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Troubleshooting a computer problem isn't just for computer experts. Believe it or not, a simple restart of Windows can fix most of your computer problems: mouse, keyboard, modem, network, or graphics. Here are two ways to restart Windows — with a live mouse and a dead mouse.
If your mouse is working, you can restart Windows with these steps:
1. Click the Start button.
2. Click the Shutdown menu button.
The Shutdown menu appears.
3. Choose Restart.
After you successfully complete these steps, Windows shuts down everything and immediately restarts. Hopefully, that clears up whatever dilemma existed.
If your mouse is stuck, where the pointer doesn't move on the screen, you have to rely on the keyboard to restart Windows. This task isn't as hard as it seems:
1. Press the Win key to pop up the Start menu.
If your keyboard lacks a Win key, press the Ctrl+Esc key combination.
2. Press the right-arrow three times.
Yep, the right-arrow key: Click, click, click. The third click pops up the Shutdown menu.
3. Use the up-arrow key to highlight the Restart menu option.
4. Press Enter.
If you're prompted to save any documents, do so. Don't fret if you can't work the Save As dialog box; just save the document to disk and worry about relocating the file after the computer starts (and the mouse is, hopefully, back in action).
- You can also follow the steps in this article when the mouse is behaving in a stubborn or slow manner.
 | - If you have a USB mouse (one that connects to the PC by using a USB port rather than the mouse port), the problem may be with another USB device misbehaving. Consider disconnecting the USB scanner, disk drive, or other USB device to see whether that action remedies the stuck or sluggish mouse.
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- You can use the computer's hard drive light as a way to read its pulse. When the hard drive light is flashing, the computer is still alive and working. If the light is dead, or if the light pulses regularly over a long period, the computer most likely is locked up.
- Be patient! The computer may be unbearably slow. Even so, as long as you're getting a response, it's better to shut down properly than to just unplug the sucker.
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