How to Restart Windows 8

Co-authored by Luigi Oppido

Last Updated: June 20, 2021

To restart Windows 8, move the cursor to the upper/lower right corner → Click Settings → Click the Power button → Click Restart. You can also use an alternate method that uses only the keyboard in situations where you cannot use the mouse.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Restarting Normally

1
Move your cursor to the top or bottom right corner of the screen. appears.
- The menu that appears is known as the Windows 8 “Charms” bar.
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4
Click Restart.
- If you had other programs running before starting, some may prevent the process from proceeding. If this is the case click the Restart Anyway option.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Restarting With the Keyboard

1
Hit ⊞ Win+D.
- This keyboard command shows the desktop.
2
Hit Alt+F4.
- Make sure that the desktop is selected. If you have other programs open, this key combination will close whichever window is active.
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How often do I need to restart my computer?

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

Luigi Oppido

Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Answer

As long as your computer is connected to a good surge protector, you actually don't need to restart it. Otherwise, you could restart it once a week or something like that.

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Will I lose any data if I restart my laptop?

Zuubytron

Community Answer

No, only open programs and software will be closed. If you restart your PC while a program is being saved, you might lose data on that program, or corrupt a file. Don't restart/turn off your PC if it is getting updated or if a program is getting installed.

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Tips

If your computer is having issues, restarting it can be a helpful first step to resolving them. Restarting alone could help.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Interview. 31 July 2019.}

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As long as your computer is connected to a good surge protector, it should be totally fine to leave it running all the time. If not, you can get in the habit of restarting it once a week or whatever works for you.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Interview. 31 July 2019.}

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If the computer is frozen, you can force a shutdown by pressing and holding the computer’s power button, then pressing it again to restart. This should not be used to restart the computer regularly.

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