Close Windows Properly Before Shutting Down

File Management, User Care and Common Sense (continued...)

Always Close Windows Before Turning Your Computer Off

When you click on the Start button and then click Shut Down, it allows Windows to close any programs that may be running, either on the Desktop or in the background. Windows can also then release any memory or resources it has allocated, and can properly close out the files and resources that Windows itself requires to operate.

By shutting down your computer without closing out of Windows properly, you can create cross-linked or lost chains in your FAT, corrupt files and render some programs unusable. If a corrupted file should happen to be integral to the proper operation of your operating system, your computer may not start properly. ScanDisk will probably load and run when you restart your computer, or you may end up in Safe Mode.

Let's face it though, sometimes programs freeze and there really is no other way out other than shutting down your computer. Hopefully, if you follow all the suggestions in this newsletter, it will happen less frequently.

For those times when it isn't hung up, always be sure to save your work to the proper folder, close any programs you may have running, and then close out of Windows properly before shutting down your computer.

(continued... Next - Learn to Install and Remove Programs Properly)

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