Few things are more frustrating than being in the middle of a project or watching a video when your computer freezes. Whether it's your cursor frozen in place or the Blue Screen of Death, the fix requires a manual reboot of your computer. Of course, that means you risk losing everything you were working on before the freeze. A better option is to understand the possible reasons for computer freezes and the steps you can take to prevent them from happening.
Q: Is my software to blame?
A: Software issues are the most common reason for a frozen computer. At some point, the software loses control over the application or tries to run the application in a way the Windows operating system doesn't recognize. Old software programs may not work well on new versions of Windows, for example. Updating the software sometimes prevents the computer from freezing. Beyond that, rebooting is the most effective way to deal with occasional software-related freezes.
Q: Could a malware infection cause my computer to freeze?
A: Yes! In fact, computer freezes and crashes are among the top signs your computer is infected. In some cases, the malware overwhelms your system by opening dozens of applications that run in the background, eating up your computer's memory and causing it to freeze. If your computer continues to freeze after a reboot, it's time for a virus scan with the most current security solution.
Q: My software is updated, and my system is virus-free. What else could cause the problem?
A: Your operating system could frequently freeze for a number of other reasons, including the following:
Q: What can I do to reduce computer freezes?
A: In addition to the previous tips, you can implement a few other good practices to minimize the risk of computer freezes.
No matter how well you maintain your computer, all systems freeze at some point. It could simply be an operating system issue, as occurred with a 2017 Windows 10 update. However, understanding what causes a computer to freeze can help you prevent problems and troubleshoot in the future.