Do you know what a hard reboot and a soft reboot are? You may use them often, but do you know their differences and which one you should choose each time?
Have you ever heard these two terms? They are especially famous for all electronic devices, from your mobile phone to a computer. In particular, you will have heard the hard reboot as advice when you were in a state of despair and were looking at a stuck, unresponsive machine.
What is a hard and soft reboot?
A hard reboot is the process of restarting a computer manually or by any other method that does not interfere with the operating system. The simplest example of a hard reboot is when you unplug your computer while it is running.
This process allows the user to restart the computer, usually when the operating system or software functions are unresponsive.
On the other hand, a soft reboot is a reboot process that is performed automatically by your operating system. Of course, you have given the command to reboot, but in a soft reboot, the entire process after your command is performed by your operating system and you just sit back and watch.
A complete and normal shutdown, via the operating system, and a restart of the machine the next moment or even the next day, is considered a soft boot. The difference between boot and reboot is that in the first the restart of the machine will take place after some desired interval, while in the second the restart will take place immediately after it is shut down.
They are two similar concepts, which in the Greek language correspond to “Start” and “Restart”.
How each one is used
A hard reboot is mainly done when your computer system “freezes” and does not respond to any keystrokes or instructions from the user. Generally, hard reboots are done manually, by continuously pressing the power button until it turns off and then pressing it again to restart.
Another method to perform a hard reboot is to unplug the computer, then plug it back in and press the power button to restart.
A hard reboot differs from a soft reboot, in which the user on a computer simultaneously presses the CTRL+ ALT+ DEL keys to command a user switch, or to shut down or restart the operating system.
When is each used?
Hard reboot is the usual method for novice users as they are unable to identify where the problem is and so they simply enter the "headache, head ache" process.
Its use is recommended only when you have exhausted all other solutions and possibilities to solve a problem. When your machine is stuck, when it has displayed a blue screen (BSOD), when it does not respond to any of your commands, then the last solution is the hard reboot. However, it should remain as your last resort.
The smaller a device is, the more often a hard reboot is used. For mobile phones, you simply remove the battery (where possible), for routers, telephone exchanges, etc., you cut off the power.
On the other hand, a soft reboot (you can also hear it simply as reboot or restart or reset), is used whenever you want to shut down your computer and restart it immediately. In some devices, it is done automatically, when the battery runs out and the machine shuts down on its own before it is completely empty (such as in laptops, mobile phones, etc.). In general, when there is no problem and you have finished your work on your electronic device, it is usually given the command to shut down and this performs a complete shutdown. The restart the next day will be a soft boot.
We don't want to imagine that you shut down your computer every night with a hard reboot!!!! If you do, stop it immediately!!!
Pros and Cons
Hard reboot is not a recommended technique because restarting the computer without the support of the operating system can lead to data loss, incomplete installation or shutdown, and failure of any process.
The worst case scenario in such a reboot is for the operating system to write data to the disk. If this happens, any files being written at that time will likely be unreadable, and if the data disk is a hard drive, there is a chance that the mechanical read/write head will be damaged.
Especially when your computer, mobile phone, etc. is performing an upgrade, you should never do a hard reboot. There is a serious possibility that you will interrupt the upgrade in the middle and ruin your entire operating system. Even if you think your machine is stuck on the message “Installing Windows – 30% progress”, or “Do not turn off your computer, the upgrade is in progress”, you should be patient with it and wait for it to finish its work.
A type of hard reboot occurs when you have a power outage, while at the same time your machine is not supported by a battery (laptop) or by a UPS .
On the contrary, a smooth shutdown or smooth restart of the machine through its operating system will protect your work, as it will first save all open tabs, tasks, and data and then proceed to shut it down.
