Brazil has slapped Apple with a $2 Million fine for selling iPhone 12 without a charger. While this isn’t the first time Apple is fined, it is the first fine imposed on the company in 2021. If A Series Of Unfortunate Events was not a movie, it’d be a part of Apple’s 2020 documentary.

The Cupertino giant has been on the radar and fined with multiple violations over the last year. In fact, Apple is the company that holds the record for the highest fine of $1.2 billion by the French competition authorities. Not the best things to boast about. But here’s the question: Why was Apple fined?

Why Brazil Fined Apple

The Brazil fine on Apple is what led me to wonder what is so wrong with Apple, that it has been slapped with over a billion dollars in fine around the world. In the most recent penalties, the Cupertino giant has to pay up $2 million for shipping the iPhone 12 without a charger in Brazil.

The company actively talked about its charger removal on the iPhone 12 series launch. It also says on the Apple online store that there’s no charger inside the box. According to the company, charger removal adds up to smaller packaging and lesser e-waste. Apple cited these reasons to the Brazilian watchdog, Procon SP, but was still fined.

In the $2 million penalties, Procon SP also included the misleading water resistance claims by Apple. The company had advertised that the iPhone 12 can take a ‘splish and splash’ and then declined under-warranty repairs to people with water damage on their iPhone 12 devices. Apple was fined for the exact same thing in Italy as well.

A Series Of Unfortunate Events

The Lemony Snicket classic applies in the case of Apple here. In the past year only, Apple has been fined 6 times, and this $2 million penalty is the least it was ordered to pay up. Aside from conflicts in both Europe and the Americas about the iPhone, Apple is also a part of the antitrust cases being built by the DoJ in the United States.

The first big blow came in February 2020, when French regulatory body DGCCRF fined Apple €25 million (roughly $29 million). This was because of Apple’s throttling of older iPhones. While the company argued that it slowed down older iPhones to keep them working, it had no defense for not informing the users about the slowdown. Adding salt to the wound, Apple was asked to show a “committed the crime of deceptive commercial practice by omission” on its French-language website for a month.

Then in March 2020, the French regulators landed another blow to Apple. Apple was accused of forming cartels and sterilizing the market by undermining competition. This landed a $1.2 billion fine on the company, which is by far the largest penalty imposed in one case by the French regulators.

Now coming to the end of the year, Apple got hit 2 more times. This time the U.S. regulators caught up with the company about slowing down of older iPhones. The ‘Batterygate’ case cost Apple $113 million in settlements. Lastly, 2020 ended with Apple getting hit with another $11 million in fines from the Italian competition authority.

Italy’s national competition authority, AGCM, concluded that Apple’s water-resistance claims on its iPhones were conditional and misleading. After Apple refused to cover water damages in its warranty, it got fined $11 million.

Come March 2021, the company is fined by Brazil for not including a charger in the iPhone 12 boxes. You should also know that the iPhone 12 Mini that costs around $799 in the U.S. and over $1100 in Brazil. Apple is also not the only company taking flak for excluding the charger. Samsung cut a deal with the Brazilian watchdog and agreed to include a ‘gift charger’ with its devices.

Trial Or Witchhunt?

It is understandable for Apple or any other company to be fined for misleading claims or not sharing important information with the users. We can also agree that fines are a fine way of keeping a fair market under check. However, there are certain times things are pushed a bit too far.

Referring to the latest Brazil fine on Apple, we can say it is unfair towards the company. Apple announced plenty of times that the company is excluding chargers from its iPhone 12 boxes. The deliberation on whether it was a good decision is done in the article linked below.

Here, the point is that in doing so, the company ended up violating Brazil’s code for consumer defense. From the environmental perspective, Apple is the most sustainable consumer tech company, according to Forbes . While charger removal may not do much immediately, it is bound to have a long-term positive effect.

Adding to it that giants like Xiaomi and Samsung followed the move in their own unique way. It all points towards Apple’s decision of having an environmentally sound long-term strategy. All in all, just like any other company, there are points where Apple has been rightly penalized. Brazil could have penalized Apple for switching to Type-C to lightning cables in the box. It is so because most of the Apple users had a Type-A to Lightning charger.

