3 Ways to Restart PC Using Cmd

Restarting your PC can be a simple and effective way to resolve a variety of issues, such as freezing, slow performance, or application errors. While you can typically restart your PC using the Start menu or the power button, there are times when you may need to use the Command Prompt (CMD) to restart. This can be useful if your PC is not responding to your input or if you need to restart it remotely.

To restart your PC using CMD, open the Command Prompt by pressing the Windows key + R and typing “cmd” into the Run dialog box. Once the Command Prompt is open, type the following command and press Enter: shutdown /r

This command will restart your PC immediately. If you want to delay the restart, you can add a number of seconds to the command. For example, the following command will restart your PC after 60 seconds: shutdown /r /t 60

Accessing Command Prompt

To restart your PC using the Command Prompt, you must first access the Command Prompt window. Here’s a detailed guide on how to do it in different operating systems:

Windows 10 and 11

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type “cmd” in the search box and press Enter.
3. The Command Prompt window will open.

Windows 8 and 8.1

1. Press the Windows key and type “cmd” in the search box.
2. Right-click on the “Command Prompt” result and select “Run as administrator”.
3. Click “Yes” to allow the Command Prompt to run with administrator privileges.

Windows 7

1. Click the Start button and type “cmd” in the search box.
2. Right-click on the “cmd.exe” result and select “Run as administrator”.
3. Click “Yes” to allow the Command Prompt to run with administrator privileges.

Once you have access to the Command Prompt, proceed to the next section to restart your PC using the command line.

Navigating to the Correct Directory

Before issuing the restart command, you must navigate to the appropriate directory where the executable is located. Here are the steps to navigate to the correct directory:

1. Open the Command Prompt (CMD) by typing cmd in the Windows search bar and clicking on the “Command Prompt” result.

2. Check if you are in the correct drive. If not, use the cd command to change to the desired drive. For example, to switch to drive C, type cd /d c:

3. Navigate to the Windows directory using the cd command. The default path to the Windows directory is C:\Windows\System32. To navigate to this directory, type cd \windows\system32.

4. Once you are in the Windows directory, you can proceed to execute the restart command.

Command	Description
cd	Change directory
/d	Change drive

Issuing the Shutdown Command

To issue the shutdown command, you will need to open a Command Prompt window. To do this, press the Windows key + R, then type “cmd” into the Run dialog box and click “OK”.

Once the Command Prompt window is open, you can enter the following command to restart your PC:

shutdown -r -t 0

This command will restart your PC immediately. You can also specify a time delay before the restart occurs by using the -t option. For example, the following command will restart your PC in 5 minutes:

shutdown -r -t 300

You can also use the shutdown command to shut down your PC, log off, or hibernate your PC. For more information, type “shutdown /?” into the Command Prompt window.

Advanced Options

The shutdown command has a number of advanced options that you can use to customize the restart process. Some of the most useful options include:

-f: Force running applications to close without prompting the user.

-c: Suppress the display of the shutdown message.

-d: Specify the reason for the shutdown.

-u: Log off the current user before shutting down the computer.

You can combine multiple options into a single command. For example, the following command will restart your PC immediately, force running applications to close, and suppress the display of the shutdown message:

shutdown -r -f -c

Examples

The following table provides some examples of how to use the shutdown command:

Command	Description
shutdown -r	Restart the computer immediately
shutdown -r -t 300	Restart the computer in 5 minutes
shutdown -s	Shut down the computer
shutdown -l	Log off the current user
shutdown -h	Hibernate the computer

Using the /r Switch for Restarting

The /r switch is the most straightforward way to restart your PC using CMD. Here’s how to use it:

1. Open the Command Prompt by typing “cmd” into the search bar and selecting “Command Prompt” from the results.
2. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command: “shutdown /r”
3. Press Enter. Your PC will begin the restart process.
4. By default, the /r switch restarts your PC immediately. If you want to give yourself some time to save your work or close any open programs before the restart, you can use the “/t” switch along with “/r”. For example, to delay the restart by 60 seconds, you would use the following command: “shutdown /r /t 60”

Here’s a table summarizing the options you can use with the /r switch:

Option	Description
/r	Restart the computer.
/t	Specifies the time in seconds to wait before restarting.

