If it does not - if, for example, your computer never shuts down - that’s a problem to resolve rather than risk data loss every time you force your computer to turn off. The Start menu approach should always work. If you find this is the only way you can turn off your computer, something is wrong.
The long-hold power-off functionality present in most computers is actually implemented in hardware, and is meant only as a last resort. If you shut down your computer this way regularly, stop it because you are almost begging your computer to corrupt the data stored on its hard drive.
It completely bypasses the process of shutting down, and can result in serious problems. If you hold the power button down for five or 10 seconds until the computer turns off, this is not OK. When it’s NOT OK (but you may have to anyway) That’s the same as pulling the plug, which is bad. Check the power button settings in the Control Panel to adjust that setting.įinally, if it shuts down immediately - in the blink of an eye - don’t do that again. One caveat: the power button may shut down your computer properly, or it may put it into hibernate or sleep. If you’re holding it down longer, you’re doing something else, which I’ll talk about next.īut if you press the power button briefly and see the system begin its process of shutting down, then things are working correctly. What’s important is that you hold it down no longer than one second. On most systems, pressing the power button briefly is more or less equivalent to using the Start menu to shut down your computer. Here’s where it gets confusing: sometimes it’s OK to use the power button.
… important bookkeeping and cleanup work you want to have happen. A lot of important bookkeeping and clean-up work happens as part of the process of shutting down … Programs are closed, files are saved, information that was kept in memory is written to disk, hardware is turned off in the proper sequence, and more. The short answer is a lot of geeky magic. What happens between clicking on Shut Down and the power going off? If you remember nothing else from this article, let it be that. You start the shutdown process using the Start button. Turning off or shutting down a computer is not at all like turning off a light bulb or even a moderately complex piece of electronics.
Even so, in Windows 10, if you expand the left-most column of icons in the Start menu (by clicking on the hamburger icon at the top), the familiar word reappears. (Screenshot: )Įven though we still refer to it as the “Start” button, Microsoft changed it to have a more generic look after XP. Clicking Windows XP’s Start button to turn off the computer. One of the earliest jokes about Windows was the fact that you use the Start menu to stop the computer.īut it’s no joke. If pulling the plug or holding the power button down for a long time is the only way to turn off your computer, something is wrong and should be fixed. In some cases, the power button - pushed briefly - can also start the shutdown process. Using the Start button to begin the process of shutting down is the correct way to turn off your computer. It should be allowed to happen, or you risk data loss and/or hardware problems. Shutting down your computer is a process that takes time.