It’s a common joke when it comes to computer problems – the first thing any IT person will ask is if you’ve restarted your computer. But there’s a reason it’s such a common question. Restarting a PC is often the quickest and best way to resolve temporary problems.
Computers run dozens of services to function. These services utilize hundreds of different processes, temp files, and more, all working together to give the user a seamless experience. Over time, these processes can encounter temporary corruption or errors, memory leaks, etc., leading to performance issues or strange error messages. A reboot forces all of these services to shut off and back on again – which can often fix transient problems.
Windows Updates are typically set to run automatically, though the required reboot to finish installing those updates is not always automated. This can lead to situations where pending updates waiting for a reboot cause conflicts with existing system files or resources. Regularly rebooting helps ensure updates are fully installed soon after release.
A quick reboot is often the first thing an IT technician will do when they work on your computer. Taking this step yourself before contacting IT support can often fix the issue and save everyone time and energy, eliminating the need for a service ticket.
Of course, rebooting won’t be the solution for every problem. If you need a reliable IT team in your corner for everything a reboot can’t fix, Contact Us today.
