"power cycle" means, a computer equipment can be rather finicky at times. A device that was working fine ten minutes ago may begin acting strangely or may not be responding at all. Often the low-tech solution of simply turning off the device and turning it back on again will fix the problem. This is because information stored in the device's RAM may have gotten corrupted and caused the device to hang up or stall on a certain instruction. Power cycling the device erases the RAM and allows it to boot up with fresh information. Typically it is a good idea to wait 5 to 10 seconds before turning the device back on to make sure it has chance to fully reset. Of course, if you need to power cycle your computer, you should save any work you currently have open, since it will be erased from the RAM once the system is restarted.
Steps to be followed:
1. Shut down your computer the proper way if possible, via your "Start" menu. If your system is completely locked up, however, then press your PC's power button and hold for 5 to 10 seconds, and your computer tower will turn off.
2. Unplug your computer – this is a very, very important step! Unplug your PC from its power supply. This will typically be the uppermost black cord at the back of your tower. For a notebook or laptop, remove the computer's battery and then un-plug its cord from the laptop. It is not enough to switch off your surge protector – you must unplug the cord from your laptop.
3. Wait for at least 30 seconds after all you computer is unplugged. This will allow enough time for any residual power to drain out of your different devices. You can speed up the process as you wait, by pressing the power button on your unplugged computer, which will help to drain all the power that is left over in your PC's motherboard.
4. Re-connect your computer in this specific order: Plug in your computer. For a laptop, you'll put the battery back in and then plug it in. Press the power button to turn it back on. Allow it to fully boot up, which it will now boot up normally. You will now also be able to boot with no problem. You have power cycled your computer.
