Hard Reboot
Hard Reboot Definition
A hard reboot is the process of restarting a device by switching its power supply off and on again. This forcibly shuts down all of the device’s apps, clears its RAM, and circumvents the operating system’s shutdown procedure. Hard reboots don’t have to be intentional; they also occur when a computer shuts down because of a power outage.
Many people use the terms “hard reboot” and “cold reboot” interchangeably, often when sharing troubleshooting tips. This isn’t entirely correct. While there are a few differences between the two, a hard reboot is a type of cold reboot where you don’t let your OS fully shut down.
How a Hard Reboot Works
A hard reboot starts by cutting off your device’s power supply. This immediately sets all hardware components into a power-off state, so it kills any frozen or glitched programs. Shutting down the device like this means the operating system doesn’t perform its shutdown tasks, like closing active programs or syncing data. It also clears your device’s RAM, since its data only exists while the power is on.
Next, restoring power to your device lets you turn it back on. This starts a cold boot, which means the system reinitializes all hardware components, reloads its firmware, and starts the operating system anew. Modern systems often automatically fix any file corruption that might have happened when the device was forcefully shut down, like with unsaved documents or low-priority updates.
Hard Reboot Uses
You shouldn’t do hard reboots unless absolutely necessary, as they can cause software issues. However, a hard reboot is useful in some situations:
- Restarts an unresponsive device: If your device is completely “frozen” and you can’t restart it normally, a hard reboot forces it to shut down.
- Forces a hardware recheck: During a hard reboot, your device checks its hardware for errors. This helps with some hardware communication issues.
- Shuts down apps forcibly: When an app is causing severe problems and preventing you from working on your device, a hard reboot helps you reset your device to a stable state.
How to Perform a Hard Reboot
On Desktop Computers
- Press and hold the power button for 3–5 seconds. This performs an emergency shutdown, even if your device isn’t responding.
- Flip the switch on your power supply unit to off and pull the plug from its socket. This ensures the device is completely disconnected from the power source.
- Wait for about 30 seconds. This makes sure there’s no residual power in the system, so the RAM is completely cleared.
- Switch your computer’s power supply unit on and plug the power line back into its socket.
- Press the power button to turn on your computer.
On Laptops
- Press and hold down the power button for 5–10 seconds. This shuts down your laptop automatically.
- If the laptop charger is plugged in, remove it.
- If your laptop has a removable battery, take it out. If it doesn’t, press and hold the power button for 30-60 seconds. This drains any residual power in the system and ensures your RAM is completely wiped.
- Wait another 30 seconds, then put the battery back in (if you removed it).
- Plug in the laptop charger.
- Press down the power button to turn on the laptop.
On Mobile Devices
Consult your device’s user manual or the manufacturer’s website for device-specific instructions. If you can’t find the device’s user manual, try some of these most common methods to shut down your device:
- Hold down the power button for about 10 seconds.
- Hold down both volume buttons for about 10 seconds.
- If your phone or tablet has a removable battery, remove it. This guarantees your device will shut down.
Once you shut down your device, it’s recommended to wait for at least 30 seconds to let any residual power drain. Then, start your device by holding down the power button as you would normally.
Hard Reboot vs Other Restarting Methods
| Hard reboot | Cold reboot | Soft/Warm reboot | |
| Is the device completely powered off? | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Did the operating system properly close all applications before shutting down? | ❌ No | Doesn’t matter | ✅ Yes |
You’ve likely come across the terms “cold reboot,” “warm reboot,” and “soft reboot.” Here’s how to differentiate between them:
- Cold reboot: Boots the device from a non-powered (“cold”) state. It doesn’t matter if the device was shut down forcibly or through the operating system’s own procedure.
- Soft or warm reboot: Restarts the device while the power is still on. It uses the operating system’s built-in functions, so the device properly closes all applications before rebooting.
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FAQ
A soft reboot restarts your computer without cutting off the power supply. This refreshes your system and shuts down all running apps and processes, which can help if they’re not responding. It often happens after updating your OS.
A hard reboot forcibly shuts the device down by cutting off its power. This can mean flipping its power supply switch, pulling its power cord, or even removing its battery if your device allows it. It’s useful when your device is unresponsive or needs a hardware check.
It shouldn’t. Very frequent hard reboots might stress your device’s electronics, but most modern computers have fairly resistant hardware, so they can handle it. Hard reboots are generally only dangerous while your operating system or BIOS is updating, because stopping these processes can render your device unbootable.
No. A hard reboot just forces your device to shut down and boot anew. A hard reset (a factory reset) completely deletes all data and settings from your device, resetting it to its factory settings.
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