ClearChoice IT Services Knowledge Base

Very common question.

Older computers had power buttons that were hard wired to power.  Push the button—power goes out.  Very simple.... BUT too many Windows installations became corrupt due to people just “flipping the switch” to turn their computer off instead of shutting down Windows properly from the start menu.

So, ALL computers (since about 2000 (just guessing)) are wired differently so that a single press of the power button will instead tell Windows it needs to shut down.  In most cases, this is great!  It does what it’s supposed to & shuts down Windows properly without having to use the Start Menu.  NOTE: Another reason for this new connection method is to allow other software to turn off/reset your computer if necessary.

What confuses people, though, is when Windows is frozen, it can’t “respond” & shut down properly, so it looks like the power button on your computer is broken.  It’s not, though... there’s just a feature you don’t yet know about.

So, what’s the magical thing to know!?  Here it is:  HOLD the power button for 5-10 seconds without letting go.

That’s it!  After holding the button for a while, the power will shut off—whether or not Windows is frozen.

Hope this helps!  Enjoy your newfound knowledge & use it wisely.  :-)