Waiting for the Restart Process

Once you execute the shutdown command, your computer will begin the restart process. The time it takes for your computer to restart will vary depending on the speed of your computer and the number of programs that are open.

Here is a table summarising the expected restart times for different scenarios:

Scenario	Restart Time
Fast startup is enabled	Less than 10 seconds
Fast startup is disabled	10-15 seconds
Computer is slow or has many programs open	More than 15 seconds

If your computer does not restart after 30 seconds, you may need to force a restart by pressing and holding the power button for 5 seconds. This will cause your computer to lose any unsaved data, so be sure to save your work before attempting a force restart.

Understanding Additional Parameters

When executing the shutdown command, you can include additional parameters to modify its behavior. Here are some of the most common parameters:

/t

This parameter specifies the time in seconds that the computer will wait before shutting down. It can be useful if you need to give running programs time to save data or perform other tasks before the shutdown occurs.

For example, the following command will shut down the computer in 60 seconds:

shutdown /t 60

/c “comment”

This parameter allows you to specify a comment that will be displayed in the shutdown message. This can be helpful for providing additional information to users about the reason for the shutdown.

For example, the following command will shut down the computer and display the comment “System maintenance”:

shutdown /c "System maintenance"

/f

This parameter forces running applications to close without prompting for confirmation. It can be useful if you need to shut down the computer immediately, even if programs are still running.

/r

This parameter restarts the computer after it shuts down. It can be useful if you want to make changes to the computer’s configuration or install new software.

/l

This parameter logs off the current user and shuts down the computer. It can be useful if you want to switch to a different user account or log off before shutting down.

/s

This parameter shuts down the computer without logging off the current user. It can be useful if you want to keep your programs and files open for quick access when you log back in.

The following table summarizes the most common shutdown command parameters:

Using the /t Switch for Time Delay

The /t switch allows you to specify a time delay in seconds before the restart process begins. This can be useful in situations where you need to give programs time to save changes or for other preparation tasks. The time delay can range from 0 to 3600 seconds.

To use the /t switch, specify the desired time delay after the command. For example, to restart the computer after 60 seconds, use the following command:

shutdown /r /t 60

The /t switch can also be used in conjunction with other command options, such as /f (force restart) and /c (specify a comment). For example, to force restart the computer after 120 seconds and display a comment explaining the reason for the restart, use the following command:

shutdown /r /f /t 120 /c "System update pending"

Additional Information

| Command | Description |
|—|—|
| /t | Specifies a time delay in seconds before the restart process begins. |
| /f | Force restart the computer without prompting for confirmation. |
| /c | Specifies a comment that will be displayed during the restart process. |

Example

The following command will force restart the computer after 30 minutes and display a comment indicating that the restart is due to a scheduled update:

“`
shutdown /r /f /t 1800 /c “Scheduled system update”
“`

Restarting Remote Computers via Command Prompt

Restarting remote computers via Command Prompt is a convenient way to remotely manage and troubleshoot computers within a network. To perform this task, you can use the following steps:

1. Open an elevated Command Prompt on the local computer.

2. Enter the following command, replacing “computername” with the name or IP address of the remote computer:

   “`
   shutdown /m \computername /r
   “`

3. Press Enter.

4. You will be prompted with a message asking you to confirm the restart. Enter “Y” to confirm, or “N” to cancel.

5. The remote computer will then restart.

Additional Parameters

The following table lists additional parameters that can be used with the shutdown command when restarting remote computers:

Parameter	Description
/t	Specifies the time in seconds that the computer will wait before shutting down.
/c “comment”	Specifies a comment that will be displayed in the shutdown message.
/f	Forces running applications to close without prompting for confirmation.
/r	Restarts the computer after it shuts down.
/l	Logs off the current user and shuts down the computer.
/s	Shuts down the computer without logging off the current user.

