Save Time! Try Signing Out Instead of Restarting
This morning I was uninstalling a program and it told me I had to restart to finish the uninstallation process. But I had a Windows Update pending a restart and a lot of work to do. The last thing I needed or wanted was to have to wait for Windows to update my computer – which can take a long time. I didn’t have a lot of time and didn’t want to wait for the spinning orbs of Windows Update to be taking up all my valuable computer time.
That’s when I remembered the old “sign out” trick.
The next time you install a program, uninstall a program, and it tells you to restart your computer to complete the installation or uninstallation, try signing out and signing back in again. Many times, it will work. It does not work with all programs and it does not work with Windows updates, but it does work much of the time.
When you restart your computer, Windows shuts down all running programs, all open user accounts, then turns your computer off and starts it again.
When you sign out of your user account, Windows shuts down your user account only. The computer will remain powered on and Windows will revert to the lock screen (login screen) for the next time you or another user on your PC (if any) logs in.
Signing out and then signing back in, takes less time than restarting.
So, the next time you install, uninstall, or update a program that tells you that you must restart your computer, try signing out and then signing back in. Many times, it is all you need to do, and it will save you time.
Here are two ways to log off in Windows 10
- Right-click the start button, hover over “Shut down or sign out” and select “Sign out” from the extended menu which appears:
- Press Windows key + D to go to your desktop. When you’re looking at your desktop, press ALT + F4 to open the Windows Shut Down Dialog. Use the down arrow to select “Sign out” from the list of shut down options, then click on “OK”:
This is something you can try if you have Windows update pending and/or you don’t want to take the time to restart your computer. It works most of the time – but not all the time. But it’s worth a try if a program you are installing, uninstalling, or updating, tells you to restart your computer. It will save you time.