There can be hundreds of reasons for freezing issues in Windows Computer. These can be hardware or software related issues but majorly a PC keeps crashing because of the junk it accumulates over time. Freezing once a blue moon can be a fluke but if your computer freezes randomly, it needs immediate attention before it crashes and you face data loss.
Here in this article, you are going to explore how to fix Windows PC keeps freezing issues and how to perform Windows optimization to get the most out of your PC. You’ll also explore Windows inbuilt TuneUp utilities that will be helpful to optimize your computer. So, here we go!
10 Ways to Fix Frozen Windows Desktop
Struggling with freezing issue in Windows Computer? Try these tips and tricks to fix frozen Windows and optimize Windows 10 performance.
1. End Task from Task Manager
Whenever you encounter a frozen desktop, the first thing you can try to fix Windows PC keeps freezing is the Task Manager. Here you can look for the tasks that are eating up your memory and burning your CPU. Press (Alt + Ctrl + Del) and click on the ‘Task Manager’ option. You can also press (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) key combination to open the Task Manager. Under the ‘Processes’ tab, click on the ‘CPU’ column or ‘Memory’ column to sort highest to lowest. Select the processes that are putting the burden on CPU OR Memory and Click on the ‘End Task’ button at the bottom. This process will end the program processing that is freezing the computer.
2. Restart Windows Explorer
At times multiple searches or multiple instances of Windows Explorer may free the system or the file explorer keeps crashing. To fix this, the best you can do is to restart Windows Explorer. Open the Task Manager using the above process and click on the Windows Explorer process from the list. Click on the Restart button at the bottom of the screen and a fresh instance of Windows Explorer will open in front of you.
SEE ALSO: Top Programs to Improve Windows File Explorer
3. Restart the Computer
Restarting the computer fixes a lot of system issues as all the pending processes, stuck processes, or updates that require a restart stays pending until you restart the machine. You can press (Alt + Ctrl + Del) and look for the power options at the bottom right corner of the window. The restart option can be found on the lock screen or on the start menu power options. Click on the power button and then select the ‘Restart’ option. The computer will restart and come back with a fresh session.
4. Restart Graphics Drivers
If your PC freezes randomly while playing some game with high graphics or watching a movie, you can press (Win + Ctrl + Shift + B) hotkey combination to restart the graphic drivers. If your system is stuck because of this reason, it will come back to life.
5. Force Restart Windows
If none of these steps makes the system respond, you can try to hard restart the system. Press and hold the power key for a few seconds until the system shuts down completely. Once the system is turned off, wait for a few seconds and then press the power button to restart the system. This shouldn’t be the regular practice and only be used when nothing on the screen works for you.
What Could be the Possible Causes?
There can be several reasons behind a frozen screen. It may be possible that the computer contains hidden software (Virus, Malware, or a Trojan) that is blocking the programs to respond. There could be a lot of programs that are trying to load at the same time and freezing the windows operating system. There can be a possible Low Hardware (CPU, Processor, Memory, or Disk space) issue that is not able to take a load of all the programs to function at the same time.
Other possible causes may include outdated system drivers, not installing the latest Windows Updates, overheating of the system, outdated software, Hard Drive issues, running unnecessary programs in the background, etc.
How You Can Prevent Further Freezing Issues in Windows Computer?
1. Run SFC SCANNOW Command
System File Checker (SFC) command checks the system for corrupt files and fixes the issues. This is a basic yet effective tool that scans, detects, and fixes the corrupt windows system files. Press (Win + R) key to open the Run command box, type in CMD and press (Ctrl + Shift + Enter) to open the command prompt in Administrator mode. Type in sfc/scannow and hit enter. Once the process is complete, you may restart the system.
2. Run Windows Update
To fix frozen Windows, installing the latest Windows Updates is equally important. This will fix any bug or update patches in the Windows operating system to function properly. Click on the start button and type ‘Windows Update Settings’ in the search bar. Windows Update screen will appear and show if all the latest updates are installed or there are updates pending to install. Click on Check for updates and install the latest Windows Updates. Restart the computer once done.
3. Perform Windows Optimization
Regularly performing windows optimization steps also keeps your system healthy.You may try to clean Temporary Files, Cache, Junk Files, from the system. Press (Win + R), type ‘temp’, and press enter. A new windows explorer will open with temporary junk files. Press (Ctrl + A) to select all files and press (Shift + Delete) to permanently delete them.
Repeat the process and this time type in %temp% and delete all files. Again, repeat the process and type ‘prefetch’ and delete all files. You may also make use of software to find and delete duplicate photos and files that will free up space on your computer hard drive and optimize Windows 10 performance.
SEE ALSO: Top Sites to Download Free Software for Your PC
You may also try other Windows Tuneup Utilities like Disk Cleanup, Disk Defragmenter, or optimize the Windows Startup menu to reduce the burden on the system. If you face difficulty in performing all these steps, you can simply use Advanced System Optimizer to optimize Windows performance just with a single click.
4. Run a Virus Scan
Always ensure that Windows Firewall, Windows Antimalware Service and a trusted Antivirus real-time scan is turned ON. Run a virus scan and schedule weekly scans when the system is in idle mode. Regular virus scans and checkups will keep your system threat free and avoid PC freezing issues.
5. Update Device Drivers
Always ensure that the device drivers are up to date and not crashing your Windows operating system. You may go to the ‘Device Manager’ and look for outdated drivers. If there is a yellow exclamation mark on any of the device drivers, you need to install the latest version immediately. You can also make use of Advanced Driver Updater software to automatically look for outdated drivers and install the new one.
SEE ALSO: Top Software to Remove Virus from Your Computer
Wrapping Up
If your computer freezes randomly, the above steps may help you fix frozen Windows and the preventions suggested above can ensure that you do not face freezing issues in Windows Computer again. It is also recommended to perform Windows optimization to optimize Windows 10 performance or boot up performance in an earlier version of Windows. A smart move is to install Tuneup utilities like Advanced System Optimizer that takes care of every possible cause that may cause computer issues. Be smart, Happy Computing!
