Why Does the IT Guy Always Say to Reboot Your Computer?

A former co-worker told me many years ago that rebooting a computer fixes 90% of the problems we experience, and I have come to believe that that number is pretty accurate. Rebooting your computer regularly will save you from seeing the blue screen of death on your PC or the beach ball on your Mac. 

Ultimately, the answer is that resetting a computer wipes away the current state of the device including any issues it may be having, and allows it to start over from square one. The reason why you’re told to wait 30 seconds before turning it back on is that most devices hold a little power in capacitors for a little while after being unplugged. 

Even though improved operating systems and more efficient computers have made rebooting less necessary, it still has advantages.  Here are some of the tasks that are accomplished by rebooting:

Reset Memory Leaks:

The short of it is that memory leaks occur when an application fails to release memory when no longer needed. Over time, memory leaks affect the performance of both the particular application as well as the operating system. Windows will free all memory allocated by the application on process termination, so short-running applications will not affect overall system performance significantly. However, leaks in long-running processes like services or plug-ins can greatly impact system reliability and might force you to restart in order to make the system usable again. (If you want the detailed version, let me know...I LOVE talking about memory leak issues!)

Flush RAM and Cache:

Rebooting your computer flushes out all the random access memory (RAM), allowing your device to start anew and helping it run faster and more efficiently. RAM handles lots of different short-term tasks and data, like running processes and holding program values. 

The Domain Name System (DNS) cache is a file that holds entries of websites you have visited.   Occasionally the cache can become corrupt or out of date. The symptoms of cache issues vary, but the most common is that you can’t get to some web sites.  The DNS Cache is reset when your device is restarted.

Updates are Applied:

Often times, you must restart your computer to download and install the necessary updates and patches that help it run quickly and smoothly.  This goes for operating system, hardware and software updates alike.

Identify Runaway Programs:

It’s possible that a misbehaving program is using the majority of your CPU and draining the computer’s resources. When the computer is restarted, it starts over from scratch and it's no longer being dominated by the overpowering program. Restarting can help you pinpoint what program it causing issues. If your computer starts fine but misbehaves after opening a certain program, then there's your problem.  Disabling one program at a time can help you narrow down the offending program or you go the extra step to turn off unneeded programs to make your computer boot faster.

This advice isn’t limited to Windows computers, but applies to all types of computing devices. You’ll find the advice “try resetting it” applied to wireless routers, iPads, Android devices, and more.

Contact Advanced Systems Solutions for more ideas on how to keep your operations running smoothly!