While there have been many improvements in Windows 7 over Windows Vista, one old problem still rears its ugly head from time to time. Like all previous incarnations of Windows, Windows 7 computer freezing is experienced by many PC owners. Many people may be left wondering, “Why is my Windows 7 computer freezing?” The truth [...]
Computer Freezing
There’s nothing quite as frustrating as a computer freezing. One second you’re working, browsing the internet or doing research, and in the next instant you find yourself sitting back in your chair watching the computer think about performing the task you just told it to do. As the seconds tick into minutes, your frustration level increases. You debate turning the computer off, but then you’d lose everything you were previously working on. You stand, pace and yell obscenities at the machine as if those things would somehow fix the problem. In the end, you just have to wait and wonder why is my computer freezing up and how do I stop it?
There are several reasons why a computer randomly freezes. There could be registry issues or a problem with new hardware. It could be a temperature issue, a driver error or other random software or virus issues. It could be that your computer is simply out of usable RAM.
Either way, a computer freezing randomly or on startup is not normal. It means something is wrong. This is where computerfreezes.net comes in. We offer software that can boost and clean your registry and have your computer running smoothly in no time. There’s no need to unplug your computer and take it across town to the shop. All you have to do is download one of our registry cleaners and run it.
Computer Freezing On Startup
There are several reasons why a computer would freeze on startup:
• Registry issues
• New hardware
• Software Issues
Registry Issues
The most common cause of a computer freezes on startup involves registry issues. Throughout the course of the life of your computer you will install and delete various programs. Unfortunately, deleting a program does not completely erase it. There are still indications of the program in the computer’s registry. That’s the reason security experts state that no program or file is completely deleted from a computer. Once a program or file is deleted, you can no longer access it, but traces of the program or file are still left in the computer’s registry. These miscellaneous bits of information can become corrupt over time and cause your computer to freeze or slow to a crawl on startup.
The fix for this error is simple and inexpensive and comes in the form of a registry cleaner. The registry cleaner will scan and analyze your registry and clean up the corrupted bits of information, leaving you with a smoothly performing machine.
New Hardware
New Hardware can also be the cause of a computer suddenly freezing. If you just installed a new piece of hardware, booted the machine and it froze, remove the new hardware and try booting the computer again. If the computer boots properly without freezing after you remove the hardware, it was a bad piece of hardware and you should return it to the store for an exchange or a refund.
Software Issues
A computer can also freeze due to software issues. This most commonly happens when you try to install software that doesn’t work with your operating system. Sometimes you can download a patch file and keep the software. Other times you need to delete the software, clean the registry and defrag the hard drive in order to completely remove the conflicting piece of software.
Computer Freezing Randomly
Computers can freeze randomly for numerous reasons:
• Temperature
• Driver issues
• RAM
• Viruses, Malware, and Spyware
• Third party cookies and Keyloggers
Temperature
Computers need to remain relatively cool to function properly. Most computers have fail safe programming that tells the computer to stop or shutdown if it is in danger of overheating. This stopping and shutting down prevents damage to the computer’s internal hardware and core components, but creates a headache for the user.
Computers overheat for numerous reasons. The fans become clogged with dust and dirt and are unable to function, the fan fails, or the computer is located in an area where there is no circulation. The latter happens most often in computer desks that contain drawers for the storage of the desktop.
To stop the computer freezing up due to overheating, you can do a couple different things. In the case of a desktop, you can open the case, clean the fans and move the computer to a cooler location. In the case of a laptop, you can open the case and blow out the inside and buy a cool board to set the laptop on while you work on it.
Driver Issues
If you just installed or updated a driver that could be the reason your computer freezes randomly. It amounts to the computer trying to access the driver and the driver being incompatible with the computer or outdated.
The fix for this issue is simple. In the case of a bad update, all you have to do is roll back the driver to its previous version. In the case of a new driver, you can go to the company website and download the latest driver. Most times the drivers that come with printers, cameras, cell phones etc. are old. Driver CDs are packaged with the component when the component is first shipped, and you have no way of knowing how long the item sat on the shelf before you purchased it. To get the latest driver, go to the company’s website and download it. Most hardware companies have support and driver sections to their websites and you can easily download and install the latest driver for your component.
RAM
Damaged or insufficient RAM can cause a computer to freeze randomly. In the case of a desktop, multiple moves can dislodge the RAM. To check for dislodged RAM, open the case and make sure the RAM is fully inserted into the slots. Laptops don’t tend to dislodge their RAM unless they’ve been dropped. In which case, the RAM can usually be found under a panel in the bottom of the laptop. Open the panel and check to make sure the RAM is securely in place.
The second fix involves increasing the computer’s RAM. If you do a lot of multitasking or run photo editing software, your computer may need more RAM to complete those tasks, and a RAM upgrade is recommended.
The third solution is to shut down the computer every once in a while. The more programs you use and the longer your computer stays up and running, the more RAM is allocated for processes. This can slow the computer down and cause it to freeze as the computer frees up RAM in order to complete a process.
Viruses and other malicious software
Another common cause for a freezing computer involves viruses, malware, spyware and keylogging programs. All of these programs interfere with the operating system causing it to slow down. There are millions of viruses out there and they are all freely acquirable through the internet. Some viruses attack computers randomly, but others end up attached to downloadable programs where you inadvertently download and install both the program and the virus.
If you suspect a virus, download an antivirus program and run it. If you already have an antivirus program open it and scan your drive. Many antivirus programs these days also include scans for malware, spyware and third party or unidentifiable cookies. After you run the antivirus software, check the log to see what the antivirus software found. In many cases it’ll find a random virus or two and a lot of spyware, malware and cookies. All of those can cause your computer to freeze and need to be deleted.
How to Stop a Computer From Freezing:
• Check the registry
• Run an antivirus program
• Check newly installed hardware or software
• Update or roll back drivers
• Clean or replace the fans
• Move the computer to a cooler location
To stop computer freezing, the first thing you should do is check the registry. Just think about how many programs you’ve downloaded and later deleted. The same goes for files. How many files have you saved and later deleted. Most computer users don’t keep their computer in the same state as when they first purchased them. They download instant messengers, photo editing software and other various free and paid programs in order to make their computing experience more enjoyable. All of those programs and files leave fragments in the registry that can become corrupt over time.
The second thing you should do is defrag the hard drive. Over time sections of a hard drive can become unusable. When the computer goes to save something to an unusable area of the hard drive the computer freezes. Defragging the computer will clean up hard drive and lessen the impact of bad sectors.
In the case of new hardware or software, check to make sure both are compatible with your computer. If the computer freezes after you install new hardware, remove the hardware and reboot the computer. If the computer works properly, the hardware is bad and should be returned to the store. If the computer freezes after you install new software, delete the software and reboot the computer.
If you suspect your computer is getting too hot, move the computer to a cooler location and blow out or replace the fans.
If you suspect your computer is freezing due to a driver issues, you can roll back the driver or download an updated driver from the company website.