While that’s our take on the matter, let us know what you think about imposing penalties on the big tech in the comments.

The post Apple Fined Over $1.62 Billion In The Last Year: Here’s Why appeared first on Fossbytes .

Irrespective of how powerful the rest of the components your PC is boasting, perhaps the biggest performance bottlenecks that makes or breaks the speed of the system happens to be its storage. Configuring a system with top-notch hardware is the right idea but failing to upgrade your hard drive or replace it with a speedier solid-state drive will only result in performance degradation over time.

The slow-down will not be noticeable initially, but as you gradually start to fill up that existing storage, it is only a matter of time before your impressive configuration starts behaving like a system that was built 10 years ago. There is a misconception that emptying disk space will speed up your PC. Let’s clear that doubt first-

Freeing up disk space doesn’t speed up computers, but reduces file fragmentation chances

Novice computer system builders often receive a common helping hand that freeing up unnecessary disk space leads to progress of your system’s revitalization. Simply stated, remove programs and other chunks of files that you don’t use on a daily basis, and your PC will immediately function like you powered it on for the very first time.

The truth is that freeing up disk space does not really speed up your PC. Instead, leaving a small amount of space intact reduces the chances of file fragmentation , which is one of the reasons why your hard drive starts to act sluggishly after a few months.

However, it’s also worth nothing that modern operating systems keep an account of these issues and employ strategies. This ensures that fragmentation only affects the performance when the fragmented files are being accessed by some program.

What is file fragmentation and should I be worried about it?

In the easiest definition possible, file fragmentation is when files are scattered throughout the hard drive instead of being present in one continuous location. Fragmentation ends up being caused when you delete files from your hard drive, and small gaps in the storage remain in order to make free space for new data to be written.

So, when you write newer data and if that data happens to be written on the fragmented part of the drive, those files will take longer time to access when you attempt to open them. For example, you have just finished downloading a brand new movie and wish to watch that but it takes longer than usual for the media player to begin playing that movie.

That is the result of fragmentation; the other files on the defragmented part of the hard drive will continue to function as normal but the newer file will suffer from this performance hit as there are no more blocks of free space remaining.

If you cycle the process of freeing space by deleting unwanted files and programs and adding new data, you will just be adding small block gaps, further contributing to fragmentation.

How can you prevent fragmentation from slowing your PC?

There are numerous ways to increase overall system speed and none of them are even closely related to freeing up disk space. The easiest option is to upgrade your existing storage to a SATA-based solid state drive. With flash-based storage getting cheaper and cheaper to make way for much faster and long-lasting NVMe PCIe solid state drives, SATA-based drives will still make your system run much snappier than a regular hard drive would ever be able to.

However, SSDs still cost way more than regular hard drives, and if your budget is not suited to make a purchase, then things like caching, hardware-level buffering, and adjusting values in the registry will have to be your next goal. We understand that those are complex operations so let us start with something extremely simple.

For starters, do not run a large number of programs in the background, particularly those that you do not need. This will range from antivirus and installed software that starts up when you see the login screen. Defragmenting your hard drive once a blue moon is also a very helpful suggestion but if you defragment your drive every week, it will just end up doing more harm than good by reading through the entire drive and reducing its lifespan.

The rule of the thumb is that freeing up disk is not the reason why your system’s speed suddenly picks up but keeping the storage less fragmented as possible by not cycling between deleting and installing data will help to keep that sluggishness at bay.

Did we miss something? Drop your thoughts and feedback.

The post Does Emptying Disk Space Speed Up Computers? Myths Busted! appeared first on Fossbytes .

From a legal and privacy ‘point of view,’ it is always an interesting question if the images or anything else you upload on Facebook belongs to you or not. Facebook has highlighted extensive details on the matter, but let’s face it, you will not invest your precious time going through every nook and cranny attempting to figure out the true ownership of the uploaded images.

