How to Restart a MacBook Air: Apple Menu
Probably the simplest way to restart a MacBook Air is by clicking a few menus that you can access from almost any screen. Here’s how:
How to Restart a MacBook Air: Keyboard
You can also restart a MacBook Air using the keyboard. Do this if you prefer it or if the computer isn’t responding to mouse clicks. Here’s how:
Hold down Control + Command + power/eject/Touch ID at the same time until the screen goes black and you hear the restart sound. After the sound plays, let go of the keys and let the MacBook Air start up. Using Power OR Eject does two separate things: Power, forces the Mac to restart without prompting to save documents; Eject quits all apps, but prompts you to save any open documents with unsaved changes, then restarts. On some older models: Hold down Control + eject button, and the shutdown dialog box will appear. In that pop-up, click Restart. If neither of those options works, try a Force Restart. To do that, hold down Control + Command + the power/eject.
What Makes a Restart, Factory Reset, and Power Down Different
Restarting a MacBook Air isn’t the same thing as powering it down or a factory reset.
A restart resets your operating system and cleans out the memory that programs run in. There’s no data loss with a restart, but your MacBook Air will run better afterward. Powering down a MacBook Air turns it off and stops programs from running, and saves battery power. A factory reset takes your laptop back to its original state, just like when you first got it. It deletes all of your apps and data, erases the hard drive, and re-installs the macOS. You should only factory reset your MacBook Air if you’re selling the laptop, sending it in for service, or trying some last-ditch troubleshooting.
