It’s the phrase that every tech support hero says and every tech-user hates to hear:
Some users understand the phrase as a request to turn off their computer or device and restart it from a completely rested state.
Others get flustered because they fear that touching their physical machine may result in an explosion – or worse: The end of the world.
When your friendly neighborhood tech supporter makes such a request, they are not asking you to put your life at risk. Computers, like people, get a little goofy when they don’t get any sleep. Turning the computer off is like giving it a full night’s rest – it allows the machine to wake up feeling refreshed, with less on its mind.
(The same is true of cell phones, iPads, and any other piece of technology.)
I’ll spare you all of the technical details, but you’ll want to select “Shut down” in your computer or device menu. (If you press the power button on the machine instead of selecting “Shut Down”, your machine will turn off, but it may take longer to reorient itself and can experience long term damage – much like a concussion.) Once the machine is off – and you no longer see lights on the machine – press the physical power button to turn it back on.
Your computer menu will also offer an option called “restart.” While it will accomplish a similar goal without forcing you to press the power button, it is more like a powernap than a full night’s sleep. While your machine will turn on and may function a bit better than before, it may not be enough if your computer has been running for 17 weeks straight.
While we’re on the topic of computer power buttons, not every button is a power button. More on that in the next episode.