How to Reboot from Command Prompt on Windows

This wikiHow teaches you how to restart a Windows PC by typing commands at the command prompt.

Steps

  1. Image titled Reboot from Command Prompt on Windows Step 1
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    Press ⊞ Win+S. This opens the Windows Search bar.
  2. Image titled Reboot from Command Prompt on Windows Step 2
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    Type cmd. A list of search results will appear.
  3. Image titled Reboot from Command Prompt on Windows Step 3
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    Right-click Command Prompt. It's at the top of the list.
  4. Image titled Reboot from Command Prompt on Windows Step 4
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    Click Run as administrator. The command prompt will appear inside a terminal window.
  5. Image titled Reboot from Command Prompt on Windows Step 5
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    Type shutdown /r at the command prompt.
  6. Image titled Reboot from Command Prompt on Windows Step 6
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    Press ↵ Enter. A confirmation message will appear.
  7. Image titled Reboot from Command Prompt on Windows Step 7
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    Click Close. Windows will now shut down and restart.

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About This Article

Nicole Levine, MFA
Written by:
Nicole Levine, MFA
Tech Specialist
This article was written by Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. This article has been viewed 22,694 times.
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Co-authors: 1
Updated: May 15, 2018
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Categories: Command Prompt
Article SummaryX

1. Open Search.
2. Type cmd.
3. Right-click Command Prompt.
4. Click Run as administrator.
5. Type shutdown /r.
6. Press ↵ Enter.
7. Click Close.

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