Frozen Computers

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There is no real solution for a frozen computer. The only way to fix it is to restart the computer. Ask the student if he or she has any unsaved work. If they do have unsaved work and there is no way to unfreeze the computer, ask the student if it is okay for you to restart the computer. This will result in them losing any unsaved progress but they will be able to use the machine again once it restarts.

PC

1. You can either click and hold the power button or the restart button (if any). The former will shut the computer. Click the power button again.
2. If that doesn’t work, pull the power cable off the back of the CPU to disconnect the power. Put the cable back on again and press the power button.  

Macintosh

1. Pressing the power button once will not work for Macs.  You need to hold it for 8 seconds to turn it off.
2. Sometimes, the computer will go to “Sleep Mode” (the term for Standby in Macs) instead of “Shut Down” after holding the power button. Notice that the power button is on and the screen is black when in “Sleep Mode.”
3. If this happens, press anywhere on the keyboard to activate the computer.
4. Whenever possible, go to the title bar and click Special > Shutdown.
5. If the computer is still frozen, then repeat step 1 again.
6. Detach the power cable from the CPU and put it back on again if the preceding steps failed.