It’s a Saturday night, you’re playing an online game with your friends. Suddenly, nothing on the screen moves: your character doesn’t react; clicks don’t work; pressing keys on your keyboard can’t help. So you’re pretty sure that your computer is frozen up solid.
It’s an unpleasant situation no matter you’re using PC for working or relaxing. Take a deep breath and try the following methods to fix this problem.
Before you start:
Check your computer is deadlocked or not
First, check your computer to make sure it’s deadlocked or frequently locked.
How: Tap the Num button on your keyboard.
- If the light on your keyboard can be turned on and off, it means it’s not deadlocked. Then you can choose the methods below.
- Otherwise, you have to jump to the last method–Force to shut down your PC.
Next, we will show you how to unfreeze a computer. After unfreezing your computer, we will tell you how to prevent your PC from freezing.
How to Unfreeze a Computer
Method 1: End non-responding program
Non-responding programs can cause your computer frozen. Therefore, end the program that is not responding can help you bring your computer back to normal.
1) On your keyboard, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete together and click Task Manager.
If your cursor doesn’t work, you can press the down arrow key to select and press the Enter key to open Task Manager.
2) Choose the program that is not responding and click the End Task button.
If your cursor still can’t move, you can press the arrow keys to select program and press Alt+E together to end task.
3) Check whether your computer is unfrozen.
If this method doesn’t work, you can move to the next.
Note: You will lose unsaved work in the forced closed program.
Method 2: Restart your frozen computer
1) On your keyboard, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete together and then click the Power icon.
If your cursor doesn’t work, you can press the Tab key to jump to the Power button and press the Enter key to open the menu.
2) Click Restart to restart your frozen computer.
Or you can press the down arrow key to select the Restart icon and then press the Enter key to restart.
Note: You will lose unsaved work in your PC.
Method 3: Force to shut down your PC
When your computer is frozen up solid even the keyboard can’t work, your computer is deadlocked. This method is right for you.
Hold on your PC’s power button for about 5 seconds, then your PC will stop running and turns off.
Note: You will lose unsaved work in your PC.
How to Prevent Computer from Freezing
1. Reduce programs running at the same time
Too many programs running at the same time can easily cause a computer frozen. Avoid opening too many programs at once can prevent your computer from freezing.
2. Update drivers
A computer frozen can be caused by outdated or corrupted drivers.
For example, if there is an issue existed with your audio driver, your computer could freeze while it’s playing music or playing YouTube videos.
There are two ways you can get the right drivers for your PC: manually or automatically.
Manual driver update – You can update your drivers manually by going to the manufacturer’s website, and searching for the most recent correct driver. Be sure to choose only drivers that are compatible with your Windows version.
Automatic driver update – If you don’t have the time, patience or computer skills to update your video and monitor drivers manually, you can, instead, do it automatically with Driver Easy. Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for your exact device, and your Windows version, and it will download and install them correctly:
1) Download and install Driver Easy.
2) Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
3) Click the Update button next to the selected driver to automatically download the correct version of that driver, then you can manually install it (you can do this with the FREE version).
Or click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system. (This requires the Pro version which comes with full support and a 30-day money back guarantee. You’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All.)
3. Update your operating system
Make sure your operating system has been updated to the latest version. Microsoft will periodically release an update to fix common errors and bugs. So update your operating system can prevent you from potential problems including computer frozen.
Follow below steps to update your operating system.
1) On your keyboard, press the Windows key (the one with Windows logo) and I together, then click Update & Security.
2) Click Check for updates and then follow the on-screen instructions to install the latest operating system.
4. Run a hardware test
If your hardware (RAM, hard disk, fan, etc.) is not working properly, it can cause problems. When you are using your computer, if you smell something bad or hear unusual noise from your PC, you must consider running a hardware test or physically checking the hardware status of your PC.
You can find information about hardware testing on the manufacturer’s website or go to the manufacturer’s official service point for assistance.
5. Run a security scan
Your computer frozen can be caused by a virus attack. Run a security scan by your anti-virus software regularly can help you prevent this problem. Be sure that your anti-virus software has been updated to the latest version.
We hope you find these techniques helpful. You’re welcome to leave comments and questions below.
