Reboot

When a computer system receives new software, or suffers a critical malfunction, it is often required to reboot. All function is ceased, its RAM is cleared, then its files are immediately reloaded and reinitialized without interruption of power. In a fembot, this may lead to a limp, frozen or unconscious state until her systems are nominal again.

A reboot may not necessarily involve rebooting the entire android. An android may only need to reboot certain programs, such as human emulation. This would essentially turn the android into an emotionless machine until the human emulation is restored.

In fiction

Cameron has been forced to reboot twice so far in the series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. After being electrocuted, she fell back, unconscious. John and Sarah Connor threw her out of a window while she was offline to conceal her from an approaching Terminator. 120 seconds after the shock, she snapped back into full functionality. On a later occasion, her CPU was removed to allow it to directly interface with a computer network. When it was reinstalled in her body, she went into a 15 second reinitialization cycle, where she stared straight forward until she fully reactivated. The 120 second reboot and 15 second reinitialization cycles seem to be common to all Terminators to help prevent permanent CPU damage while under physical trauma.