There IS a quick fix!

There’s a fix for your sluggish or misbehaving computer that works a great deal of the time, takes only about five minutes, and you can do it yourself. No, I’m not talking about throwing your computer out on the boulevard as a semi full of bricks bears down. And I’m not talking about buying a new computer which, while it’s always fun to have a new one, tends to be a bit expensive. I’m talking about the Magical Reboot.

A “reboot” is simply the act of restarting your computer. You’ll click Start, Shut Down, Restart (or some variation based on your particular computer) and wait for the computer to come back up again and reload all its background programs. You will find this cures a variety of ills, and will save you a lot of frustration if you try it before things get too bad, or before you call for help.
I met a fellow the other day who does not “believe” in reboots, believes it is a tech support time waster and refuses to do it. When asked to reboot his machine, he sits back and waits for the amount of time it should have taken and says “Okay, it’s done and it’s still broken.” Hmm…I wonder why? Seems to me no one has ever explained to him why this works!

Here’s why it works – imagine your brain about midmorning: you are overwhelmed with your to-do list, everything is first priority, and you are also distracted by a recent phone call with an angry client. What are you going to accomplish now? Much less, much more slowly than you had anticipated when you started your day.

Then imagine you shut down for a few minutes, take a walk, clear your brain, and write down everything you need to do. Now you are much more likely to be able to tackle your to-do list one item at a time, with a much higher probability of success.

That’s what happens when you reboot your computer – it shakes all the confusion out of its brain and starts over with renewed energy and a clean slate. Often, this is all that is needed to “fix” your computer. Not always, but often.

Also - if you work with graphics,photos, video or music – or if you always leave your computer “on” (as I do), reboots can save the day for you. Reboot early and reboot often!