A lot of people worry that they’ll break something by pressing the wrong button. Here’s the truth — you won’t. Computers are designed to be switched on and off thousands of times. But there is a right way and a wrong way to do it, and knowing the difference will save you from losing your work and keep your computer running well for longer.

Let’s walk through it, step by step.

Switching on

Find the power button — if you’re not sure where it is, take a look back at Article 1 where we show you exactly where to find it on a laptop and a desktop.

Press it once, gently. You don’t need to hold it down. Within a few seconds, the screen will light up and you’ll see your computer starting up. This process is called booting up, and it usually takes between 30 seconds and two minutes depending on your computer.

While it starts up, you may see a logo on the screen, a spinning circle, or a progress bar. This is completely normal. The computer is loading everything it needs to run. Just wait — don’t press anything else during this time.

The login screen

Once the computer has started up, it will usually show you a login screen. This is where you confirm who you are before the computer lets you in.

You’ll typically see one of the following:

• A PIN — a short number, usually 4 to 6 digits, that you type in and press Enter
• A password — a longer combination of letters and numbers
• A fingerprint scanner — on some newer laptops, you simply rest your finger on a small sensor
• A face scan — some laptops have a camera that recognises your face automatically

If the computer is brand new or belongs only to you and has never been set up with a PIN or password, it may go straight past this screen. That’s fine for now, though we recommend setting one up — we cover that in the Stay Safe module.

Type your PIN or password and press Enter. If you make a mistake, press Backspace to delete and try again. Take your time — there’s no rush.

You’re in — the desktop

Once you’ve logged in, you’ll see the desktop. This is your home screen — the starting point for everything you do on the computer. You’ll see a background image (called wallpaper), and possibly some small pictures called icons that open programmes when you click on them.

At the bottom of the screen there’s usually a bar called the taskbar, which gives you quick access to your most-used programmes and shows you the time and date.

You’re now ready to use your computer. Well done — that’s the hardest part done.

Shutting down properly

This is where a lot of people go wrong — and it’s important to get right.

Never just press the power button to switch off, and never unplug a desktop or close a laptop lid without shutting down first. Doing this while the computer is running is like pulling the plug on a geyser mid-cycle. It won’t necessarily break immediately, but over time it can cause problems with your files and slow your computer down.

The correct way to shut down is:

1. Click the Start button — the Windows logo at the bottom left of the screen (or bottom centre on newer computers)
2. Click the Power icon — it looks like a circle with a line at the top
3. Click Shut down
4. Wait while the computer closes everything down — this takes about 30 seconds
5. The screen will go dark when it’s done. Only then is it safe to unplug or leave it.

That’s it. Four clicks and a short wait.

Sleep vs shut down — what’s the difference?

You may have noticed that the power menu also offers a Sleep option. Here’s how to think about the difference:

Sleep is like closing your eyes for a nap — the computer is still on, still using a small amount of power, but it pauses everything and goes quiet. When you want to use it again, press any key or open the lid and it wakes up within a few seconds, right where you left off. Sleep is useful when you’re stepping away for an hour or two and want to pick up quickly.

Shut down is a full switch-off. The computer closes all programmes, saves its settings, and powers down completely. This is what you should do at the end of the day, or if you’re not going to use the computer for several hours.

For most everyday use, either is fine. When in doubt, shut down fully — it’s always the safer choice.

What to do during load-shedding

This is important for South African users specifically.

If load-shedding starts while you’re busy, save your work immediately — we explain how to save in a later article, but for now press Ctrl + S on the keyboard (hold the Ctrl key and press S at the same time). This saves whatever you’re working on.

A laptop will switch to battery power automatically when the electricity goes off. You can keep working, though the screen may dim slightly to save battery. Keep an eye on the battery level shown in the bottom right corner of the screen — if it drops below 20%, save your work and shut down before it runs out completely.

A desktop has no battery backup. When the power goes, the screen goes dark immediately. This is why a surge-protected extension lead is a worthwhile investment — it won’t keep the power on, but it will protect your computer from power surges when the electricity comes back, which can cause damage. We cover this more in Article 5.

What if the computer freezes?

It happens to everyone. The screen gets stuck, the cursor stops moving, and nothing responds no matter what you click.

First — take a breath. This is not a disaster.

Wait 30 seconds. Sometimes a computer is just thinking hard and will sort itself out.

If it’s still frozen, try pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete on the keyboard at the same time. This opens a safety menu. From there you can click Task Manager to close a programme that isn’t responding, or click Shut down to restart safely.

If that doesn’t work either, you can hold the power button down for about 5 seconds until the computer forces itself off. This is the option of last resort — use it only when nothing else works. If you had unsaved work open, it will unfortunately be lost. But the computer itself will be fine.

Restarting — the magic fix

If your computer is behaving strangely — running slowly, showing odd errors, or a programme isn’t working — the first thing to try before anything else is a restart.

Go to Start → Power → Restart.

A restart shuts the computer fully down and starts it again fresh. It clears out small glitches and is the solution to a surprising number of everyday problems. If someone in tech support ever asks you “have you tried turning it off and on again?” — this is what they mean, and they’re asking for a good reason.

Try this now

If your computer is on, practise a proper shutdown. Click the Start button at the bottom of the screen, click the Power icon, and select Shut down. Watch what happens as it closes down. Then switch it back on and watch the startup process. You’ve just completed a full cycle — and you did it the right way.