Have you tried turning it off and on again?

Back in 2006, a British sitcom debuted called The IT Crowd. The show takes place in a dingy basement of a large corporation in London where three members of the IT department field support calls all day. Every time they answer the phone, the first thing they say is:

In the show, this phrase is a punchline where the “lazy” IT people brush off the “idiots” upstairs. But you know, there’s always a bit of truth in comedy and more often than not, restarting your computer will fix a lot of issues.

Think of Your Computer Like a Kitchen

When you’re preparing a large meal, there’s typically a lot going on. You’ve got pans in the oven, pots boiling, timers going off, and ingredients scattered everywhere. 

In the midst of this chaos, your kitchen gets cluttered and chaotic. That’s when your preparation starts to go awry. You can’t find your spatula, something is burning, and the sink is completely full of dishes. 

Just as you’re about to implode, your spouse steps in, takes the burning pan out of the oven, does some dishes, locates your spatula, and puts everything away that you no longer need. Phew, dinner with the French ambassador has been saved!

In a nutshell, this is what happens when you restart your computer. Over time, computers can get overwhelmed and confused by “clutter.” This clutter could be processes running in the background, temporary files, or apps that didn’t fully close. 

When something goes wrong—like your email freezing or your internet acting up—a quick restart gives your computer a chance to clean things up, reset, and start fresh.

Here’s what happens when you restart your computer

All running programs and apps are closed
Any misbehaving software or processes that are using too much memory are shut down completely.

Temporary data is cleared 
Computers store short-term information kinda like post-it notes. This is called a cache and helps your computer run faster because it doesn’t have to locate the same information over and over. When your cache becomes bloated, outdated, or corrupted, this can cause errors. 

The operating system resets
This gives your computer a chance to clean up its act and organize itself again. If your operating system is causing bugs or glitches, this will, in turn, affect how well programs and apps function.

Sometimes updates are applied
If your computer downloaded a software update or security patch, it might not finish installing until after a reboot.

This all sounds too simple

It may seem like we’re being lazy when we suggest a reboot, but this is often the first step to troubleshooting a problem. It can also save you time and frustration. A quick restart often fixes a wide range of common issues. This even works with printers, routers, and internet browsers.

If there’s still a problem after a restart, the clean reset makes it much easier for us to identify more serious issues.

When should you restart your computer?

We recommend restarting your computer once a week to keep your system running smoothly. But if you experience any of the following issues, it might be a good idea to hit that power button:

• Apps aren’t opening or responding

• Your internet is acting slow or cutting out

• Your screen is frozen or glitchy

• Something feels off, but you’re not sure what

If you’ve restarted your computer and are still experiencing issues. Give us a call. We’re happy to help. Just don’t be surprised if our first question is, “Have you tried turning it off and on again?”

Oh btw, if your computer is on fire, please call the fire department.