One or more of the following are true:

• An application is unresponsive.
• Your computer's performance is hindered.
• You experience erratic operation of software.
• Abnormal operation is occurring when using the computer.

The operating system and/or applications need to be restarted periodically. Restarting a computer can restore operation of the computer to a normal state.

Often, restarting a computer or shutting it down will fix many problems. These problems may include lost network connections, applications that are not responding, strange errors in apps, or unexplainable behavior in the operating system itself.

When a Mac or PC is shut down, any contents of RAM are lost, including those contents that caused interruptions and degradation of computer performance. Restarting is often all that is needed to restore operation of the computer to normal, though some problems may require further troubleshooting.

TIP: You should usually restart a computer after adding or removing programs.

In addition, to avoid losing large files and documents, you should save your work every 15 minutes at a minimum. Doing so will prevent the loss of valuable time and information. Typically, Microsoft 365 apps keep a copy of the file to allow recovery later. If the computer has to be manually powered off, after restarting the system, search the computer for the document. A recent copy of the document may be available for you to open and work with.

Outcome

The computer will function normally.