When a computer error, malfunction or problem occurs, one of the first suggestions made by computer technicians is to restart the device. This simple operation can solve unexpected problems such as screen display errors, failure to recognise the printer, sudden slowdowns in the program you are using and much more. Therefore, if you find yourself in one of these situations, do not lose patience and panic by compulsively pressing on the mouse or keyboard: a system restart can restore the normal operation of your computer (if possible, save any open files before restarting the PC).
What is PC reboot?
Faced with such an apparently simple operation, it is legitimate to wonder what actually restarting the PC consists of. Restarting the computer blocks all software codes and frees up resources, restoring the system to its original condition. When the codes are reloaded again with the restart, the PC will function correctly again, unless the error lies in the permanent memory of the computer, i.e. the disk. In this case, restarting the PC will not resolve the problem, as the error in question is loaded from the beginning… in this case, a more thorough investigation into the cause of the error is required and, in the worst case, the entire disk should be deleted and the operating system reinstalled from the very beginning. It is best to contact your computer technician 😉.
A clarification is in order: restarting the computer is not the same as switching it off and on again. The distinguishing feature of these two operations is that in the second one, shutdown and restart, there is a power failure to the machine and its hardware components.
Restarting the PC is also different from hibernation: hibernation is an operation that allows the PC to be restarted quickly, since hibernation loads a copy of the RAM on the hard disk, so the same system conditions will be displayed when the PC is restarted.
Reboot yes, reboot no
Sometimes there may be alternative solutions to restarting the PC, depending on the type of problem. Think, for example, of possible connectivity problems: often such problems can be solved simply by restarting the router and not the PC. Even when a programme freezes (a frequent occurrence when the PC does not have high-performance hardware components), it is recommended to use the task manager (by simultaneously pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete from the keyboard and accessing Task Manager), a tool that displays open applications, keeps an eye on the processes active on the computer, the resources used and stops the blocked programme, before performing a restart.