If you are having trouble with your computer freezing, there is no need to panic just yet. There are some minor issues that can cause your computer to freeze, which you can fix with a few simple steps. Before you have a meltdown and buy a brand new computer, or unplug your machine and haul it in to a computer repair service, try these easy tricks to unfreeze your system and continue with little or no problem whatsoever.
- Task Manager. You may have heard people advise you to use the control, alt, and delete keys to fix a frozen computer. If you’ve never done this before, here is how it works. When you press CTRL+ALT+DEL on your windows computer, it opens options for you, and the one you need to click is “Task Manager”. This will open up a dialog box with several tabs of options and information about your computer. The only tab you need to worry about is the one labeled “Processes”. On this tab, you can view all of the different programs your computer has running. Look for any programs that have “Not Responding” listed in the status column. Select this program and click “End Task.” This should close out the program that froze your computer, and make everything normal again. If this fixed the problem, check the program manufacturer’s website to see if there are any updates available, which can keep it from freezing again.
- Restart Your Machine. Sometimes, your computer just needs to be restarted. This will close all of the running programs and clear the memory, allowing your computer to get a fresh start. Press CTRL+ALT+DEL again, and look for the “Shut Down” option. When you click “Shut Down”, it will give you the options to sleep, restart, or shut down. Click “Restart” and let your computer take it from there. If your machine is completely locked up, and you can’t access the CTRL+ALT+DEL menu, you can shut your computer down manually by holding down the power button. Avoid doing this unless you can’t get any other response from your computer.
- Windows Updates. If you are having problems with frequent computer freezes, it could be that windows needs to be updated. You can have your machine set to download and install the necessary updates automatically, but you should also check for any available updates yourself, if your computer is having problems. Go to the “Start” menu and select the “Windows Update” option. If there are any updates available, select and install them. Then restart your computer. Most likely your freezing issues will be resolved.
These are great do-it-yourself fixes that can help you resolve freezing issues on your computer. If these do not work, you should perform a security scan on your computer with your anti-virus program. If you are uncomfortable performing any of these tasks on your machine, call a professional IT support company. They can walk you through any of these tasks, or advise you if your machine needs professional computer repair services.