However, while answering the mighty question of “Do I Own My Facebook Photos,” we are here to separate fact from fiction and provide you with the necessary information.

Does Facebook actually own the images I upload on the social network?

To summarize everything, no they do not because that is not how the world of copyright works. If you’ve snapped them with your camera, they still belong to you, not Facebook.

The juicy bits have been highlighted in Facebook’s terms of service page, where the important details have been posted below, and we strongly suggest that you pay close attention to these —

1. Some content that you share or upload, such as photos or videos, may be protected by intellectual property laws. You own the intellectual property rights (things such as copyright or trademarks) in any such content that you create and share on Facebook and the other Facebook Company Products you use. Nothing in these Terms takes away the rights you have to your own content. You are free to share your content with anyone else, wherever you want. “
2. Specifically, when you share, post or upload content that is covered by intellectual property rights on or in connection with our Products, you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free and worldwide licence to host, use, distribute, modify, run, copy, publicly perform or display, translate and create derivative works of your content
3. This licence will end when your content is deleted from our systems.

Also Read: How To Delete Your Facebook Account Permanently

What rights does Facebook have over the photos I have uploaded? Do I Own My Facebook Photos?

HowToGeek has managed to see through the lines of Facebook’s terms of service and has detailed that the social network giant will get a ‘non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license’ to your photos.

Now, what exactly does this mean for the ownership of your photos? It means that you will still be in possession as far as ownership goes, but there is a lot of depth to that.

Now that this is off the table, what about the remaining terms such as ‘transferable’ and ‘sub-licensable’? Well, it means that Facebook can either transfer the license to another entity or just sub-license it, and this will once again be carried out without your permission.

As for ‘non-exclusive’, it means that you are free to license your photo to anyone else you want and Facebook or its legal team are not going to put you in their crosshairs. Just because you have uploaded a photo to Facebook, does not mean you’re barred from sharing it on other social media networks ranging from Twitter, LinkedIn, and several others.

Why has Facebook imposed these terms? Are they evil?

Think of this “Do I Own My Facebook Photos” situation like this — in order for Facebook to function like it does, the above terms and conditions have been dotted down. If they were not present in the first place, then it means that publicly displaying your photos for the sake of your friends’ viewing pleasure would have been downright impossible.

If the licensing conditions were not present there, it would have been a straight road to copyright infringement, resulting in both parties taking long and arduous trips to the courtroom, but we’re glad that’s not happening.

How can I take better control of my Facebook photos and data?

You still have the freedom to limit your photos from being viewed by other people. This way, they won’t be able to access your photos and download it. All you have to do is make a setting tweak options in security, and you’re done. As for ownership, you’ll be in command of whatever is uploaded, but Facebook is still able to use them on their own accord.

However, keep in mind that the company is definitely not going to take advantage of whatever you upload in an unethical manner, so you have nothing to worry about.

It’s already making tons of money by tracking you , selling your data to advertisers, and it won’t sell your pictures to earn a little more. The scary privacy settings are just there to make sure that the website functions without any legal troubles.

If you have something to add to this story on Facebook photos ownership, share your thoughts and feedback.

Also Read: How To Use “Facebook’s Search Engine” To Find Anything | Tips And Tricks

The post Do I Really Own My Facebook Photos? Can Facebook Sell Them? appeared first on Fossbytes .

If you’re alive and breathing, there’s no way you can escape from the world of electronic devices and wires. A big part of our experience of dealing with these cables and computers also involves a lot of ports, which are, primarily, some kind of USB ports.

It was in 2014 when USB 3.1 Type-C connector was created, making the USB port reversible. This change was inspired by the fact that inserting a USB-A connector to a port in a hurry could turn out to be frustrating after a couple of failed attempts. But what could’ve been the real reason for making it non-flippable in the very first place?

Talking to Design News, the co-inventor of USB, Ajay Bhatt, shared some enriching insights into the early days of USB development. “When we started I don’t think most people, including my colleagues at Intel, realized that USB was something that was needed,” Bhatt said.

When the development of USB started, its goal was pretty modest — to simply improve the compatibility among different devices.

