When the computer reboots itself without triggering the hardware based reset, it is called ?

Rebooting a computer can happen in two broad ways depending on whether the operating system directs the restart or the hardware forces it. When the operating system itself initiates the restart, typically by closing running programs, clearing memory, and reloading the system software through a normal shutdown-and-restart command, without the user pressing a physical reset button or cutting the power supply, this is described as a soft reboot. It is called "soft" because it relies on software instructions rather than a hardware-level reset signal.

The term "cold booting" (and the closely related "cold reboot") describes starting a computer from a completely powered-off state, where the hardware has no power at all and must go through its full hardware initialization and diagnostic checks before the operating system even begins to load; this is the opposite of the scenario described, since the machine here is already running and restarts itself without any hardware-based reset. A "hard reboot" specifically refers to a restart triggered by cutting power or pressing a physical reset button, which is precisely the hardware-based reset that the question says did not happen.

The key distinction to hold onto is that "soft" reboots are triggered and controlled by software while the machine stays powered, whereas "cold" and "hard" reboots both involve the hardware being powered down or forcibly reset.