One of the little secrets that tech support people know (and one that they wish that you knew) is that a simple reboot cures many computer issues.  Computer won’t print?  Try a reboot.  Programs won’t open? Try a reboot.  Computer acts strangely?  Try a reboot.  You get the picture.

This is especially true of computers running any version of Windows, but it also holds true for Macs.  As someone who uses both PCs and Macs, I can assure you that all computers need a periodic reboot.  If you turn your machine off at the end of the day, and then back on again in the morning, you are effectively rebooting it daily.  But even so, if it starts to act strangely, try a reboot anyway.

Did you know that your phone could use a reboot too?  Most of us have phones that stay on around the clock.  Turning the power “off” doesn’t always accomplish a reboot…the phone may just go into sleep mode.  If your phone starts acting strangely, pull the battery out for a few minutes (at least 2) if you have a phone that will allow that.  If your phone battery can‘t be removed (iPhones, I’m thinking of you), then you will have to do a manual reboot.  On an iPhone just hold down the Home button and the (Sleep/Wake) button at the top right until you see the Apple logo, then release both buttons.  (This works with iPads too). Ignore the message that comes up asking you to “Slide…to turn off” and continue to hold until the Apple logo appears.

If you got an Android or Blackberry phone, please read your documentation to learn how to do it.

I have heard that a reboot is like a two week vacation on a tropical island for your computer or phone…it refreshes everything.

So the next time your gizmo starts to act up, don’t call tech support until you’ve tried a reboot.