Bhatt said that the biggest issue his team faced was the cost as it had to compete with other standards to co-exist before convincing the users to make a complete transition.

Back then, he and the team knew that making it reversible would be beneficial in the longer run. But, this option to increase usability wasn’t possible from a cost perspective.

It was also a complicated thing to start with and doubling the pins would have meant more wires and circuitry. As this technology was new and unproven in the market, there were lots of economic risks involved. However, if you compare USB to other connectors at that time, which involved parallel ports and serial ports, USB proved to be a much convenient and better option.

You can read the full article here on Design News .

Don’t forget to share your views with us if you found this story interesting.

Also Read: What is WebUSB? How It Helps Connecting USB Devices To The Web

The post Why Does USB Only Fit One Way? Why Wasn’t It Originally Designed To Be Reversible? appeared first on Fossbytes .

When it comes to electric cars, every day we learn something new about them. Today, our topic of interest will be something we haven’t discussed before. I am sure that at least once you might have wondered, ‘Do electric cars have transmissions?’ or ‘Do electric cars have gears?’

Anyway, if I have to give the shortest answer, then it would be a Yes and No. Yes, they have a transmission system, but they don’t have multiple gears. It’s not like a normal transmission system, and most electric cars have a single-speed transmission system.

Electric cars have a completely different powertrain than that of a conventional IC engine vehicle. Thus, it’s obvious that there might be several changes that you might not be aware of.

Let’s further explore our topic of interest.

Do Electric Cars Have Transmissions? If No, Then Why?

Image: Hyundai Motor Group

One of the strangest things you would find when driving an electric car for the first time is that there isn’t any gear stick next to you. There’s simply a knob or some other system for choosing the driving mode.

As mentioned earlier, electric cars don’t have multiple gear ratios and therefore the gearbox isn’t as complex as in conventional cars.

But why is it so? Unlike in IC engine vehicles, electric motors in EVs can produce a consistent amount of torque for a wide range of RPMs.

If you observe a conventional ICE car, then it has multiple gears with different gear ratios because it operates efficiently for a specific narrow range of RPM.

For example, during the first gear, you can quickly accelerate the car at lower RPMs because of the availability of higher torque. However, the car will struggle to get beyond 30 or 40 kph unless you shift the gear. Similarly, at a higher gear, like fifth or sixth gear, you won’t be able to accelerate it from a stationary position.

Generally, ICE cars perform efficiently between 3000 to 5500 RPM.

However, in the case of electric vehicles, they can operate well for a wide bandwidth of up to 20,000 RPM.

Electric cars don’t have a specific range in which they can deliver the best performance. This means they can churn out maximum torque from 0 RMP. Thus, there isn’t a need for different gear sets.

This also explains why electric cars accelerate so quickly. Tesla Model S can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 1.99 seconds which is almost impossible for any production ICE car.

For reference, Tesla uses a single-speed transmission system in its electric cars.

Benefits Of Single Speed Transmission System In Electric Vehicles?

Electric cars can also be equipped with multiple gear transmission systems. However, most automakers use single-speed transmission due to certain benefits.

The first is that there’s no need for different gear ratios in electric cars. Hence, using a bigger transmission system with several gears will simply increase complexity and weight. Also, a multi-gear transmission will increase the overall cost of the vehicle.

I hope you guys now have a brief overview of the transmission system of Electric Vehicles.

The post Electric Cars Transmissions Explained: Do Electric Cars Have A Gearbox? appeared first on Fossbytes .

As the popularity of electric cars is increasing, it’s certain that EVs will overshadow IC engine vehicles sooner than we expect. Now, more people are trying to explore electric cars and their components. While doing so, one of the most common questions that strikes the mind is that, ‘do electric cars have engines and what kind of engine oil/fluid does it use’?

Well, one straight answer to this question is no. Electric cars don’t need engine oils simply because there’s no engine in them. Electric vehicles are equipped with electric motors and powerful batteries that generate power and deliver it to the wheels.

To further simplify, electric motors in EVs function as an engine in IC vehicles.

