Does your Computer Freeze and Crash?
Computer Freezes
Computer freezes and Windows freezes is a very common problem on a PC. This is when all activity stops working on your screen. Annoying and very frustrating, a computer freeze can lose valuable information if working on an application or document.
There are two types of computer freezes or crashes
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When only one program has froze.
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When all has frozen, programs, applications and your mouse and keyboard.
Clearing your Computer Freeze
NOTE that because of the nature of a computer crash, you will lose any unsaved data.
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When one program has froze, meaning that you can not get any response from it then do the following: Right-click on an empty space on the taskbar, and click on Task Manager. Then select the program with a status of 'Not Responding' and click End Task. This will shut down that particular program.
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If everything has frozen meaning that you can not use your keyboard or mouse then the only option is to power down. Press CTRL + ALT + DEL and shut down. Wait for a minute and reboot.
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If the cursor movement is glitchy on the screen then check your mouse. It may have a faulty connection or it may be faulty itself. This can be easily misunderstood as your computer crashing, so beware.
Reasons for and Diagnosing Problems for your Computer Freezes.
There are many possible reasons for your computer freezing and these are as follows:
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Having more than one antivirus program. Multiple antivirus programs may be the cause for your computer crashing. Some computers have antivirus programs pre-installed and if you are none the wiser then installing another antivirus program may cause your computer freeze.
If you do install an alternative antivirus package then you must first uninstall any other antivirus programs that may be running on your computer. Click 'Start', then click 'Control Panel' and then Double-click 'Add or Remove Programs' and select the antivirus software that you wish to uninstall. Visit our Antivirus Software page for further information and help.
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A virus or Spyware may cause your computer crash. Both are consequences for your Windows freezing and unless you have a reputable antivirus and a top Spyware removal application installed then unfortunately there is nothing that will halt these malicious infections from embedding themselves into your system. Click here for antivirus and for spyware.
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Drivers cause alot of problems with the smooth running of a computer. The outcome of your computer crash is just one of the problems a defective, conflicting or outdated driver can cause. If you have just installed a new piece of hardware then uninstall it and see whether this rectifies your computer freezing. Click on 'Start' then 'Control Panel' and then select 'Device Manager'. Right click on the device applicable, click on 'Properties' and select the 'Driver' tab. Disable the driver and see whether this rectifies your Windows freezing. If it does then uninstall it.
Still unsure? If you are still unsure then use a 'driver update utility' to scan your computer for all possible updates and downloads for your drivers. A very simple and effective tool to utilize.
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Software. Some applications have glitches or bugs in them that can cause these problems. If you have noticed a change since you have installed new software then unistall it and see whether this was the culprit for your computer crash.
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A corrupted registry. Over time too many programs and software applications have been installed and uninstalled and this causes problems within the Windows system registry. Your computer freezing is just one manifestation of a corrupted registry. Unless you are a competent computer technician then do not attempt to repair the registry manually.
Deletions of the wrong registry keys could leave your computer inoperable. Install a registry cleaner to perform a scan, repair and restore for you. Click here for a FREE SCAN or visit our registry cleaners page for further information.
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Hardware issues. Faulty, defective or even dirty components in your computer can cause problems. For example, if your fan is not performing as well as it should be then your system could overheat. Your memory may be intermittent or your may just have a loose connection, but all these can lead to your computer freezing. If you have eliminated all the other options and opening up your computer is beyond your scope than I would strongly advise you to let a professional computer technician carry out the investigation. Ignorance with the internals of a PC or a laptop could leave it completely inoperable.
Backup all of your important data before you change any software, driver, registry or any other application settings.
Computer freezes and Windows freezes is a very common problem on a PC and it will need a bit of work eliminating the problem and quite possibly it could be a combination of any of the above.