Published 2020-03-10 by TechNet New England
This may seem basic, but there is an important distinction between shutting down and restarting that many people do not know about. ## Windows: Shut Down vs. Restart On Windows 10 and 11, **Shut Down** and **Restart** do different things because of a feature called Fast Startup. **Shut Down** with Fast Startup enabled (the default) does not fully close Windows. It saves the kernel state to disk so the computer boots faster next time. This means: Background processes may not be cleared. Memory is not fully flushed. Some driver and system issues persist across shutdowns. **Restart** fully closes Windows, clears memory, resets all processes, and starts fresh. This is why your IT provider tells you to "restart" instead of "shut down and turn back on." ### How to Restart Click **Start > Power > Restart**. ### How to Do a Full Shutdown (Without Fast Startup) Hold **Shift** and click **Shut Down**. This performs a full shutdown that clears the kernel state. Or disable Fast Startup permanently: 1. Open **Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do**. 2. Click **Change settings that are currently unavailable**. 3. Uncheck **Turn on fast startup**. 4. Click **Save changes**. ## Mac: Shut Down vs. Restart On Mac, both Shut Down and Restart fully clear the system state. There is no Fast Startup equivalent. **Shut Down:** Click **Apple menu > Shut Down**. Everything closes and the Mac powers off. **Restart:** Click **Apple menu > Restart**. Everything closes, the Mac powers off, then immediately turns back on. Both options fully clear memory and reset processes. However, Restart is still more convenient for troubleshooting because you do not have to manually press the power button again. ## When to Restart Restart your computer when: An application is behaving strangely. The computer feels slow. You installed a software update. Your IT provider tells you to. Peripherals (printer, monitor, USB devices) stop working. You are experiencing any issue that was not happening before. Restarting is the single most effective troubleshooting step and should always be the first thing you try. ## How Often to Restart At minimum, restart once a week. If you leave your computer on 24/7 or just close the lid without restarting, processes accumulate, memory fragments, and performance degrades over time. A daily restart at the end of the day is ideal for maintaining consistent performance.