How to Reboot a Computer
To safely restart a Windows computer, open the Start menu and choose the Restart option. Below are detailed directions if you need them.
How to Reboot a Windows 11, 10, or 8 Computer
The “normal” way to reboot a computer running Windows 11/10/8 is through the Start menu:
Using the Power User Menu
This second method is a little faster and doesn’t require the full Start menu:
How to Reboot a Windows 7, Vista, or XP Computer
The quickest way to reboot Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP is through the Start menu:
How to Restart a Computer With Ctrl+Alt+Del
Use the Ctrl+Alt+Del keyboard shortcut to open the shutdown dialog box in all versions of Windows. This approach is an optional method that works just as well as using the Start menu or the Start screen. In Windows XP, select Shut Down or Turn Off Computer. The screens look different depending on which version of Windows you’re using, but each of them gives the option to restart the computer:
Windows 11, 10, and 8: Choose the power icon on the bottom right of the screen to find the Restart option.
Windows 7 and Vista: Select the arrow next to the red power button in the lower right-hand corner of the screen, then select Restart.
Windows XP: Select Shut Down from the menu, and then Restart.
How to Restart a Computer With Alt+F4
This is another keyboard shortcut, but you have to be careful with it! Close all open windows so that you’re on the Desktop. Select a blank area on the Desktop, and type Alt+F4. On the menu that pops up, choose Restart, and then OK.
How to Restart Windows From Command Prompt
Restart Windows through Command Prompt using the shutdown command.
Restart PC With a Batch File or Shortcut
To restart a computer with a batch file, enter the same command. Something like this will restart the computer in 60 seconds: The same command can be tied to a Desktop shortcut, if you’d rather not go through the process of creating a BAT file. Right-click the Desktop, go to New > Shortcut, and enter the command as it’s written above.
“Reboot” Doesn’t Always Mean “Reset”
Be careful if you see the option to reset something. Restarting, also known as rebooting, is also sometimes called resetting. However, the term resetting is also often used synonymously with a factory reset, meaning a complete wipe-and-reinstall of a system, something very different from a restart and not something you want to take lightly. See Reboot vs Reset: What’s the Difference? for more information.
