How to Reboot Windows XP Home Edition

Rebooting a computer reloads the operating system and can increase performance of the comptuer.

Windows XP comes in two editions: Home and Professional. The Home edition is intended for a casual computer user while Professional is intended for an office context. If you are experiencing slow performance in Windows XP Home Edition, you may want to reboot the operating system, which is defined as simply reloading the operating system by restarting the computer.

Instructions

1. Turn off all peripheral devices connected to your computer, including speakers, printers, scanners and external hard drives.

2. Click the "Start" button located in the bottom left corner of the desktop and select "Turn off Computer." From the "Turn off Computer" menu, select "Turn Off."

3. Allow the computer to completely shut down. Give the computer sufficient time to rest and make sure that there is absolutely no noise coming out of the computer.

4. Unplug the power cord from the power source and wait at least five seconds.

5. Plug the power cord back into the power source. Turn the computer back on by pressing the "Power" button on the computer and wait for Windows XP to reload.

Tips & Warnings

• Restart the computer using keyboard shortcuts if your computer mouse if frozen. Click the "Ctrl," "Alt" and "Del" buttons simultaneously, then use the keyboard arrows to select "Turn off" and press "Enter" on the keyboard.

• Perform a hard reset of your computer by holding down the "Power" button on the computer until the screen goes blank. Only use this method if both the computer's keyboard and mouse are not responding.

References

• PC Mag: Reboot definition
• Ocmodshop.com: How to properly reboot your computer
• PC Mag: Windows XP definition