Rebooting a Dell laptop running Windows 10 means restarting Windows. Use the normal Restart command whenever the computer is responsive so applications have a chance to close properly.
Restart a Dell laptop normally
- Save open documents and other work.
- Open the Start menu.
- Select Power.
- Choose Restart.
Windows closes the current session, shuts down system processes, and starts again. A restart is useful after updates, driver changes, or temporary software problems.
Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and use the power control on that screen to choose Restart. You can also press Alt + F4 from the desktop and select Restart from the shutdown dialog.
If the laptop is completely frozen
When Windows will not respond to keyboard or mouse input, holding the physical power button until the laptop turns off may be necessary. Wait briefly, then power it on again. This is a forced shutdown rather than a normal reboot and can cause loss of unsaved work, so reserve it for a system that is genuinely unresponsive.
If freezes happen repeatedly, check Windows Update, Dell’s official driver/firmware support for the exact Service Tag/model, storage health, memory diagnostics, and recent software changes.
For a Dell laptop still on Windows 10, note that Microsoft’s standard free-support period ended October 14, 2025. If the Dell model supports a maintained Windows release, upgrading should be part of the long-term fix rather than relying indefinitely on an unsupported OS.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.