Windows is the most widely used PC operating system and includes many features, though some are often overlooked or forgotten.
One such overlooked feature is “Emergency Restart”, a function that has existed since Windows NT 3.1 (released in 1993).
Did You Know Windows’ Secret Restart Button
Emergency Restart allows users to reboot their system if it becomes unresponsive or is affected by a buggy application.
To access Emergency Restart, press CTRL + ALT + DEL on a Windows PC to open the screen with options like Lock, Switch User, Sign Out, and Task Manager.
After reaching that screen, hold down the CTRL key and click on the power button located at the bottom right corner.
This action will bring up the Emergency Restart interface, displaying the message:
“Click OK to immediately restart. Any unsaved data will be lost. Use this only as a last resort.”
Difference Between Standard Restart and Emergency Restart
The key difference between a standard restart and an emergency restart is that the latter serves as a substitute for the hard reset, which users commonly perform by holding down the physical power button.
Like a hard reset, Emergency Restart causes loss of any unsaved data, so it should only be used when all other options fail.
Emergency Restart is useful in situations where the power button is damaged, inaccessible, or nonexistent—especially on laptops without physical power buttons.
This feature mimics the effect of holding down the PC’s power button, offering a digital alternative for rebooting the system.
Bill Gates Worked 80 Hours a Week Even After Becoming a Millionaire
Even after becoming extremely wealthy, Bill Gates disclosed that he used to write code for Microsoft for 80 hours a week.
The 69-year-old billionaire acknowledged in an interview with CNBC Make It that it took him over ten years to feel fully successful.
Although Gates co-founded Microsoft in 1975, it wasn’t until 1998, eleven years after the company’s IPO, that he began to feel confident in its success.
According to Forbes, he was already known as the youngest billionaire in history at that point.
