Use This TikTok Hack to Stop Accidental Windows Restarts

It’s frustrating when our computers do things we don’t expect them to (looking at you, sudden software updates). However, the only thing that’s more annoying than a rogue computer is when the problem occurs because of our goddamn fault. One such problem occurs when you accidentally restart your computer. Sometimes this happens when I try to shut down my computer and click the Restart button instead. But instead of waiting for the computer to restart so I can turn it off, next time I’ll use this TikTok hint to abort the process.

The creator of jackstechtopia recently posted on TikTok a quick way to cancel a restart when it’s already running. If your computer has just started to restart, including showing a blue screen with a loading wheel, you can hold the ESC key to stop it. After a few seconds, you will see the blue restart screen disappear, replaced by the home screen. From here, you can continue to use your computer, or if you want to turn it off completely, turn it off.

This hack was new to me, so I tested it on a Windows 11 laptop. Wow, holding the exit key canceled the reboot just like it did for jackstechtopia. Judging by the comments on the video, I wasn’t the only Windows user unaware of this handy trick. (I assume it’s called the “Escape” key for some reason.)

If you’re looking for other ways to improve your PC experience, check out our list of seven annoying Windows 11 issues and how to fix them .

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