How many times you have started your PC only to see your Windows freeze just before or after loading? Many times, your PC may work for a while and then freeze up. When your computer freezes up, you will be unable to use your keyboard and mouse and it will not be possible to perform any task on the PC except hard booting it. The situation gets worse when your PC freezes up while you are trying to shut it down, which either forces you into a vicious cycle of multiple restarts and shutdowns or forces you to turn off by disconnecting from the main power supply.
The good news is that system freezes are not the end of the world. You can easily resolve the problems by looking for what is causing the problem and then fixing it. In this article, we will investigate a few causes of system freezes and then fix them.
Fixing Startup Freezes
Startup freezes are easier to fix because they usually display an error message. This error message makes it easier to identify the source of the problem and start with the error resolution process.
Most of the time, startup freezes are caused because of countless programs and processes that load automatically during the startup process. These programs may also conflict with a newly installed hardware or software.
You can usually resolve startup problems by stopping the unwanted programs from loading at startup. To do this, the first place you need to look is in the Startup folder. To view the contents of the Startup folder, select Start > All Programs and point to Startup. Then, right-click and delete all programs that you do not want to load at system startup.
Next, from Start > Run, execute the “msconfig” command to open the System Configuration utility. Here, on the Startup tab, clear the check boxes of all the programs that you do not want to load at system startup. Finally, select Apply and OK to reboot your PC to implement the changes.
Fix System Freezes Due to Display Problems
If your computer boots normally but then the screen blacks out or displays the “Signal Out Of Range” error, then there is a problem with the monitor settings of your PC.
To fix the problems associated with your monitor settings, first start your PC in Safe Mode by pressing F8 at startup and then select the appropriate option.
In the Safe Mode, right-click on the Desktop and then select Properties. Here, on the Settings tab, modify the configuration to the settings that your monitor and the display adapter support and can handle without blacking out. Select Apply and OK to accept the changes and close the Display Properties dialog box.
Fix System Freezes Due to Driver Conflicts
Incompatible hardware drivers, faulty or unsupported hardware, and conflicts between system resources are some of the common causes of driver conflicts that may cause Windows freeze ups.
The best way to identify driver and hardware problems and troubleshoot them is to use the Device Manager. To open the Device Manager, right-click on the My Computer icon and then select the Properties command. Here, on the Hardware tab, select the Device Manager button. In the Device Manager window that opens, problematic devices are displayed with a yellow triangle having a black exclamation mark in between. Right-click on the faulty device, and then select Properties. In the properties dialog box that opens, you can select various options to rollback, uninstall, and update the existing device driver.
There are many other random causes of system freezes, such as overheating of components, hardware conflicts, and hardware malfunctioning. You can prevent most of the problems associated with Windows freeze ups by performing regular preventive maintenance of your PC. Always keep your work area and PC dust free. Install hardware that is compatible with your operating system and other components currently installed on your computer. Use hard disk tools such as Disk Defragmenter and Disk Cleanup to keep the hard disk free from errors and unwanted files. Always keep your PC updated with the latest security releases and patches. Regularly update and run antivirus and anti-spyware scans on your computer to keep it free from malicious files. And last but not least, get a reliable registry cleaner software and perform regular registry scan and repair to ensure yourself a healthy, fast, and error-free computer.