If your Windows 10 PC keeps freezing or unresponsive, you’re probably at your wits’ end. A computer that constantly freezes when you try to work is infuriating and can lead to loss of data, time, and productivity. Every operating system has its fair share of bugs and issues, and Windows 10 still falls into that category.
You are not alone if nothing works on your PC until you completely reboot. This situation is common and you will want to solve it. Instead of letting your computer continue to freeze, speed up windows 10 and get your computer working again in no time.
Common Causes of a Windows 10 Computer Not Responding
A computer crash is usually a software problem. These are rarely hardware, as they often cause a system crash rather than a freeze. Overheating causes the computer to shut down, and hardware failure usually causes a blue screen.
A RAM problem can also cause it to freeze, but that is rare. It mainly depends on the software. Too many programs require resources, are missing files, experience file corruption, receive system interruptions, or get stuck in the processor task queue.
How to fix Windows 10 not responding
Before we proceed with long-term solutions, let’s review what you can do to make Windows responsive.
1. Reset your video drivers
If your computer froze unexpectedly, you should try resetting your video drivers. To do this, you may or may not need to reboot. Either way, press “Win + Ctrl + Shift + B.” The screen will go black for a few seconds and you will hear a beep indicating that the video drivers have been reset.
2. Open Task Manager
Using the keyboard combination “CTRL + ALT + Delete”, open your task manager and force close any frozen open applications. If an app has a serious bug, it can cause a slowdown of the entire system.
3. Force restart your computer
Hold he Power button for several seconds until it goes out with force. Please note that tapping the power button will perform whatever you have set in the power settings (sleep, hibernate, or shutdown), so it won’t work. Wait about 30 seconds before restarting. This process will get you back up and running quickly for most issues.
4. Check for changes in Windows 10
When a Windows 10 computer stops responding for no reason, it usually happens because something has changed. Before moving on to the troubleshooting phase, have you made any changes recently, added a new program, installed a new antivirus or security program, encrypted your hard drive, or made any other significant changes? If so, that’s the place to start.
If you changed something and your Windows 10 computer started freezing, undo that change or delete the program. Restart your computer and see if it freezes again. If so, continue with these other troubleshooting techniques. If the computer no longer freezes, it was the change you made that caused it. Investigate that further.
Next, you’ll want to do some basic troubleshooting to uncover and permanently fix the underlying reasons for your problems.
Troubleshooting when Windows 10 freezes
Fortunately, Windows 10 makes it easy to start the troubleshooting process. Once you have fixed the initial problem and your computer is responding, begin the troubleshooting process. This process is essential if your computer has crashed more than once. It’s probably a good idea to restart after each step, but it may not be necessary in some situations.
- Use the Windows 10 troubleshooter: First, check the displayed options to fix any detected errors. If no options appear with the error, navigate to your computer’s Settings menu and click Troubleshoot. Running the troubleshooter can speed up the solution by directly telling you the problem.
- Try safe mode: If step 1 fails, try running your Windows 10 device in safe mode to locate the problem. Go to “Start Menu -> Power”, then hold down the “Shift” key and select “Restart”. Basically, safe mode runs only your device’s native processes. If the computer stops freezing, there is third-party software that is causing the problem.
- Check Task Manager: Sometimes having too many browser tabs or programs running can cause Windows 10 to crash. Press “Ctrl + Shift + Esc” to start Task Manager. Find an application that frequently consumes a high percentage of resources, then end the processes by right-clicking on it.
If you’re lucky, you’ll spot a program that’s having problems or consuming your processor, memory, disk, or network resources when your computer freezes. Often a memory leak that consumes the entire cache causes freezes. Other programs and processes must wait their turn, leading to a freezing or crash scenario. - Find missing files: If your computer freezes while performing a particular task, such as word processing, video editing, or browsing the Internet, the program may be causing the freeze. A required file may have been damaged or accidentally overwritten. Uninstall and reinstall the program/application.
- Use System File Checker (SFC)– SFC searches for corrupted or missing system files. Open “Powershell” or “Command Prompt” as administrator, then type “sfc /scannow” and press “Enter.”
- Use Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM)– DISM checks the Windows Store and Windows Update for errors. Press “Windows + R”, copy/paste “runas /profile /user:[your admin username] cmd”, then press “Enter”. Type your administrator password and press “Enter” again, then type “dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth” and press “Enter” once more.
- Update/repair drivers: Right click on the Start menu and select Device Manager. Right-click each device and choose Uninstall Device or Update Driver. If you uninstalled any drivers, select your computer name at the top, then click “Action -> Check for hardware changes”.
- Reinstall or restore Windows 10: If none of the steps above resolve your Windows 10 freezing issue, your only real option is to reinstall Windows 10 or perform a system restore. Select a restore point before the freeze occurred or boot from your Windows 10 installation media and select reinstall while keeping your files and settings. Hopefully that should fix it! Both options won’t save non-Microsoft Store apps and programs, but some licenses may remain depending on how the app links them.
Unfortunately, there are several reasons why a Windows 10 PC may freeze, all of which boil down to hardware or software issues. Start with simple approaches, such as a reboot, force if necessary, and then check for missing files and drivers if the reboot didn’t work.
