While it’s the longest-running joke in the world of IT, the question “Have you tried turning it on and off again?” is still an important one to consider when things are going awry. There’s a good reason why it’s such well-known advice, too: turning your device off can help solve a significant amount of technical issues. Why is this the case, and what can you learn from it?

Why a Reboot Works So Well

Computers, routers, printers, and all the other technical devices we rely on have intricate systems that run multiple processes at the same time. When these processes run for too long, issues are bound to occur.

When technology experiences these temporary hangups, software can get stuck in a loop, memory caches can get overloaded, and temporary files that make it all work can become corrupted. These seemingly minor issues can cause annoyances such as sluggish performance, frozen applications, connectivity issues, or error messages. A restart, therefore, is your way to terminate these running processes and clear the active memory (RAM) to give the device a fresh start.

More often than not, you can clear these temporary issues simply by restarting the device, so it’s just about always worth trying.

Some Practical Examples of a Reboot in Action

Here are some ways we can illustrate how a reboot helps.

Consider that the average modern car contains more lines of code than an airplane. These complex systems can experience temporary problems that can be resolved simply by turning off the ignition and starting it again. How many times have you restarted your car to solve issues like sensor errors or software glitches?

A reboot is often the quickest way to both troubleshoot an issue and to resolve it at the same time, and it doesn’t take much time or effort to try.

How a Business Benefits from a Reboot

SMBs that experience downtime can suffer from lost productivity and revenue, and a reboot can solve some of these issues.

Sure, complex IT problems need to be handled by professionals, but we encourage your employees to try their own troubleshooting through the reboot. It’s an accessible solution that can empower your team to take matters into their own hands. Additionally, it keeps low-hanging issues from bogging down your IT department, which can be helpful in its own way.

Of course, for the more complex issues, your business can connect with PC PLACE.

Our trusted technicians can work with your employees to solve any and all issues they might encounter. Learn more by calling us at (909) 435-4220 today.