To refresh a laptop, the method depends on what you want to refresh-whether it's the screen, system performance, or restoring the device.
Refreshing the Screen or Browser
- On Windows laptops, press F5 or Ctrl + R to refresh the current window or webpage.
- For a hard refresh that clears the browser cache, press Ctrl + Shift + R or Ctrl + F5 simultaneously.
- On Mac laptops, use Command + R for a standard refresh and Command + Shift + R for a hard refresh in browsers
Refreshing System Performance (Windows)
- Use the System Restore feature to revert your laptop to an earlier state without affecting personal files. This helps fix performance issues by undoing recent system changes.
- For a more thorough refresh, Windows 10 and 11 offer a "Reset this PC" option found in Settings > Update & Security > Recovery. This can refresh your system by reinstalling Windows while keeping your files or performing a full factory reset that erases everything-so back up important data first
Quick Refresh via Context Menu
- Right-click on the desktop and select Refresh from the context menu to quickly refresh the desktop view or file explorer
Summary of Key Shortcuts
Action| Windows Shortcut| Mac Shortcut
---|---|---
Refresh screen/page| F5 or Ctrl + R| Command + R
Hard refresh browser| Ctrl + Shift + R or Ctrl + F5| Command + Shift + R
Open context menu| Shift + F10| N/A
Refreshing your laptop can mean a simple screen reload or a deeper system reset depending on your needs. Use keyboard shortcuts for quick refreshes, and system restore or reset options for performance issues
