“Have you tried turning it off and back on again?” It may be the oldest cliché in tech support, but there’s a reason you hear it so often: restarting really does fix a surprising number of problems. Computers, phones, tablets, printers, routers, and other devices are constantly running processes in the background. Occasionally, one of those processes gets stuck, memory isn’t released properly, or a network connection stops working as it should. Restarting closes those processes and gives the device a fresh start.
If something suddenly isn’t working correctly, try restarting before changing settings or attempting more complicated troubleshooting. Save anything you’re working on and choose Restart when that option is available. For devices without a restart option, such as some routers or printers, turn the device off, wait about 30 seconds, and turn it back on. A restart won’t solve every problem, but because it’s quick, safe, and surprisingly effective, it’s almost always a good place to start.