1. Slowness or RAM Problems
One of the most common reasons to restart your computer is to clear the RAM cache. Your computer contains decades worth of technology advancements, one of those is called RAM. Without going into too much detail, RAM provides temporary storage for applications and programs as they run. Unfortunately, as they run, some of this data begins to pile up even though it’s not being used. A restart can clear the RAM cache (unnecessary saved data) and have your computer back to work at full capacity.
2. Application Errors or Memory Leaks
Why does restarting your computer help? Because application developers are human, too, and sometimes the software they create can have some unintended side effects. A memory leak is one of these, where a program doesn’t allow its unused memory to be overwritten. This can lead to slowness, like our first example, or even prevent the software from operating correctly. While a restart can’t fix the leak itself, it may clear the cache associated with it.
3. Internet Connectivity
Sometimes the Wi-Fi just doesn’t work, try restarting! Network connectivity is another common reason to restart your computer. This can refresh the network settings for your computer without completely resetting them. It can be easy to get bogged down in all your network settings, so try this before taking any additional, complex steps.
4. Performance Issues
100% CPU usage? Is RAM full? Any idea what this means? Restart. Our computers are complex, and for the untrained individual, it could take hours to reach a solution. Restarting has the benefit of doing this for you. You may not know exactly what caused the issue, but there’s a good chance a restart will clear it up.
5. Updates
Your computer lives on patches and updates. Whether it’s security, usability, or otherwise, the most recent updates are paramount to your computer operating as expected and are most likely one the first things your IT department will look at when you bring a computer issue to them. Most of the time these updates download automatically but require a reboot to install. Recently downloaded updates are one of the most common reasons to restart your computer.
