Why must computers restart?

TimTim Southwest PA Icrontian
edited October 2006 in Science & Tech
Why does a computer have to restart whenever you do some sort of software upgrade or to make new downloads function? What's so significant about the restart proceedure that new programs won't work without it? I've been wondering about this for a long time now.

Comments

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited January 2005
    The program loads DLLs that don't activate until the computer reboots because they have to be registered, or tie to a process that can't be accessed because it's loaded in resident memory.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited January 2005
    Some files and parts of the registry must be idle to be updated. Plus, Windows needs to start off being aware of the tools (hardware and programs) at its disposal.

    During the boot process Windows is more or less going through a checklist where it identifies the hardware available to it (and its capabilities), and checks program capabilities and settings. Once the system is booted it "locks in" these settings and protects them from being inadvertently modified. For instance, you wouldn't want a newly-installed program to try to use a range of memory already allocated to your video card - that would likely lead to an instant freeze-up. It's kind of like the umpires at a baseball game going over the ground rules before the first pitch. If you tried to change a rule in the middle of the game without stopping to make all the players aware of what was going on there would be nothing but confusion. :)
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited January 2005
    registry chnages usually. It can usually but not always handle dll changes.

    But stuff like Nortons anti-virus and stuff depend on a numer of running processes to be started and running correcxtly etc..

    Its easier to write a program with one set of checks in place and those depend on a clean boot not checking if the process's start right with a sh*t load of other crap already started first etc..

    Tex
  • LividityLividity
    edited October 2006
    The short answer... because Microsoft code is garbage.

    If you use linux you can install the OS then proceed to install hundreds of programs without ever restarting. I just switched off my linux machine today for the first time in over a month. I installed about 1.6 gigs (several hundred programs and needed components) without needing to restart. Might I also add that all of the programs were free. The updates occurred while I was reading a book, had several web pages open, was listening to music, and downloading several torrents. The machine didn't slow down at all. Try a real OS like SUSE 10.1. It's free and you wont have to deal with restarting your computer, viruses, paying for or stealing software.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited October 2006
    Holy thread revival, Batman!
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited October 2006
    oldthread.jpg
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited October 2006
    Sorry for the rude response, Lividity. Welcome to Short-Media. Please check out our forum on alternative operating systems. We've a number of Linus threads you'd probably enjoy.

    [EDIT] "Linus threads?" Uhhh, no forum dedicated to Peanuts that I could find!
  • LincLinc Owner Detroit Icrontian
    edited October 2006
    Brian! Seriously man... I almost ralphed on my keyboard...
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited October 2006
    I've dated worse. :range:
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited October 2006
    Heh, ironic, I was about to chime in and say the only time you need to restart a Linux machine is if you want to change the kernel.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited October 2006
    I understand my response is somewhat rude, but I also take a bit of an exception to posts with big blanket statements like "microsoft code is garbage". ESPECIALLY when it was used to resurrect a totally old, dead thread. I'm surprised I didn't see a dollar sign in there $omewhere ;)

    Nothing that makes billions of dollars and is used, productively and succesfully worldwide, to enable people to make billions and possibly trillions more dollars, can be classified strictly as "garbage". I am a linux and Mac OS user as well, but I don't appreciate fanboi-ism :-/
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited October 2006
    I'm surprised I didn't see a dollar sign in there $omewhere
    LOL, I was thinking the same thing. Sure, it was blatant, narrow-focused evangelism. I agree with you.
  • drasnordrasnor Starship Operator Hawthorne, CA Icrontian
    edited October 2006
    Enverex wrote:
    Heh, ironic, I was about to chime in and say the only time you need to restart a Linux machine is if you want to change the kernel.
    There's some experimental code that lets you hotload a new kernel without rebooting but I'm not motivated enough to try it out. It scares me less than the other experimental swap codes like the ones that let you hot-swap processors, memory, and expansion cards. All the same though, I can stand the inconvenience of rebooting once in a while.

    -drasnor :fold:
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited October 2006
    drasnor wrote:
    ...I'm not motivated enough to try it out...
    Hmmmm....
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