Although electric cars don’t require engine oils, there are other fluids and lubricants that are essential for the well-being of an EV. Let’s explore them.

Electric Car Oils & Lubricants: Types Of Fluids Used

Image: Chicago Tribune

1. Transmission Fluid

All vehicles, irrespective of their powertrain, need transmission fluid for smooth shifting of gears. Transmission systems are made up of mechanical components like multiple gears and shafts etc., that are meshed with each other.

While not a multi-gear one, but electric cars do come with a single-speed transmission. Hence, in order to ensure efficiency and reliability transmission oils are needed.

2. Brake Fluid

Brake fluid is another essential lubricant used in automobiles. It’s a type of hydraulic fluid used for asserting pressure and enhancing the braking force while applying brakes.

Most of the brake fluids used in electric cars are synthetic and DOT certified. One of the most widely used brake fluids is the DOT 3, which is even used in Tesla electric cars.

3. Thermal Fluid

Thermal Fluids are engineered to maintain the optimal temperature of the battery and other electrical equipment. Electric vehicle cooling system is one of the most crucial aspects of any EV.

The batteries of electric cars often get heated, hence, thermal fluids are used that run through pipelines and help in maintaining temperature.

The working and purpose of the thermal fluid are similar to that of coolants in IC engine vehicles.

4. Steering Fluid

Steering oil is used in hydraulic power steerings. However, nowadays most automakers incorporate electronic power steering (EPS) instead of hydraulic ones and these EPS don’t require any fluid to operate.

Still, those vehicles equipped with a hydraulic system require specific lubricants.

5. Grease

Grease is one of the most important lubricants in the mechanical industry. It has numerous applications even in EVs.

Greases reduce friction, wear and tear and help in increasing the life span of any machine.

In electric cars, Grease can be used in electric motor components, suspension system, wheel bearings, door locks, and many other parts.

Final Thoughts

So, these are some of the most common lubricants that you will find in an electric car. Although we named a few fluids above, there are still other lubricants like fluids in dampers, etc. that are used in EVs.

Anyway, what do you guys think? Share your views in the comments section below.

The post Do Electric Cars Use Engine Oil? Types Of Fluids Required In EVs appeared first on Fossbytes .

PUBG fans are thrilled ever since Krafton announced PUBG: New State . The new title draws several features from the beloved PUBG mobile. However, PUBG Studios decided to incorporate some new features in the upcoming game as well.

Krafton revealed the trailer for PUBG: New State on February 25, 2021. The game promises “the most realistic graphics available for mobile gaming” and is due to be released in 2021. PUBG New State could be considered a sequel to the massive hit game PUBG Mobile. However, the upcoming mobile battle royale game will feature several distinct in-game elements compared to PUBG Mobile.

PUBG New State & PUBG Mobile Comparison

1. New Deployment Animation

An all-new deployment animation is shown in the teaser for PUBG: New State. Comparatively, in PUBG Mobile , there is no deployment animation. To point out, if the new animation gets added, it will resemble the current Call of Duty Mobile Battle Royale’s intro animation.

2. New Map

Surprisingly, PUBG: New State will not feature maps like Erangel, Sanhok, etc., from other PUBG games. Instead, the upcoming game will bring some brand new maps. However, not much is revealed about the maps of PUBG: New State. For now, only one map is teased, Troi, a map set in 2051.

3. Weapons (Customization, Animation, and Reload)

Krafton promises to bring new weapons in PUBG: New State. With PUBG New State’s theme set in the future, it’s obvious for the game to feature futuristic weapons. Moreover, the New State will get a weapon customization feature, enabling the players to personalize guns to their liking. Additionally, the new title will come with drones and ballistic shields, as shown in the trailer.

There is no cocking animation in PUBG: Mobile, but in PUBG: New State, it seems like the devs have decided to add one to the game.

4. Vehicles

The vehicles in PUBG: New State are surely going to be different from PUBG: Mobile. The teaser for New State shows ultra-modern bikes and cars, some of them specifically designed for combat.

