In message <[email protected]> Rob Kendrick <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Tue, Oct 13, 2015 at 04:39:32AM -0800, Dave Higton wrote: >> On Tue, 13 Oct 2015 13:09:27 +0100 George Greenfield wrote: >> >> > I must confess to having used Ctrl-Break from time to time, when faced >> > with a frozen desktop, without evident ill-effects. Is it considered >> > worse than powering-off at the switch, which is the only other option >> > AFAIK? >> >> Probably, although I'm not really qualified to answer. > > You can assume the following simplification: > > Alt-Break allows you to force a stuck task to call > Wimp_CloseDown, essentially causing it to quit. Note that this > forced quit isn't clean: any open files will remain so, and any > memory allocated via dynamic areas or the RMA will be leaked. > > Ctrl-Break essentially calls OS_Reset, which causes a software > reset that for all but the very most obscure situations is > functionally identical to pressing the hardware reset button. > > The danger with Ctrl-Break and the hardware reset button is that > FileCore might be trying to do something at the time (or be > struck trying), leaving the file system in an unclean state, > requiring the use of something like Disknight to fix. > > Summary: Always try Alt-Break first (and the a clean shutdown > straight after), and only Ctrl-Break/Hardware reset button as a > last resort. > > B. > Thanks - that's a very clear explanation! -- George
