Computer help forum: what is the difference between reboot and restart?

if you download a program it could come up with after you may have to restart your computer and you just click the start and then the restart , if your mouse stops or the like then you reboot by the machine by pressing the button and wait till it restarts . that's how I would say . cheers.

which is best to do after installing or uninstalling a program?
just hit restart?
Or shutdown the PC. Wait a minute, then turn it back on?
Or does it not matter which way you do it?

I know when I install Windows update, after they install I'm prompted to hot the restart button

That works for the windows updates.
But what should one do if say they installed or uninstalled a program?
Shutdown and then turn back on? Or just hit restart?
Or are they basically the same thing if you shutdown and then turn back on after a minute?

Although the resetting of files and registry is much the same whether a restart or a full shut down is performed, they are not the same thing as a shut down actually turns power off to items like the hard drive, etc. A restart allows the power to remain on and is a little less tramatic to the power supply and other running parts.

Hope this helps.

Grif

If some item asks for a restart, do that.

I guess you could power down if you wanted but why not do what it asked?

restart even if the program doesn't ask you to

It seems that "Reboot" involves a complete power shutdown... whereas "Restart" does not. Sometimes, when you install a program [Windows update ] or make changes to the system [system restore, or make changes to display properties], the OS restarts itself, or it asks you whether you want to,or not... but you do not need to push the start button. Id this a reboot or a restart ? Is there a difference whether the computer completely powers down, or not ?

christy

sorry all. I was just trying to find out if it is good practice to always click restart afte installing/uninstalling a program, even if not prompted to do so.

What I seem to be finding out is that it is not necessary to "restart" if not prompted to. But that some suggest doing it anyway

So I guess its just personal preference on "restart" or not (unless specifiaclly prompted to do so)

That's the term used to completely reset everything and if your desk top has a switch on the power supply and not the front panel. Turning the switch or unplugging from the wall outlet/power strip, a shut down that removed the AC from the source is a cold boot. Often power outages create these faults and it doesn't get time to close any files, stop any processes or do an orderly shutdown. This resets the power supply and all devices or power going to the cards or motherboard, drives and even fans. Once power is restored, the power supply should not start but soft touch or front panel push buttons will activate the start process as a portion of the P/S was supplying a 5 volt logic to use the low voltage switches common throught most desktop case regardless of manufacturer. Then the rest of the power supply turns on and the unit starts. A RESTART can just be a WARM BOOT and reset the logic to restart. A general rule is that if the software installation completes with a request or offering a restart to do so. Otherwise it wouldn't be necessary until convienient. If I see that it loads some drivers for certain hardware, I will elect to cold boot and be sure there are no incompatablity issues with other programs or hardware.

Simply put, a restart is a reboot. When you restart, the computer shuts down almost everything as you can tell when you see the POST test just before the Windows Logo. Personally unless I am shutting down for an extended period of time I just restart. My reason for that is it is less stress on the hard drive and power supply. I know hard drives are cheap now, but, if you ever had one fail for no reason and lose all your data why take the chance. Just my opinion.