5. Window Glass Breaking Mechanism

There was no glass breaking mechanism in PUBG, apart from PUBG for console and PC. To make things more alike, the devs have decided to introduce this feature in the upcoming mobile battle royale, PUBG New State.

6. Adrenaline Shot

The adrenaline shot was already available in the PUBG franchise, be it the mobile version or the PC version. What has changed regarding the same in PUBG New State is the visual appeal of the adrenaline shot. Not to mention, it bears a striking resemblance to the adrenaline shot in Call of Duty: Mobile.

So, these are all the speculated differences between PUBG Mobile and PUBG New State. However, these predictions for the in-game elements are purely based on the features shown in the PUBG: New State trailer. So, we can’t be sure about anything until the game releases.

The post PUBG New State VS PUBG Mobile: Key Differences Between Two Games appeared first on Fossbytes .

New regulations under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) have introduced a ban on the use of dark patterns on the internet. You may or may not know what are dark patterns, but you come across a ton of them every day. That’s what brings us to talk all about dark patterns and how websites use them to trick you.

What Are Dark Patterns?

Dark patterns are tricks or design layouts used by websites and apps to make you do something you didn’t mean to do. Sites also use them to make it difficult for you to opt-out of a subscription or share your personal information that you may not share otherwise.

A classic example of dark patterns is when you want to delete an Amazon account. You can sign up for Amazon in less than 4 clicks, but you’ll need to go through at least 6 clicks across 5 pages (including guesswork in selecting categories) and then chat with a representative if you want to close your Amazon account. Check out the video above to see this example in action.

Types Of Dark Patterns

There are several types of dark patterns that you may come across on a daily basis. You can read in-depth about all types of dark patterns here . However, I have a few personal favorites that I think deserve a mention here.

Privacy Zuckering

Named after none other than Mark Zuckerberg, this dark pattern is about sharing more information with Facebook than you really intended. It has happened to most of us at one point or the other.

Roach Motel

A representative image to show roach motel type of dark pattern

The roach motel dark pattern is when you can easily sign up for something but can’t opt-out with the same ease. It is done to frustrate you into continuing the subscription, never leaving the maze.

Sneak Into Basket

The oldest trick up Amazon’s sleeve. Sneak into basket happens when you’re ordering something online, and something else from your wish list or a previous cart gets added automatically. Unless you uncheck it, you’ll end up buying something you may have saved for later.

Confirmshaming

When a subscribe button says “I’m Awesome!” and the unsubscribe button says “I’d rather be a loser,” that’s confirmshaming. If you ever played Max Payne and noticed the ‘quit game’ screen, the option to exit says “but I was too tired to go on,” which may force you to play a few extra hours at the loss of something else.

Are Dark Patterns That Bad?

90 out of 100 times you may not want to delete an account or unsubscribe from an email. But for the sake of that one time when you’re motivated enough to save some money by deactivating a subscription, dark patterns come into play.

A major reason why websites and apps resort to these tactics is that they allow them to retain consumers. Call these the lucrative offers of the internet, but then again, they have their own downside, and it is that you can’t let go of service as easily as you started using it. So for equality’s sake, dark patterns need to go.

What Is The CCPA Ban On Dark Patterns?

Now that you know the basics of dark patterns and how they work, let’s talk about what has happened here. The CCPA has approved additional regulations that ban websites from using them. This means the sites now have to offer a clean and clear interface to users in California.

The blue button you see in the Tweet above is designed by Carnegie Mellon university’s Cylab and the University of Michigan’s School of Information. It is called the privacy icon and websites may use it to show the privacy options available to users online.

According to the press release , the CCPA grants California consumers the right to know, the right to delete, and the right to opt-out of the sale of the personal information collected by businesses.

With the new regulations, California is one of the first states to effectively ban dark patterns. Before this, a Norwegian Consumer Council (NCC) report accused Google, Facebook, and Microsoft of using dark patterns. You can read all about it at the link below.

