Dealing with a frozen or unresponsive computer can be incredibly frustrating. You’re right in the middle of an important project when suddenly your computer stops responding to your clicks and commands. Restarting the computer usually fixes things, but that means losing any unsaved work. Is there a way to recover from a system freeze without resorting to a hard restart?
In many cases, there are steps you can take to successfully regain control of an unresponsive computer without losing data or interrupting your workflow. Here are some tips for how to fix a frozen computer without turning it off.
Try waiting it out
Before taking any drastic measures, wait a few minutes to see if the system recovers on its own. Give it 5-10 minutes, don’t touch anything, and see if the computer unfreezes itself and starts responding again. Sometimes there are processes going on in the background that just need some time to finish up. If you start forcing quitting programs or restarting right away, you could make the situation worse.
Check for background tasks
See if you can regain control of the cursor. Hit CTRL+ALT+DEL on a Windows PC or COMMAND+OPTION+ESC on a Mac to open the Task Manager or Force Quit menu. Look for any programs using high CPU in the background. Try ending those tasks to free up system resources.
On Windows
On Windows, the Task Manager will show you CPU and memory usage for all open programs and services. Look for anything spiking CPU usage and end the task. This will terminate the frozen process without rebooting the whole system.
On Mac
On a Mac, the Force Quit Applications menu will let you see all open apps and force close any that are not responding. Choose an app and click Force Quit to terminate it safely without restarting.
Terminate desktop visual effects
Some OS visual effects like animations can tax your computer’s resources. Try disabling them to free up RAM and CPU cycles.
On Windows 10
On Windows 10, hit CTRL+SHIFT+ESC to open Task Manager and select More Details. Go to the Performance tab and look for Visual Effects. Click to disable animations like fading, sliding, and transparency.
On Mac
On a Mac, go to System Preferences > Accessibility and check Reduce transparency. You can also disable additional visual UI effects here.
Force quit the frozen application
If background tasks don’t seem to be the culprit, quit the application that’s frozen. This closes the app without restarting the system.
On Windows
On Windows, open the Task Manager (CTRL+ALT+DEL), go to the Details tab, locate the frozen app, and choose End Task.
On Mac
On a Mac, open the Force Quit Applications menu (COMMAND+OPTION+ESC), select the unresponsive app, and click Force Quit.
Log out or switch user accounts
If force quitting doesn’t work, try quickly logging out or switching user accounts. This dumps and reloads the UI which may resolve a graphical freeze.
On Windows 10
Hit CTRL+ALT+DEL and choose Sign Out. Then sign back in to your account. Or switch to the Guest account if available.
On Mac
Go to the Apple menu and choose Log Out [your name]. Then log back in again or use another account if available.
Restart Explorer or Finder
Restarting the Windows Explorer or Mac Finder process may help if the freeze is isolated to the UI.
On Windows 10
Open Task Manager, go to the Processes tab, locate Windows Explorer, and choose Restart.
On Mac
Open Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder, choose Finder, and click Force Quit. The Finder will automatically restart.
Check your security software
Antivirus tools and firewalls can sometimes interfere with system processes and cause freezes. Try temporarily disabling your security suite to see if that helps.
On Windows
Open the Control Panel > Security & Maintenance > Security. Turn Off your antivirus temporarily. You can turn it back on after testing.
On Mac
Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy and uncheck your antivirus app. Don’t forget to re-enable it afterwards.
Restart Windows Update or Mac App Store processes
App store updates running in the background can also freeze things up. Restart associated processes to recover.
On Windows 10
Open Task Manager, locate Windows Update or WSAppx Service, and choose Restart to end updater processes.
On Mac
In Activity Monitor, select App Store agent and click Force Quit, then relaunch the App Store.
Check your extensions and add-ons
Browser extensions and other add-ons can sometimes cause conflicts that result in freezes. Try disabling them as a troubleshooting step.
Google Chrome
Click the 3-dot menu > More Tools > Extensions and turn them off. You can enable them again after testing.
Mozilla Firefox
Click the 3-line menu > Add-ons and extensions and disable them all temporarily.
Microsoft Edge
Click the 3-dot menu > Extensions > Turn off extensions and restart Edge.
Update graphics drivers
Make sure your GPU drivers are up to date. Outdated graphics software can lead to freezing and crashing.
NVIDIA drivers
Open NVIDIA GeForce Experience and click Drivers > Check for Updates to install the latest available version.
AMD drivers
Open the AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition app and choose Updates to update your graphics drivers.
