Sometimes rebooting is all you can do, but there are easier ways than combing through dust bunnies and tangled wires to unplug your system, says Matt Nelson of Geeks on Call, an onsite computer and network service franchise:

• Try pressing the Alt Control Delete buttons all together, once or twice.
  
  
• If that doesn’t work, see if your computer has a reset button near the power button. If so, try pushing it.
  
  
• Next, try holding in your power button for about 10 seconds or so -- this will often shut down power to the computer.
  
• If all is still frozen, go ahead and pull the plug.

Don’t be too concerned about occasional glitch, says Nelson, but if you experience several freeze-ups per week, consider asking a repair professional to check your computer hardware and software and to make sure you aren’t harboring a virus or other digital threat.