Just about everybody who owns a computer has experienced a computer freeze at some time or another. It can happen at the most inopportune times and always seems to happen without warning. The causes of computer freezing are too long to list in a condensed format but it might help if you to look at the most common causes for computer freezes and learn what you can do about it.
First of all let’s look at the type of freezes you might experience.
The most common event is when the screen you are working on locks up and cannot be removed or activated in any way. You can try anything you like, press every key on the keyboard, press Control Alt and Delete simultaneously, but nothing works. In more extreme cases you might get the dreaded “Blue Screen of Death”.
The “Blue Screen of Death” usually means a hardware problem and you will have to get a professional to look at your computer. Be prepared to replace something like the motherboard.
For all other freezes there can be a myriad of causes and remedies so let’s look at the most common reasons.
- Your computer may have a virus.
- You may have a corrupted registry.
- There might be missing files in a program.
- There may be a memory problem.
The solutions to each of these possibilities cannot be comprehensively or quickly outlined but the following tips might help you get going again.
- Take a note of any error messages you see or note where the freeze occurs. Then use another computer to search some forums for solutions. If someone else has experienced the same problem the chances are they will have a solution for you.
- Use a virus checking software to scan your computer once you have re-booted it. Do not open any programs, just run the checker. If your computer is infected there is usually a remedy and the antivirus software you are using may provide the answer.
- Start your computer in Safe Mode, and then try duplicating the steps you took when the computer froze. Sometimes using “Safe Mode” can reset your computer to its previous settings and remove the process causing the freeze.
- Check all your drivers and make sure you are using the most up to date versions.
- Make sure you have downloaded the latest Windows Updates.
- Use a registry checker to ensure any invalid entries are removed from your registry. Take care when using these utilities and follow the instructions carefully. If you are unsure, get a computer professional to assist.
Remember that your Windows system comes with a System Restore utility and this is one of the most underutilized methods to get your computer up and running again. Here’s what you do:
Go to the Control Panel and under Performance and Maintenance and choose System Restore, then simply follow the instructions. If this works it is easy to retrace your steps to discover what you may have done to cause the problem in the first place.