When you experience problems booting your computer or connecting to the Internet, power cycling your equipment will allow it to function properly again. Knowing how to reboot your computer and all of your equipment is a fast, easy and cost-efficient way to get things working again without the assistance of a repair technician.
Follow the 6 steps below to properly power cycle your computer and high-speed internet equipment.
1. Shut Down Your Computer
Do this properly if possible, by going through the Start Menu to turn your system off. If your system is completely locked up, you can press and hold your computer’s power button for 5-10 seconds and the tower will turn off.
2. Unplug Your Computer
Unplug your computer by removing the cord from the power supply. If you are using a laptop or notebook computer, remove your battery and then unplug the power cord from the unit. Do not simply turn off your surge protector. It is important that you unplug the cord from the computer.
3. Unplug Your Internet Equipment
Depending on your networking situation, you may have more or less equipment than is mentioned here.
If you have High Speed Internet, you will have a modem and router. Unplug the power cord from the back of the modem and router. If you have more than one computer, you may have a switch to split the high-speed connection so each computer can connect. If you have a switch, remove the power cord from this unit as well.
4. Wait 30 Seconds
Once you have unplugged all of your equipment, wait 30 seconds for any residual power to drain from your devices. You can help this process by pressing the power button of your PC. Although the PC is not plugged in, pressing the power button will help drain all left over power from the unit’s motherboard.
5. Reconnect Devices
You will need to reconnect all of your devices in a specific order.
- Plug in the power cord for your modem (if you have high speed internet). Wait for the modem to have a solid Internet connection with your internet service provider. This can take as long as 2 minutes.
- Plug in your switch (if you have one). Wait for the lights on the switch to indicate it has established a good connection to your modem. This could take up to 30 seconds.
- Plug your computer tower back in. If you use a laptop, insert the battery and then plug the unit back in. Turn on your computer by pressing the power button and allow it to fully boot.
6. Confirm Restored Connection
The computer should now boot normally, and you should be able to establish a connection to the Internet over your high-speed connection.
If you continue to experience problems, contact Integrated Axis Group, LLC, at (877)220-1910 or your computer hardware technician for further troubleshooting advice or repairs.