# Restarting safely for updates

Applying a downloaded update requires restarting Solo. Because restarting ends running managed processes, choose a good stopping point first.

## What happens on restart

1. Solo checks for running managed processes.
2. If none are running, Solo restarts immediately.
3. If processes are running, Solo lists up to 6 process names and asks you to confirm.
4. Solo exits and restarts. Any staged update applies during that restart.
5. Projects reload. [Trusted](../commands/trust-security.md) [auto-start commands](../commands/auto-start.md) may start again if auto-start conditions are met.

## Running processes

Restarting stops running commands, agents, and terminals. Save work in those processes before confirming the restart.

## Closing a workspace window

Closing a workspace window while another workspace window is open does not quit Solo or stop the commands, agents, and terminals that belong to it. Solo preserves the workspace's state and running processes so you can reopen it later.

What happens when you close the last workspace window depends on your platform:

- **macOS:** Solo keeps running in the background with its processes. Activate Solo again from the Dock, Spotlight, `Cmd+Tab`, or another launcher to restore the most recently active workspace window. Quit Solo explicitly to stop managed processes and exit.
- **Windows and Linux:** closing the last workspace window quits Solo. It goes through the same [quit confirmation](#quitting-with-running-processes) as `Ctrl+Q`, so you can still cancel if processes are running.

## Quitting with running processes

Quitting Solo has a separate guard from restarting. Restart checks the published process-name list; quitting conservatively checks live PID presence and may ask even when process state is uncertain. If confirmation is required when you quit — by pressing `Cmd/Ctrl+Q`, or choosing Quit from the app menu or macOS Dock — Solo asks **Quit Solo?** and warns that all running processes will be stopped. Choose **Quit** to start the shutdown attempt, or **Cancel** to keep working.

If any process is still running after 10 seconds, Solo shows **Still shutting down**. Choose **Keep waiting** to wait for up to another 10 seconds, **Kill processes** to force-stop the remaining processes and exit, or **Don't quit** to cancel the quit, restore the Solo windows that were visible, and leave any processes still running.

On macOS, this confirmation also appears when you quit while Solo isn't the focused app, such as `Cmd+Q` during an app switch or a Dock right-click quit.

If Solo can confirm that no managed process is running, it quits immediately without asking. If the process scan is uncertain, Solo asks for confirmation conservatively.

## Auto-start after update

Auto-start on relaunch still respects the normal rules:

- Project auto-start is enabled
- Command is trusted
- [License/limit checks](../account/free-tier.md) pass

## Deferring restart

Before an update is fully downloaded, use **Later** to postpone.

After an update is ready, closing the update prompt defers restart. The staged update applies the next time Solo is relaunched.

If a newer update appears while an older downloaded update is ready, the dialog tells you which version will be installed by restarting now.

---

Are you a human? Read this doc on the web: https://soloterm.com/docs/updates/restarting-safely