How to Power Cycle a Computer

There are certain times, such as after a power outage, when you may experience a problem connecting to the Internet via your high speed connection such as DSL. In this case, you may often have to power cycle your system to get it to function properly once again. It is a fast, effective ways to get things back the way they were without the expensive services of a PC technician. Read on to learn how to power cycle your computer system and DSL Internet modem.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Shut down your computer the proper way if possible, via your "Start" menu. If your system is completely locked up, however, then press your PC's power button and hold for 5 to 10 seconds, and your computer tower will turn off.

2. Unplug your computer – this is a very, very important step! Unplug your PC from its power supply. This will typically be the uppermost black cord at the back of your tower. For a notebook or laptop, remove the computer's battery and then un-pug its cord from the laptop. It is not enough to switch off your surge protector – you must unplug the cord from your laptop.

3. Switch off all your high-speed Internet equipment and then un-plug it from its power source. Some people have more equipment than the others.*For high speed Internet, you will also have a DSL modem, satellite modem or cable modem. Unplug the power cord from behind your modem.*If you have a home network linking two or more computers, you likely have an Internet router to share the high speed Internet connection. Unplug this router as well.

4. Wait for at least 30 seconds after all you computer and Internet equipment is unplugged. This will allow enough time for any residual power to drain out of your different devices. You can speed up the process as you wait, by pressing the power button on your unplugged computer, which will help to drain all the power that is left over in your PC's motherboard.

5. Re-connect your computer and Internet equipment in this specific order:Plug in your modem's power cord if you have high speed Internet. Give your modem time to get a sound Internet connection, which may take more than two minutesPlug in your router, if you use one. Wait for the router's lights to come on to show it has a strong connection with the modem.Plug in your computer. For a laptop, you'll put the battery back in and then plug it in. Press the power button to turn it back on. Allow it to fully boot up, which it will now boot up normally. You will now also be able to re-establish your Internet connection with no problem. You have power cycled your computer.