Tech Desk 
May 25, 2024
Learning shortcuts to the keyboard can enhance your speed by leaps and bounds. And if you're not able to use the mouse or touchpad on your computer because of some unanticipated reason, you can still restart your personal computer or Mac computer using just your keyboard.
Keyboard hotkeys like Alt + F4 for Windows and Control + Eject for macOS can really be beneficial when other input tools are not working. This step-by-step guide will show you the easiest ways to reboot your PC or Mac without a mouse or trackpad.
Guide to restart your computer using keyboard:
1. Press and hold the Alt key.
- Use the Alt key on the left or right side of your keyboard.
2. Press and hold the F4 key. There is a row of F keys at the top of your keyboard.
- You can use various key combinations to close any active applications and windows, including any browser windows.
- Depending on some laptop models, you may need to press and hold the Fn key to use function keys (Fn+Alt+F4).
3. Repeat the above process to close all applications.
- Press Alt+F4 until every browser and application is closed.
4. Select 'Restart' and press ↵ Enter. Use the indicating arrow keys on your keyboard to select 'Restart' from the drop-down menu.
- Remember this window will appear only when all the other software are closed on your computer.
- Once you have selected this, your computer will restart without the use of your mouse.
5. If the previous steps did not work for you, you can use different key shortcuts to restart.
- Press Win+X then use your directional keys to select 'Shut down' or sign out and press Enter. Then, using the arrow keys, head over to 'Restart' and press Enter.
