Rebooting a computer used for remote desktop

Every now and then you might find yourself unable to access your remote desktop. The most common reasons being it is off or in sleep mode. At this point you have no choice in the matter and require in person intervention to regain access. However, before you go in (or have someone else go in) and force a reboot, you need to consider the following steps. This procedure can and will avoid further aggravation.

It's important to observe the initial state of the computer, I cannot stress this enough. Does moving the mouse or touching the keyboard wake the screen? If so, what is on the screen. If not, does pressing the power button for less than 3 seconds wake the screen? If so what is on the screen. If not, then -and only then- should it but forced into a reboot.

At that point, you (or the person helping you at the other end) should carefully observe the screen for any and all information as it could be critical to report back in the ticket. Any error on the screen would be very important to report back. Likewise, if the system shows it is completing a windows update or not loading Windows at all. What you want in the end is for the person to see the windows welcome screen (where you normally login). No login is necessary; that state is the only requirement for you to login successfully.

If the system doesn't load Windows do not force a reboot again; at this point something is seriously wrong and needs a professional's attention. Report all details in the ticket and wait for a response.