from the list. If slowness continues, your hard drive may be nearly full — delete old files or programs you no longer use.