Almost all major mainstream websites use dark patterns to get users and keep them hooked. Even when you’re getting promotional emails, the ‘unsubscribe’ button is well hidden in most cases. That’s what the CCPA regulations might change for users in California.

Time For Global Laws?

While California has managed to pass the regulations, Europe also has its own GDPR to deal with privacy issues with big tech. Aside from these two laws, there’s not much being done in countries with a boom of internet users. Censorship in the name of regulation is trending in some regions.

For instance, India is among the fastest-growing internet markets with relatively ambiguous privacy laws. There’s not much even on basics like data protection and encryption.

As a result, companies have different policies for Europe and California. So it is safe to say that its high time global laws on the internet came into place. While local laws of the land should always be respected, the internet is global and should remain equally accessible and safe for everyone.

The post What Are Dark Patterns? Why The California Ban Makes Sense appeared first on Fossbytes .

Have you ever wondered why IT folks always ask: “Have you restarted your PC/smartphone?” This is because restarting your device puts it in its default state and runs everything from scratch.

This way, your PC gets rid of the trash and delivers better performance after the restart. Also known as rebooting, this restart process solves issues like RAM leakage, overheating, incomplete updates/installations, etc.

Tech Support: “Did you restart your PC?”

This is the question that’s asked very often when you contact tech support. We question the utility of this step and seek the logic behind it. This isn’t something that’s just related to our computers and laptops. Instead, it applies to smartphones, televisions, routers, and other electronic gadgets as well. This simple advice is so common that people try this solution on their own without giving a second thought.

Why does resetting a PC or program fix lots of problems?

A restart dumps the current state of all software and helps in getting rid of the troublesome code. This is also true for programs like web browsers. For example, over time, Google Chrome keeps on consuming more and more memory, getting fatter and slower. Closing it and restarting it frees up the RAM, and things turn out to be smooth.

It’s also important to talk about things that happen when your computer is running. Working on a computer mainly consists of opening different programs, performing some tasks with their help, and closing them–for other gadgets, you can easily imagine similar functions.

As our computers have become advanced, we don’t need to shut them down a couple of times during the day. They are designed in such a manner that you can keep using them for days without turning them off.

When different programs are used, they consume your computer’s RAM. Also, the operating system of your PC itself keeps using RAM. For example, Windows 10 requires about 2GB RAM to function properly.

It’s possible that the program might have accidentally taken up more RAM and it’s unable to free up the same when it’s closed. This could also happen with processor cycles and a program might be using tons of cycles.

So, when the machine reaches its hardware limitations, it causes problems. This can result in the freezing of programs, frequent crashes, overheating, slugging performance, etc. A simple restart easily solves such problems.

Also Read: What Is The Difference Between Fast Startup, Hybrid Sleep, Hibernate, Sleep, Shutdown?

Restarting your device gives you a clean state

When a computer is running, all programs and background processes leave behind some trash that needs to be cleaned. Sometimes, the programs don’t even close properly, and you can’t reopen them in the same session. When you reboot your PC again, things are like a clean slate.

The reboot process that happens on the PC is also called soft reboot as it doesn’t require the power supply to be cut. All I/O operations running on the machine are also terminated before the restart process begins.

Restarting also turns out to be useful when your PC encounters some hardware or driver malfunction. These are critical situations that are accompanied by the scary Blue Screen of Death and some error code. The screen appears when Windows doesn’t know how to deal with the situation and fix things. The restart process is a dependable solution in this case as well as it can also complete some pending driver or OS updates that might require a boot sequence to finish the installation.

All types of electronic devices have some kind of program or operating system that contains a set of instructions. Just like a PC or smartphone, digital cameras, routers, TVs, etc. perform better when we unplug them for some time and plug them back in.

Tip: If your PC is crashing a lot and you are forced to restart your PC multiple times a day, probably, you need an upgrade or need to reinstall the OS.

Did you find this article helpful? Don’t forget to drop your views and suggestions in the comments section.

Also Read: Why Does The Computer Restart After Installing A Software Or Update?

The post Why Does Restarting Fix Computer Issues? What Happens During Rebooting? appeared first on Fossbytes .