How-To Restart Your Windows 11 Computer Using only the Keyboard

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

Restarting Your Windows 11 Computer Using only the Keyboard

Restarting a Windows 11 computer using only the keyboard is similar to other versions of Windows, with a few differences due to the updated user interface. Here's a step-by-step guide to achieve it:

Save Your Work: 

Before restarting your computer, make sure you save any unsaved work to avoid losing data.

Close Applications: 

Close any open applications to ensure a smooth restart.

Open the Start Menu:

Press the "Win" key (Windows logo key) on your keyboard to open the Start menu.

Navigate to Power Options:

Use the arrow keys to navigate to the power button icon in the lower-left corner of the Start menu.

Press the "Right Arrow" key to expand the power options sub-menu.

Select Restart:

Use the arrow keys to highlight the "Restart" option.

Press "Enter" to initiate the restart.

Confirmation Prompt:

A confirmation prompt will appear.

Use the arrow keys to navigate to the "Restart" option.

Press "Enter" to confirm and begin the restart process.

Wait for Restart:

Your computer will shut down and then start up again.

Wait for the reboot process to complete.

If you're facing an unresponsive situation and need to perform a "hard restart":

Press and Hold Power Button:

Press and hold the physical power button on your computer for about 5-10 seconds.

This will force your computer to shut down. 

Wait a Moment:

After your computer is fully powered off, wait for a few seconds.

Turn On Computer:

Press the power button again to turn on your computer.

As always, remember that abruptly shutting down your computer using the hard restart method can potentially lead to data loss or file system errors. It's recommended to use this method only when your computer is unresponsive.

Please note that keyboard shortcuts and steps might vary based on your keyboard layout and specific configuration. If the keyboard shortcut provided doesn't work as expected, you can also try using the "Ctrl + Alt + Delete" combination and then selecting "Restart" from the options that appear.

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