Turn a malfunctioning device off and on again it is the suggestion that all of us have given or received at least once in our lives. But have you ever wondered because it works so often? The answer must be sought in the complexity of the functioning of electronic devices and their intrinsic limits. Every device – computer, smartphone, tablet, router, smart TV, etc. – performs multiple operations simultaneously, some visible and others “in the background”, i.e. not directly perceivable by the user. This continuous calculation process can lead to malfunctions caused by small errors in the code (so-called bugs), overloads of the temporary memory (the RAM) or blocking situations that prevent the device from operating normally. Turning it off and on again abruptly interrupts these operations e returns the system to an initial statefreeing up RAM and temporarily solving the problem. However, although this procedure allows you to get out of an operational stall, it does not eliminate the cause of the malfunction.
What causes a device to “crash”: possible reasons
To understand why turning off and on malfunctioning devices is very often an effective solution, we must first understand the possible reasons why a device “crashes”. To brutally simplify the matter, we can say that the heart of the problem lies in the very nature of software. Every program is built on a sequence of instructions that follows the logic of “if this happens, then do that”. However, errors in writing the code can lead to unexpected situations, such as a so-called memory leak. This phenomenon appears when a process continues to occupy memory without ever freeing it. This gradually exhausts system resources, causing heavy slowdowns or outright freezes.
In the case of more serious malfunctions, such as deep bugs in the software or real hardware component problemsturning it off and on again may not be enough.
What happens when we turn PCs and smartphones off and on again
Turning a device off and on again is the first solution to try when a device no longer responds to commands or, in any case, when it no longer works as it should, as this operation allows the system to take a break from his job and start from scratch.
Depending on the case, this pause forced by turning off the device it can allow the system to reduce the effort (and possibly the excessive temperature) that is affecting a hardware component, frees the RAM memory by closing any running processes that are at the basis of the malfunction, perhaps due to an open program that is not working well due to bugs in its code. When you turn on the device everything will start from scratch and, consequently, the slowdown or blockage previously encountered will be canceled.
It must be said that the “turn it off and on again” method is not there panacea of all evils. If a bug is present in the code or if there is a hardware defect, the malfunction will recur: it’s just a matter of time. Precisely for this reason, regularly updating operating systems and applications is essential: updates often include fixes to known problems. In the absence of an update or possible hardware repair, turning it off and on again remains a temporary solution, useful for quickly getting back up and running.
When to turn off and on again and how to do it: some useful tips
As you may have noticed, so far we have never referred to the “restart” of malfunctioning electronic devices, but we have always talked about turning them off and on again. This is because a soft reboot (which does not involve turning off the device) can solve minor problems, but only by turning off the device completely and leaving it off for a few minutes the internal circuits are allowed to completely discharge the residual current, thus guaranteeing a total reset.
And speaking of turning off devices, don’t underestimate the importance of resorting to this practice even in the absence of obvious problems. Computers and smartphones that are left on for days accumulate useless processes that take up memory and slow down the system. A Scheduled reboot can improve the efficiency and lifespan of the device.
Speaking of turning it off and on again, did you know that…
The practice of turning malfunctioning devices off and on again is not limited to smartphones, tablets, and computers used for personal purposes. Complex systems such as those used in trains, hospitals or even space missions are based on the same principle. In 2023, for example, the NASA IBEX probe has stopped communicating with Earth and the engineers decided to send a command to turn it off and on again. The result, needless to say, was a success, with the probe starting to function normally again!
