HOW TO FIX YOUR COMPUTER WHEN ITS FROZEN

How to Unfreeze Your Windows Screen: A Comprehensive Guide

There’s nothing more annoying than a frozen screen on your Windows computer when you are in the middle of doing something important. Whether your computer freezes after installing updates, running specific programs or just due to a system glitch, there are some universal fixes that can help you regain control in no time.

In this blog, we are discussing a few fixes to unfreeze a frozen Windows screen. Whether you are concerned with minor tricks or sophisticated solutions, this guide intends to guide you through the issue of fixing it.

Step 1: Wait It Out

Before everyone starts freaking out, the system sometimes just takes a minute to catch up. If you are combatting a minor system glitch or heavy-duty processing, the computer may be simply nonresponsive temporarily. If you are able to, hold off for a few minutes and see if the system unfreezes on its own.

For these back-end tasks such as software updates or resources-intensive processes, all you may need is to wait a bit until your computer resumes back to normal.

Step 2: Attempt to hit Ctrl + Alt + Del

The trusty Ctrl + Alt + Del shortcut is usually the first step when things go wrong on your screen. To assess the situation and make adjustments, you can turn this combination into Windows Task Manager or Windows Security screen.

Press Ctrl + Alt + Del.

When you see the Task Manager you might be able to figure out which program is unresponsive.

Task Manager → Locate the Program or Process that is frozen → Click End Task To force close it.

This unfreezes your screen, particularly if a specific program is the culprit.

Step 3: Use the Alt + Tab Shortcut

If the screen is frozen, but the mouse is still movable, you can attempt to use the Alt + Tab keyboard shortcut to switch between open applications. This will help you establish whether it’s an individual program that’s not responding, or the whole of the operating system is frozen.

Use Alt + Tab to switch between open windows.

If the program you are trying to use is hung up, you can use Ctrl + Alt + Del and the Task Manager to close it.

Nothing more than that and this should let you take back control from your system and should allow you to shut the application or restart it.

Step 4: Restart the Explorer process

The Windows Explorer process itself sometimes fails to function resulting in the screen freezing or appearing stuck. Simply restart Windows Explorer from the Task Manager.

Here’s how to do it:

Open Task Manager by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ESC.

In the list of processes, see if you can find Windows Explorer

For Windows Explorer, right-click and choose Restart.

This refreshes the Windows interface and may unfreeze it without restarting the whole computer.

Step 5: Use the soft reset

If all else fails, the next step is to try a soft reboot. This means doing a restart of your computer while not powering it off completely.

Here is how to do a soft reset:

If the Start Menu is accessible, click the Power icon and select Restart.

If you can’t reach the Start Menu, hit Ctrl + Alt + Del, and click the Power icon in the bottom-right corner to access Restart.

This reset can remove the most common errors in the system that may have caused the freeze.

Step 6: Force a Hard Reboot

If there are no signs of life beyond a frozen screen and you can’t access any menu or Task Manager, you may need to perform a hard reboot. This means pressing and holding the computer’s power button to perform a manual shutdown.

Here’s how to force a reboot:

Press and hold Power button for 5-10 sec until PC turns Off.

Wait a few seconds before pressing the Power button again to turn the computer back on.

Important: This is a last resort, and when forcing the system to shutdown in this way, data loss or corruption may occur, especially if you had files open for editing before the shutdown.

Step 7: Check for Overheating

It can freeze due to overheating from time to time. If you’ve been using your computer for a long time, or your laptop or PC doesn’t have enough ventilation, it might be overheating.

To see if overheating is the culprit:

Ventilation: Ensure that your computer is placed in a well-ventilated area. If a laptop, add some elevation to it to give airflow.

Dust it out: Dust can fill up fans and lead to overheating over time. Blow dust out of your PC with compressed air for your PC’s fans and vents.

Monitor your temperatures: You can install software such as HWMonitor to keep an eye on your system’s temperatures. It is tempting to keep using these aggressive settings, but if your CPU or GPU temperature soars dangerously and passes to the red zone, it may be time to buy better cooling systems.

If overheating was causing the freeze, giving your system time to cool off might fix the issue.

Step 8: Update or Reinstall Drivers

Freezing issues are frequently caused by out-of-date or corrupt drivers. If the freeze occurs consistently after a recent driver update or virus scan, then the issue might be due to an incompatible driver.

To update your drivers:

Face the Windows + X and select Device Manager option.

Look for the driver you want to update by expanding the categories for Display Adapters, Network Adapters, etc.

Now, right-click the device and click Update Driver.

Select Search automatically for updated driver software.

On the other hand, if the problem began following the update of a driver, you could roll it back — by right-clicking on the device in Device Manager, clicking Properties, and then clicking the Roll Back Driver button on the Driver tab.

Step 9: Look for Corrupted System Files

Persistent Narrows Down the Cause of All This Freezing The corrupted system files. The System File Checker (SFC) is a utility that can scan and repair corrupted files.

To run an SFC scan:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator (search for cmd, right-click Command Prompt and click Run as administrator).

Enter sfc /scannow and hit Enter.

Wait for the scan to finish, and follow any instructions on-screen.

The system file checker will then try to automatically repair any found issues.

Step 10: Run a System Restore

If following these steps does not resolve the issue, it could potentially stem from recent changes made on your computer, such as the installation of new software or updates. System Restore can revert your computer to a worked state without deleting personal files.

To perform a System Restore:

Enter System Restore in the Windows search bar and choose Create a restore point.

Select System Restore from the System Properties window.

During the process, choose a restore point which pre-dates the start of the issue.

This process will revert to previous changes and could potentially resolve the issue if it is due to software or system changes.

Getting Your Windows Screen Back to Normal — Conclusion

PC is not responding, and it shows nothing but a frozen screen? It can be a distressful situation, but there are many ways to troubleshoot your Windows when it gets stuck with a frozen screen. Make some basic steps (such as waiting and restarting the system) to more advanced (such as updating drivers and performing system scans), most freezes can be repaired without too much trouble.

If the issue continues, it may indicate more serious problems, such as a hardware failure or system corruption, and contacting a professional technician will be necessary.

If you follow the procedures described in this guide, you should be able to get your Windows PC back up and running properly, and avoid future freezes from ruining your productivity.

Disclaimer:

Tip: If you’re going to do advanced troubleshooting, such as a system restore or driver roll back, back up your important files first to avoid data loss.