Dear Computer Lady,
Is it ok to shut down a computer by holding in the button on the computer?
Thanks, Paul
Dear Paul,
You should only shut down your computer by holding in the power button as a last resort.
In the rare case that your computer is locked up and nothing works, the only thing you can do is either hold in the power button for about 6 seconds, or unplug the computer.
If you can, however, the best way to shut down your computer is to use the shut down command in the start menu. This allows Windows to shut down correctly and do a little housekeeping in the process.
There is one way to make the power button work for shutting down your computer, and that is to make a change in the computer power settings.
If you open the control panel (Right click on the start button if it is not listed in your start menu), click on “Hardware and Sound”, then on “Power Options”.
In the left column, click “Choose What the power buttons do”.
In the power and sleep button settings section, click the drop down list next to “When I press the power button” and select “Shut down”.
Click the “Save Changes” button at the bottom of the window to save your settings.
Elizabeth
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Elizabeth Boston is a Web designer, Social Media Consultant and managing editor of, “Ask The Computer Lady”.
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