How do I restart Win 8?

  • Thread starter yungman
  • Start date
In summary: Avast). As for disabling your wifi, it's usually one of the F keys along the top of the keyboard (F1-F12, depending on your model), and there should be a small picture/icon on one of them (again, depending on your model) that looks like a small antenna with 3 or more waves emanating from it. You should see that same icon on one of the keys above your F keys too, and that's the one you'd hold down the Fn button to strike to turn your wifi off and on. To disable the "automatic" windows updates, you'd have to go to the Windows Update program. In summary, the conversation discusses issues with Windows 8, specifically with restarting the computer and
  • #1
yungman
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This is such a simple thing, but I cannot find the solution on web. Everyone said go to "Power option" and choose "Restart". But mine DO NOT HAVE SIMPLE RESTART! It is "Update and Restart". That cause me a lot of trouble. I click that, it actually tried to update...and FAILED. It had to reinstall back to original and it took 2 hours!

Win 8 is not stable, things got stuck and I suspect I need to restart it like once a day! It is inconvenient not to be able to do it.

Why in the world MS gave up Win 7 and move to Win 8? Win 7 is about the best after XP.
 
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  • #2
You must be having windows update on. I always keep windows update off because sometimes, if it fails, my computer becomes unstable.
Turn it off.
 
  • #3
It is not a good idea to leave Update in a binary condition - either permanently On or Off. Most of the updates are important security updates and you really don't want to miss those, nor simple driver updates that can improve overall function. However, leaving them on Automatic Download and Update (behind your back) is also not great and can happen at the most inconvenient times or include updates you neither need nor desire.

Just set it to notify you when Updates become available so you can select what you want and when you want it to be installed. As important and commonplace as updates are, leaving them totally automatic is like driving a car and not knowing how to change a tire. Turning them off can be like driving on a flat. Taking the time and effort to learn basic PC control has major dividends, and they "pay off" daily. Invest.
 
  • #4
Then it's your choice.
I usually update my required drivers/security updates on my own. If you can't do that then it's ok to set it to notify you when Updates become available.
 
  • #5
adjacent said:
Then it's your choice. I usually update my required drivers/security updates on my own. If you can't do that then it's ok to set it to notify you when Updates become available.

While I'm sure most people here are both capable and diligent about hardware drivers, the fact is if anyone get's lazy or forgetful, the consequences are minimal, even imperceptible. Security updates are a different story however, requiring timeliness and diligence. How do you schedule regular checks and how much time per week must you spend searching for security updates?
 
  • #6
How about how to just restart my Win 8?
 
  • #7
yungman said:
How about how to just restart my Win 8?
Try this:
  1. Disconnect from internet
  2. Restart the computer
  3. Wait till the update process finish(It won't actually update)
  4. When you log in, disable the windows update || or make it so that it keeps you notified
 
  • #8
adjacent said:
Try this:
  1. Disconnect from internet
  2. Restart the computer
  3. Wait till the update process finish(It won't actually update)
  4. When you log in, disable the windows update || or make it so that it keeps you notified

Thanks

But I don't have a hard switch to turn off the wi-fi. I already have it so it won't automatically connects to wi-fi upon start up, that's where I got into the update and failed.

Right now, the wi-fi fail like once a day and I have to turn it off and manually turn it on again. Should I RECOVER the computer again. I just did it a few days ago, so it is not too bad if I recover it again and reinstall everything. I don't have much history and I can save my bookmarks and reload back in later.

I have Norton 360 for protection, is it that important to keep updating Windows of the computer?

Thanks
 
  • #9
Norton has been known to cause various issues for the last decade, if not longer. It's not important to your updates, but protection against viruses and other malware. You can use whatever virus protection software you want, as there are free ones for home use that are equally as good as the main stream paid counterparts.

You can disable your wifi from the keyboard by holding the Fn button and hitting the button with the wifi icon by it, and the same process to turn it back on. You can also perform a hard power down by holding the power button in until the machine just shuts off, but it's not recommended unless it's a last resort (computer became completely unresponsive, for example).

You can disable your windows updates and all "pending" updates will be ignored until you turn back on automatic updates or install them yourself by the other methods above.
 
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  • #10
elusiveshame said:
Norton has been known to cause various issues for the last decade, if not longer. It's not important to your updates, but protection against viruses and other malware. You can use whatever virus protection software you want, as there are free ones for home use that are equally as good as the main stream paid counterparts.

You can disable your wifi from the keyboard by holding the Fn button and hitting the button with the wifi icon by it, and the same process to turn it back on. You can also perform a hard power down by holding the power button in until the machine just shuts off, but it's not recommended unless it's a last resort (computer became completely unresponsive, for example).

You can disable your windows updates and all "pending" updates will be ignored until you turn back on automatic updates or install them yourself by the other methods above.

Thanks

Which one is the wifi icon?

How do you disable windows update in Win 8?

So far in the three years I used Norton, I have no virus problem. I used to have crashes with McAfee often, and Norton seems to fix it all. I really don't have problem with the few other computers that have XP and Win 7. This Win 8 is just something else.

