Turning on a computer is easy. After you find the switch, it's click (or press), and the thing fires up and is ever so happy to please you. But turning the computer off? That isn't so easy. Sometimes, you want (or have to) start things over fresh, but you don't want to have to shut down the laptop, then turn it back on again yourself.
If you're directed to reset the laptop, which is often referred to as "restarting Windows," or if you have your own reasons for wanting to reset it, you can do so pretty easily.
To restart your laptop in Windows XP or Vista, just follow these steps:
1. Save your work and close all your programs.
If you leave programs running, they're automatically closed when the computer restarts, so you can lose any data you didn't save.
2. Click the Start button.
In Windows Vista, the Start button isn't actually labeled Start, as it is in Windows XP.
3. a. In Windows Vista, click the triangle next to the Padlock icon and choose Restart from the pop-up menu.
3. b. In Windows XP, click the Turn Off Computer button, and then click the Restart button in the Turn Off Computer window.
After you follow Step 3a or 3b (depending on which version of Windows your laptop uses), the laptop seems to be turning itself off, but just before it does, it starts right back up again. Amazing.
Sometimes, restarting Windows is automatic, such as when you install some software or hardware helpers called device drivers, and when you perform Windows Updates. You're generally given a choice: "Would you like to restart Windows now?" If so, click the Yes button, and things happen automatically. When the process stalls, such as when you have an open and (gasp!) unsaved document, you have to interrupt things, take care of business, and then manually restart Windows according to the preceding steps.
