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Restart the local Windows computer
Run this in PowerShell to restart the computer where the command is running:
Restart-ComputerWhen you omit -ComputerName, the cmdlet targets the local computer. You can also identify the local Windows computer with its name, ., or localhost. Microsoft’s Restart-Computer reference documents these target options.
Restart one or more remote computers
On Windows, -ComputerName accepts one or more computer names, IP addresses, or fully qualified domain names. Separate multiple targets with commas:
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Restart-Computer -ComputerName Server01, Server02To read target names from a text file and pass them through the pipeline:
Get-Content -Path C:Domain01.txt | Restart-ComputerRemote operation depends on credentials, authentication, and access supported by your environment; the command alone cannot guarantee that a particular account or configuration has permission. The cmdlet provides -Credential and -WsmanAuthentication parameters. For example, Microsoft documents specifying Kerberos authentication as follows:
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Restart-Computer -ComputerName Server01 -WsmanAuthentication KerberosUse the authentication method and credentials appropriate to your environment. Consult the cmdlet reference for the supported parameters and details.
Choose whether the restart should be forced
-Force requests an immediate restart. Because that can interrupt active work, use it deliberately rather than adding it by default.
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Restart-Computer -ComputerName Server01 -ForceMicrosoft also shows Restart-Computer -Force as a way to force a restart in its changing-computer-state guidance.
Wait for a remote computer to become available
For a script that should continue only after a remote computer has returned, use -Wait. Add -For to choose a readiness signal, -Timeout to bound how long the command waits, and -Delay to set the interval between checks.
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Restart-Computer -ComputerName Server01 -Wait -For PowerShell -Timeout 300 -Delay 2This example waits for PowerShell availability, checks every two seconds, and stops waiting after 300 seconds. The timeout and polling interval are the values in Microsoft’s documented example, not a universal estimate of how long a restart takes.
The documented readiness choices are PowerShell, WMI, and WinRM. Choose the one that corresponds to what the next part of your script actually needs: a returned PowerShell endpoint, WMI response, or WinRM session availability.
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-Wait is not valid for a local restart. If a command targets both local and remote computers while using -Wait, Microsoft says the local target produces a non-terminating error while the cmdlet waits for remote targets. Keep local and remote wait operations separate when you need clean results.
Understand Windows and Linux/macOS differences
The remote-targeting, force, and wait parameters described above are documented as Windows-only. Do not assume the Windows examples work unchanged on Linux or macOS.
PowerShell 7.1 added Restart-Computer on Linux and macOS. On those platforms, the cmdlet exposes only -WhatIf, -Confirm, and common parameters, and calls the native /sbin/shutdown command. See Microsoft’s platform notes for the documented behavior.
Quick Recap
Quick command guide
| Goal | Command | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Restart this Windows computer | Restart-Computer |
Targets the local computer. |
| Restart named Windows computers | Restart-Computer -ComputerName Server01, Server02 |
Targets the listed computers. |
| Request an immediate remote restart | Restart-Computer -ComputerName Server01 -Force |
Requests an immediate restart; active work may be interrupted. |
| Wait for remote PowerShell availability | Restart-Computer -ComputerName Server01 -Wait -For PowerShell -Timeout 300 -Delay 2 |
Waits for the specified readiness signal, with a bounded wait and polling interval. |
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