How to restart your Dell laptop

We've all experienced it—our trusty Dell® laptop starts to slow down, freeze, or act strangely. It's frustrating, especially when you're not sure why it's happening or how to fix it. Often, a simple restart is all that's needed to refresh your laptop.

At Asurion, we have the know-how to answer any tech question. Whether you want to know how much memory your laptop needs or what to look for when buying a new one, we’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know about how to reboot a Dell laptop.

Why would you need to restart your Dell laptop?

There are many instances where restarting a Dell laptop can be the go-to solution. If your laptop is running slowly, if applications aren't working properly, or if you've just installed new software or updates, a restart can help everything settle down and work better.

What is the difference between restart types?

Restarting your Dell laptop can seem simple, but there are different restart methods depending on the situation.

Soft restart

A soft restart is when you restart the laptop through Windows. This allows the operating system to close applications properly, save settings, and restart safely. This is the most common and safest way to restart your computer.

Hard restart

A hard restart (also called a forced restart) involves holding the Power button until the laptop shuts down. This is useful when the device is frozen or completely unresponsive. While a hard restart may cause you to lose unsaved work, it generally won't affect files that have already been saved.

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Ways to restart a Dell laptop

This guide walks through several ways to restart your Dell laptop, whether you're dealing with a minor slowdown or a completely frozen system.

Restart via the Start menu

This is the preferred method whenever Windows is still responding.

1. Click the Start menu.
2. Select the Power icon.
3. Choose Restart.

Force a hard restart

If your laptop is frozen and not responding, a forced restart may be your only option.

1. Press and hold the Power button until the laptop turns off.
2. Wait a few seconds.
3. Press the Power button again to turn the laptop back on.

If the system still isn't responding, you can perform a full power drain:

1. Shut the laptop down completely.
2. Disconnect the power adapter and any accessories.
3. If your model has a removable battery, remove it. Most modern Dell laptops use internal batteries, so this step won't apply to everyone.
4. Press and hold the Power button for 15–20 seconds to discharge residual power.
5. Reconnect the battery (if removed) and power adapter.
6. Turn the laptop back on.

Restart using keyboard shortcuts

If your touchpad or mouse isn't cooperating, keyboard shortcuts can help.

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete simultaneously.
2. Press Tab until the Power icon is highlighted.
3. Press Enter.
4. Use the arrow keys to select Restart.
5. Press Enter again.

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How to restart your Dell laptop in Safe Mode

Safe Mode loads Windows with only the essential drivers and services needed to run. It's useful when you're troubleshooting software issues, crashes, startup problems, or driver conflicts.

Method 1: If Windows is still working

1. Click the Start menu.
2. Select the Power icon.
3. Hold the Shift key while selecting Restart.
4. When the recovery menu appears, select:
   • Troubleshoot
   • Advanced options
   • Startup Settings
   • Restart
5. After the laptop restarts, choose Safe Mode from the list of startup options.

Method 2: If Windows won't start normally

If the laptop won't boot into Windows, repeatedly interrupt the startup process by powering the laptop off during boot. Windows may automatically launch the recovery environment, where you can access the same Safe Mode options listed above.

Need help factory resetting your laptop? We’ve got that covered, too.

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FAQ

How often should I restart my Dell laptop?

There's no strict schedule, but restarting every few days or once a week can help clear temporary files and resolve minor software issues.

Does restarting a laptop delete anything?

No. A normal restart won't delete files, apps, or settings. However, any unsaved work may be lost.

Why won't my Dell laptop restart?

Software crashes, stuck updates, driver conflicts, or hardware issues can all interfere with restarting.