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How to Power Cycle your computer - Micro Center
<main> <article class="userContent"> <p>Have you ever spoke to a tech guy about an issue you were having and they used the phrase "<em>Do a power cycle</em>" or "<em>Have you cleared the caps?</em>" and just wondered, "<em>What the heck is that guy talking about?</em>" Well, I'm going to break it down simply for you as this is one of the first and easiest tasks you should do when attempting to troubleshoot a hardware issue with your computer.<p><br></p></p><p><strong>Here is how to Power Cycle your computer:</strong><p><br></p></p><ol><li><strong>Turn off </strong>your computer</li><li><strong>Unplug</strong> the power cable to the computer from the back</li><li><strong>Hold the power button</strong> of your computer while it is unplugged for 30 seconds and then release</li><li><strong>Plug the power cable</strong> back into the computer</li><li><strong>Power on</strong> the computer</li><li><strong>Check</strong> for any changes</li></ol><p><br></p><p>A <strong>power cycle</strong> isn't merely a simple restart of the system. It's a way to clear the <strong>capacitors</strong> or "<em>caps</em>" to ensure that all energy/electricity is discharged from the system. </p><p>A good reason to power cycle your computer would be if you were experiencing problems such as hardware/devices not being recognized by your system. Have you ever had a printer that was plugged in via USB that worked fine, and then just out of nowhere it was not being recognized by the computer? A power cycle may resolve that issue.</p> </article> </main>