Think back to when you’ve had an IT problem. You’ve called your faithful IT support person, and the first thing they have said is “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” And half the time, it resolves whatever the issue is. The other half is a story for another time.
But why? What is this magic that turns your PC from a pile of silicon with an attitude problem, back into a working, useful piece of technology again with naught but the push of a button?
Imagine, If you will, a huge city. Hundreds of high-rise building’s, few discernible landmarks, lots of small alleys and one-way streets. You start your day and leave your house on whatever tasks you have. You head to the first building on your list, and the next, and the next. Not necessarily in the same order you did them yesterday, or the day before that. After a while, between the hundreds of alleyways, One way streets, and “shortcuts” you’ve taken – You find yourself hopelessly lost, going in circles.
Now imagine that you have an ability to magically transport yourself back home, so you can restart your route. You could go from the start again, and then head on your next destination.
That’s what rebooting is like for your IT devices. It’s gotten lost and is running in circles in the city. You hit the Restart button, the magic kicks in – and transports it back to where it began. “Ah, The start” it says. “I know what to do from here”.