Parameter	Description
/f	Forces applications to close without prompting users to save their work.
/t	Specifies the amount of time (in seconds) to wait before restarting the computer. The default is 30 seconds.
/c	Specifies a comment to be displayed to users before the computer restarts.

Example

To restart a remote computer named “server1” and force applications to close without prompting users to save their work, you can use the following command:

“`
shutdown /m \server1 /r /f
“`

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Error: “Access denied”

Ensure you run the Command Prompt with administrator privileges.

Error: “The system cannot find the file specified”

Check that you entered the correct command: shutdown -r. If you have added any additional parameters or arguments, ensure they are entered correctly.

Error: “The system cannot accept the specified parameters or arguments”

Review the command syntax carefully. Ensure you have entered the command in the correct format, including any necessary parameters or arguments, and that they are entered correctly.

Error: “The computer is in use by another person or program”

Save any unsaved work or data and close all open programs and applications. Then, try running the restart command again.

Error: “The operation could not be completed” (with error code)

Restart the computer manually by pressing the power button. Look up the error code for more specific troubleshooting information.

Error: “The system is booting. You cannot restart now”

Wait until the computer has finished booting up. Then, run the restart command again.

Error: “The system is in maintenance mode. You cannot restart now”

Exit maintenance mode and restart the computer manually. Then, run the restart command again.

Error: Other errors

If you encounter other errors or issues when using the shutdown -r command, consult the Windows documentation or online resources for more specific troubleshooting information.

Summary

Restarting a PC using the Command Prompt (Cmd) is a useful troubleshooting technique that allows you to quickly reboot your computer without using the traditional graphical user interface (GUI). This method is particularly handy when the GUI is unresponsive or if you need to restart the computer in a specific way.

Best Practices

1. Ensure that you have administrative privileges to use the Command Prompt.
2. Save any open work before restarting the computer, as this process will close all programs.
3. Use the correct syntax for the command, as any errors can result in unexpected behavior.
4. Reboot the computer in the desired manner, depending on your specific situation.
5. Understand the different options available for restarting the computer with Cmd.
6. Know how to force restart the computer if necessary.
7. Use additional parameters to customize the restart process.
8. Troubleshoot common issues related to restarting the computer with Cmd.
9. Use a batch file to automate the restart process for repeated tasks.
10. Leverage the power of the Command Prompt for efficient PC management.

10. Leveraging the Power of the Command Prompt for Efficient PC Management

The Command Prompt is a powerful tool that extends beyond restarting the computer. It offers a wide range of commands for managing various aspects of your PC, including file management, system diagnostics, and network configuration. By leveraging the Command Prompt, you can perform advanced tasks and troubleshoot issues quickly and efficiently.

How to Restart PC using CMD

Restarting your PC using the Command Prompt (CMD) is a useful technique for troubleshooting and performing system maintenance. Here’s a simple guide on how to do it:

1. Open the Command Prompt by searching for “cmd” in the Windows search bar.
2. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter:

shutdown /r /t 0

3. Your computer will restart immediately.

Note:

The “/r” parameter specifies that you want to restart the computer, while the “/t 0” parameter indicates that the restart should occur without any delay.

People Also Ask About How to Restart PC using CMD

How do I restart my computer remotely using CMD?

To restart your computer remotely using CMD, you can use the following command:

shutdown /m \\computername /r /t 0

Replace “computername” with the name or IP address of the remote computer.

How do I restart my computer without using CMD?

There are several ways to restart your computer without using CMD, including:

• Clicking the Start button and selecting “Restart”
• Using the Ctrl+Alt+Del keyboard shortcut and selecting “Restart”
• Pressing the reset button on your computer case