A frozen or unresponsive PC is when the computer stops accepting inputs and fails to display any changes, essentially getting “stuck” and ceasing to function normally. This is often accompanied by the mouse cursor freezing in place or the screen freezing on a particular image. A frozen PC will not respond to keyboard or mouse inputs and applications will be completely unresponsive.
There are several potential causes for a frozen PC, both hardware and software related. Common hardware issues include overheating components like the CPU or GPU, failing RAM modules, a failing hard drive, and problems with the power supply. Software issues like driver conflicts, malware infections, and OS corruption can also lead to freezing.
Check Task Manager for Unresponsive Apps
One of the most common reasons for a frozen or unresponsive PC is an app that’s not working properly. To check for this:
Open Task Manager – Press Ctrl+Alt+Del on your keyboard to open the Windows Task Manager. This will show you a list of currently running apps and processes.
Look for any apps using high CPU or memory – Sort the Task Manager by CPU or memory usage to see which apps are using the most resources. An app freezing up or crashing can sometimes get stuck and hog system resources.
End unresponsive tasks – If you see any apps showing high usage even when idle, select it and click “End task” to force quit it. This will free up the resources it was using and unfreeze your PC.
Ending frozen or unresponsive apps in Task Manager is one of the easiest ways to get a stuck PC unfrozen. Check this first before trying more advanced troubleshooting steps.
Update Drivers
Outdated drivers are a common cause of computer freezes and crashes. According to one source, drivers account for 75% of all PC crashes. When drivers become outdated, they may start causing conflicts and errors, leading to freezing or crashing.
To check for driver updates, open Device Manager in Windows. You can access Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting it. In Device Manager, look for any devices with yellow exclamation points, which indicate a driver issue. You may also see devices listed under “Other devices” that need drivers installed.
For any outdated or problem drivers, visit the manufacturer’s website to download the latest driver versions. Installing these updates often resolves driver-related freezing and crashing. Be sure to restart your PC after installing new drivers.
Using a driver update utility can also help identify and update any outdated drivers. Overall, keeping your drivers fully updated should significantly improve system stability and reduce freezes.
Check for Malware
Malware and viruses are one of the most common causes of computer freezes and slowdowns. They work in the background, using up system resources, which can bring your computer to a halt. Malware is often initially picked up from questionable websites, downloads, or email attachments. Once on your system, it then replicates itself and can be difficult to fully remove. The only way to know for sure if malware is present is to run a full system antivirus scan.
Go to your antivirus software and initiate a full scan on your computer. Make sure to update the virus definitions first to ensure it checks for the latest threats. The scan may take a while depending on how much data you have, but let it run until completion. If it finds anything suspicious, allow the antivirus to quarantine or remove the threats. Sometimes a single piece of malware cannot be easily removed and you may need to restart into safe mode and run further deep scans. After fully removing any infections found, restart your computer normally and check if performance has improved.
Having a reputable and updated antivirus program is crucial for any Windows user. Schedule regular scans to stay on top of any malware that may have slipped through. Avoid downloading random files and programs from sketchy sites, as that is often how viruses initially get introduced. Practicing safe browsing and computing habits will help minimize your exposure and chances of infection.
Check Hard Drive Health
A bad or failing hard drive can cause random freezes and crashes on your PC. When a hard drive starts to fail, it may develop bad sectors or corruption that causes read/write issues. This can lead to temporary freezes as the drive struggles to access data. Over time, bad sectors can make your entire operating system unstable.
To check for hard drive issues, run the CHKDSK utility on your primary hard drive. CHKDSK scans for bad sectors and attempts to repair them. To run CHKDSK, open Command Prompt as administrator and type “chkdsk C: /f” (replace C: with your main hard drive letter if different). Let the scan complete which may take some time.
If CHKDSK finds bad sectors or other errors, consider replacing your hard drive. Hard drives inevitably fail over time, and freezing/crashing issues likely indicate nearing end of life. An SSD upgrade can provide huge performance and stability improvements. Back up your data immediately if you suspect drive failure. You may need to reformat and do a clean OS install on the new drive.
Sources:
[1] https://smallbusiness.chron.com/symptoms-dying-hard-drive-46176.html
[2] https://www.partitionwizard.com/clone-disk/signs-of-hard-drive-failure.html
Check RAM
Faulty RAM is a common hardware issue that can cause random freezing or crashing on a PC. Windows includes a built-in memory diagnostic tool called Windows Memory Diagnostic that can be used to test your RAM for errors.