Intel drivers
Open the Intel Driver & Support Assistant, click System Scan, and install any updates that are found.
Check your storage drives
A failing hard drive or SSD can cause systemic crashes and freezes. Run a disk check to identify any potential drive issues.
On Windows
Open File Explorer, right click your C: drive, choose Properties > Tools > Check. Checkscan will run and repair errors.
On Mac
Open Disk Utility, select your drive, click First Aid, and choose Run. This will check and repair drive errors.
Test your RAM
Faulty memory (RAM) modules can lead to random computer freezes and crashes. Test your RAM to make sure it’s working properly.
On Windows
Open Windows Memory Diagnostic tool and click Restart now and check for problems. It will scan your RAM on reboot.
On Mac
Hold D key while booting to run Apple Hardware Test. Or use a 3rd party tool like Rember to test RAM issues.
Check your CPU temperature
An overheating CPU can start throttling which leads to temporary lockups and freezes. Monitor your CPU temp to rule out thermal issues.
On Windows
Open Task Manager and check CPU usage. Install a hardware monitor like Speccy to track CPU temperature.
On Mac
Use Activity Monitor to watch CPU usage. To check CPU temp, install TG Pro or Macs Fan Control.
Tune Up Windows Performance
Try using Windows’ built-in tune up utilities to resolve system issues and freezes.
Go to Control Panel > System & Security > Security & Maintenance and click the links for:
- Disk Cleanup – Cleans up unnecessary files
- Disk Defragmenter – Defrags and optimizes drive
- Check for updates – Installs latest Windows updates
Repair disk permissions on Mac
On a Mac, repairing disk permissions can fix corruption that leads to freezes. Open Disk Utility > Select Drive > First Aid > Repair Disk Permissions.
Boot into Safe Mode
Booting into Windows Safe Mode or Mac Safe Boot loads a minimal version of the OS. If the issues persist here, it likely indicates a deeper hardware or driver issue.
Windows Safe Mode
Restart your PC and press F8 during bootup to access Safe Mode. Or use MSConfig to enable Safe Boot.
Mac Safe Boot
Restart Mac and hold Shift key during boot until you see the login screen. This will boot into Safe Mode.
Reset your OS
For recurring system freezes, a reset or clean reinstall of your operating system can clear out any corrupted files or settings causing conflicts.
Reset Windows 10
Go to Settings > Updates & Security > Recovery and choose Get Started under Reset this PC. Choose Keep My Files to retain personal data.
Mac OS Restore
Boot to Recovery Mode by holding Command+R during restart. Choose Reinstall macOS to perform a system restore.
Check your power settings
Incorrect power saving settings can sometimes lead to computer freezes and hangs during use. Verify your plan is set properly.
Windows 10
Go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options. Choose High Performance as your plan.
Mac
Go to System Preferences > Energy Saver. Set computer and display to never sleep during active use.
Update BIOS/firmware
Outdated BIOS or firmware versions can cause compatibility issues leading to freezing. Check for updates from your manufacturer.
Windows
Check your PC maker’s support site for a BIOS update utility. Or try a universal tool like UnivBIOS.
Mac
Find and install macOS firmware updates via System Preferences or Apple > About This Mac menu.
Check connections and cables
Loose internal cables or faulty external devices can cause a computer to freeze or crash. Check all your connections.
- Reseat RAM modules and expansion cards
- Try disconnecting peripherals like printers, scanners, cameras
- Inspect cables for any loose plugs or damage
- Update USB, Thunderbolt, and other drivers
Rule out hardware failure
If you’ve tried every troubleshooting step with no improvement, the freezing may be related to a hardware failure.
Test components like the RAM, GPU, HDD, or CPU separately to isolate issues. If freezing persists, you may need professional repair or replacement of any defective components.
When to use a hard reset
If nothing else has worked, perform a hard reset by holding the power button to force power off the computer. This will abruptly end all processes and can damage data or system files if not done properly.
Only use this method as an absolute last resort once all other options have failed. Make sure you try the above troubleshooting steps first before resorting to a forced restart.
Conclusion
With the right approach, you can often recover from a frozen system without resorting to a full restart and potential data loss. Be patient, check for background tasks, terminate unresponsive apps, and turn off nonessential features. Updating drivers, testing hardware, and repairing disk issues can also help resolve freezing issues without shutting down the computer.
Learning some key software tricks for your OS, like Windows Safe Mode and Mac Safe Boot, provides a toolkit to troubleshoot and resolve system freezes when they occur. Remaining calm and trying these fixes can usually get your computer back up and running again.