Thanks
 
  • #11
No worries, like I said, a lot of people love Norton (as well as McAfee) and others (like myself) prefer the free antivirus software (I use AVG Free, and prior was Avira/Free-AV), but if it's not giving you any issues, then don't worry about it :)

The Wifi icon looks like this:

33433.png


And other variations of that (sometimes with an antennae, sometimes rotated 90° with the radio waves on top, and so on).

If you're on a desktop computer, you won't have the Fn button on the keyboard (most likely, I haven't seen a standard keyboard with that on it, but they could/probably exist), but on my laptop it's on the F12 button (everything in the color of the Fn/Function button requires the Fn button to be pressed).

If you're on a desktop computer, you should be able to go into your wireless connections and uncheck "automatically connect" and that'll prevent you from connecting to the wifi.

To turn off automatic updates in Windows 8, here's a link that should be able to assist. If not, let us know: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/...-off#turn-automatic-updating-on-off=windows-8
 
  • #12
yungman said:
How do you disable windows update in Win 8?

Press Windows Logo + Q. In the Search field that appears - type control panel. Click on the control panel. There you will see Windows Update icon. (In case you miss that, type Windows Update on the top right search field of the control panel.) Then click the Windows Update icon, go to change settings, and from the drop down menu under "Important Updates", select Never check for updates. Also uncheck the two check boxes.

attachment.php?attachmentid=70723&stc=1&d=1403216028.png


Click apply - ok and you are done!

yungman said:
Which one is the wifi icon?

On the taskbar click on the wireless network icon.

attachment.php?attachmentid=70724&stc=1&d=1403216495.png


Then click the "Flight Mood" and set it On. Your wi-fi will be turned off.

yungman said:
Is it that important to keep updating Windows of the computer?

If you ask this question seriously, then most people would probably say yes. But actually you can go without it. (Hey! I never updated my windows for 2 years!)
The most important thing is you run a solid Antivirus and Firewall and always keep your antivirus updated. Also you should be careful in your net use, like avoid suspicious sites or unknown attachments, scan any pendrive before you use etc... But you know all that.

Hope this helps!
 

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  • #13
elusiveshame said:
and others (like myself) prefer the free antivirus software (I use AVG Free, and prior was Avira/Free-AV)

:thumbs:
I also use free antivirus. They are quite good now-a-days.
 
  • #14
Please identify the brand and model of your machine. That could help us generate better answers.
 
  • #15
harborsparrow said:
Please identify the brand and model of your machine. That could help us generate better answers.

Is this your default answer to computer related issues? I'd hate to see your response to IRQ and DMA related issues based on poorly configured devices.
 
  • #16
elusiveshame said:
Is this your default answer to computer related issues? I'd hate to see your response to IRQ and DMA related issues based on poorly configured devices.

I don't see anything wrong with my query.
 
  • #17
harborsparrow said:
I don't see anything wrong with my query.
:rofl: Me neither. It does make quite the difference to know since this kind of situation points out to non-recognized hardware drivers. And from the details here and in other threads, it appears that the computer in question hardware is non-software friendly.
 
  • #18
yungman said:
... It is "Update and Restart". That cause me a lot of trouble. I click that, it actually tried to update...and FAILED. It had to reinstall back to original and it took 2 hours!.

if your W8 requires scores of updates, configure updates just to notify you of updates without automatically downloading them, i.e. select ...

"Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them"

otherwise your internet connection & computer will be consumed by downloading 100's of Mb of update data,
which may all fail to install. Just select a few updates for download and installation at a time, (say ~10Mb worth is a digestible chunk ). Restarting the computer is usually required each time you update windows,
( a restart is required to swallow and digest each chunk of update data , it will choke if you try to feed it too much update data at once ).

yungman said:
... Win 8 is not stable ...

I recently learned about a feature on W8 called DISM which checks the "health" and can repair any problems by comparing your W8 with an online reference image ...

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/26512-dism
 
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1. How do I restart Windows 8?

To restart Windows 8, click on the Start button and then click on the power icon. From the drop-down menu, select "Restart". Alternatively, you can press the Windows key + X and then select "Shut down or sign out" followed by "Restart".

2. What is the difference between restarting and shutting down Windows 8?

Restarting Windows 8 will close all programs and processes and then start them again, while shutting down will completely power off the computer. Restarting is useful when troubleshooting issues or applying updates, while shutting down is recommended when not using the computer for an extended period of time.

3. Can I restart Windows 8 without using the power button?

Yes, you can restart Windows 8 by pressing the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys, and then selecting "Restart" from the options menu. You can also use the command prompt by pressing Windows key + R, typing "shutdown -r" and pressing enter.

4. How long does it take for Windows 8 to restart?

The time it takes for Windows 8 to restart can vary depending on the speed of your computer and the number of programs and processes running. On average, it takes about 2-3 minutes for a Windows 8 computer to restart.

5. Is it necessary to restart Windows 8 regularly?

It is not necessary to restart Windows 8 on a regular basis, but it is recommended to do so after installing updates or making significant changes to the system. This allows for any necessary updates or changes to take effect and can help improve the overall performance of your computer.

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