Computer & device

Restart your computer the right way

Restarting fixes a surprising number of problems: slow computers, Teams or Outlook misbehaving, printers that won't print, and updates that are waiting to finish.

Restart, don't shut down

On Windows, Shut down doesn't fully clear everything (a feature called Fast Startup keeps part of Windows in memory). Restart does.

• Windows: select Start > Power > Restart.
• Mac: select the Apple menu > Restart.

Closing the laptop lid only puts it to sleep. If you haven't restarted in a week or more, do it now.

If the computer is frozen

1. Wait a minute or two: it may be busy.
2. On Windows, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete, then select the power icon (bottom right) > Restart.
3. Still stuck? Hold the power button for 10 seconds until it turns off, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on. Unsaved work may be lost, so only do this as a last resort.

Still having problems?

Raise a ticket or chat with us. Tell us what you were doing when it happened and any message you saw.