To run Windows Memory Diagnostic, type “mdsched” in the Windows search bar and select “Windows Memory Diagnostic”. Choose to restart now and check for problems. The tool will run automatically on reboot and perform a series of comprehensive tests on your RAM.
If the tests find no issues, try testing just one RAM stick at a time by removing all but one stick of RAM and running memory diagnostic again. Test each stick individually in this manner. If you receive an error with one particular stick, that indicates faulty RAM. Consider replacing the faulty stick.
Check CPU Temperature
An overheating CPU is one of the most common causes of a PC freezing up. If the CPU temperature gets too high, it can result in the system becoming unresponsive and freezing on a frame.
To check your CPU temperature, use hardware monitoring software like Speccy or HWMonitor. These will show you the current operating temperature of your CPU. Ideal CPU temperatures under load should be below 90°C. If you see your CPU regularly going over 90°C, that’s usually a sign it’s overheating.
There are a few ways to tackle an overheating CPU. Improving cooling inside your case with more fans can help, as can upgrading to a better CPU cooler if you’re still on a stock cooler. Reapplying thermal paste between the CPU and cooler is also a good idea. Keeping your PC clean and dust-free improves airflow. You may also need to adjust CPU intensive settings in demanding programs.
If there are no other obvious causes, CPU overheating should be one of the first things to check when diagnosing random PC freezes. Monitoring your temperatures and improving cooling can help resolve stability issues.
Update Windows and BIOS
Updates to the Windows operating system or BIOS firmware can often fix freezing issues caused by bugs in older software versions. Microsoft regularly releases Windows updates to address performance problems, security flaws, and other bugs. According to Microsoft Answers forums, Windows updates have resolved freezing issues during reboots for many users [1]. On Reddit, users reported Windows 11 updates fixing random freezing [2]. Forbes notes that Microsoft has acknowledged Windows 10 updates sometimes cause freezing, indicating the updates are trying to address underlying issues [3].
To troubleshoot freezing, first install any available Windows updates. Open Windows Update in Settings and install all important and optional updates. Restart your PC afterwards. Also check your PC or motherboard manufacturer’s website for any available BIOS firmware updates. Install those as well, as they can improve system stability and performance.
Clean Out Computer
Dust buildup inside a computer can lead to overheating issues by restricting airflow and reducing cooling capacity. As dust accumulates on components like fans, vents, heatsinks and fins, it acts as an insulator that traps heat. This causes your PC’s internal temperature to rise, potentially leading to throttling or damage if left unchecked.
To clean out dust from your computer, first unplug it and open up the case to access the inside. Use a can of compressed air to blow dust out of hard-to-reach areas like heatsinks or vents. Be sure to hold fans in place as you blow air on them to prevent damage. You can also use a small soft brush to dislodge stuck-on dust particles. Check filters on intake fans and the power supply and either wash or replace them if excessively dirty. Finally, use a microfiber cloth to gently wipe down components to remove any remaining dust once finished. With regular cleanings, you can help prevent overheating issues caused by excessive dust buildup.
Sources:
[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/wm6m3f/can_dust_do_any_damage_to_a_pc/
[2] https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/what-signs-risks-dust-accumulation-your-computer
When to Do Full Reset
After going through various troubleshooting steps like scanning for malware, updating drivers, checking CPU temperature and RAM usage, if your PC continues to randomly freeze and reset, it may be time for a full system reset.
If no obvious hardware issue can be identified as the cause of the freezing, the next step would be to reinstall the operating system. Backing up important data and doing a clean install of the OS can frequently resolve random freezing issues.
Before resetting your PC, be sure to backup any important files, photos, or documents you want to keep. Then you can choose to do a full reset from the Windows Recovery Environment, or boot into installation media and format the drive before installing the OS fresh.
A full reset will wipe the hard drive and reinstall a clean copy of the operating system, often eliminating freezing issues caused by corrupted system files or driver conflicts. Just be prepared to reinstall any applications afterwards.
If even after a full reset the computer continues to freeze randomly, that likely indicates a hardware problem like faulty RAM, overheating issues, or a failing hard drive. In that case further troubleshooting and potential replacement of hardware may be required.