Windows freezes. The computer freezes, what to do, step-by-step action plan, Windows 7 computer freezes constantly

Every computer user has encountered a situation where Windows freezes completely. The OS freezes for various reasons. They cannot be placed under any one template. Therefore, there is no single cure for this problem - a kind of panacea for all ills. And that’s why it’s so important to have an idea of ​​what to do if Windows freezes. We will consider options for answering the question: “what to do if a computer with the Windows 7 operating system installed on it freezes.” The reasons why a Windows computer freezes can be classified as follows:

• Computer hardware malfunction.
• Mismatch between hardware and installed software. For example, the system does not have enough RAM to execute the program.
• Abnormal operation of programs with errors.
• Windows is clogged or there is no space on your hard drive.
• The system is infected with viruses.
• Incompatibility of programs with each other.

For each category of problem, separate “medicines” have been invented. We will discuss them in detail further.

If the computer freezes, it paralyzes the user’s work and introduces an element of chaos and discomfort into it. To defeat this chaos, you need to know how to deal with it.

The simplest means

If your Windows computer freezes and no tricks help (like trying to start "Task Manager" by “Ctrl” + “Alt” + “Del”), then there is nothing left to do but reboot the system. On the case of the system unit there are two on/off buttons - large and small. Pressing the small button leads to a reboot, pressing the large button leads to shutdown. If the small button does not respond, hold the large button with your finger until the computer turns off. And then turn it on again.

If everything is not so serious and you can call it, then try to “kill” all the heaviest processes by going to the “Processes” tab of the dispatcher and pressing the button "End process", standing on the process name in the list. Perhaps the reason that Windows freezes is due to insufficient RAM. Why people are so eager to switch to the latest, and therefore the most cumbersome versions of programs is a rhetorical question. Why you shouldn’t use “fat” programs on a weak computer - probably too. You can always find an alternative to any software for Windows. What’s especially nice is that it’s small and free. You just need to look.

We work as a vacuum cleaner

The profession of a janitor is considered something shameful. Vacuum cleaners have to deal with dirt and dust every day. But we will not take this point of view. So much dirt and dust accumulates inside the desktop computer case that it’s amazing. Why this is so is as difficult to answer as answering the question: why does this happen in seemingly hermetically sealed weaving units. Dust penetrates everywhere and, if you do not fight it and do nothing to destroy it, then it will fill the entire Universe, and not just our system unit.

What should I do to clean the insides of my computer from dust?

• Let's disassemble the system unit. If you don't have small Phillips screwdrivers in your house, get them.
• Next, you need to do the following: take a regular vacuum cleaner and move the hose to the “outlet” so that you get an outgoing stream of air.
• Turn on the vacuum cleaner and direct the air flow to the open inside of the computer.
• The dust will fly off in a column, but it will disappear from the surface of the motherboard and other nooks and crannies of the unit.

Fighting viruses and cleaning the disk

You don't have to keep asking why your Windows computer is freezing. We need to make sure this never happens. Imagine what you would do if you were not the owner of a home computer, but some kind of responsible server. You would have to approach security issues much more responsibly. Why don't we do this at home and introduce hundreds of viruses into Windows? Why are we turning our computer into a trash heap? And what can be done to prevent this from happening?

If you do not have a normal antivirus installed, you immediately need to create a protective shield for Windows. Very often, Windows freezes precisely because of a virus attack. If you do not deal with this problem, you will not be able to work normally in Windows at all. Download and install some of the most powerful ones, for example, Kaspersky Anti-Virus or Avast. You will immediately feel how your life will become simpler, and you will only wonder: why didn’t you do this before?

If Windows still freezes, then try cleaning your hard drive from debris and . Does it still hang? Take the “machine” for repair!

What to do if Windows 7 freezes? The newly installed Windows 7 works: quickly, well and properly. Over the course of long, productive work, productivity may decline. When the computer starts to load and freeze for a long time, the user of the device doesn’t really like it and therefore he asks the question “Is it possible to return the former speed and efficiency of work?” This moment always comes to everyone, without exception, even experienced users.

What to do if Windows 7 freezes?

If Windows freezes, it is not always the operating system itself that is to blame. The hardware may be faulty or the computer's characteristics may not meet the Windows 7 system requirements. Below is a list of possible causes of computer freezes other than system errors.

Pay attention to the hard drive your computer. This may be the reason for the freezes. This may be due to its mechanical and electrical damage. If, when your computer freezes, you see a continuously lit hard drive indicator light, then the problem is most likely there. Seek assistance from appropriate professionals.

power unit also plays a role in the possible causes of computer freezes. This is due to insufficient power or insufficient quality of the power supply of your computer. If a load occurs, the computer will take a long time to load and freeze.

Freezes may be caused by RAM, or rather its insufficient volume. The following types of failures are typical for this problem:

If a freeze occurs during them, then look at the RAM.

Myself CPU and everything connected with it, even motherboards (i.e. the insides of the computer). Freezes occur due to overheating of the processor and the boards in it. Sometimes simply restarting the computer helps.

A common reason that Windows 7 freezes is drivers. They may be damaged or simply not match the operating system version.

Windows 7 shell freezes. Causes.

We'll talk about what usually causes Windows 7 to freeze. Most often, Windows 7 slows down due to programs and settings. This may be due to:

• A large number of programs that download and run themselves (the so-called “startup”)
• File fragmentation
• viruses
• system file corruption
• Windows file system errors
• memory overload with unnecessary programs and registry clogging
• software that is not configured quite correctly
• Excessive filling of the hard drive system partition

How to diagnose and get rid of freezes?

It is important to clean up your computer: check the disk for viruses, free up space on the hard drive by deleting all unnecessary programs and unnecessary files, unload startup, defragment, check the file system for errors, and check Windows files for integrity.

Cleaning up autoloading

To remove excess junk from startup:

• • Open “Start”, enter the command msconfig.exe in the search bar and press “Enter”
  • Go to the “Startup” tab and uncheck the boxes next to those programs and applications that do not need to start themselves when you turn on the computer, if you do not want this

Putting your disk in order

To clean your system of unnecessary applications and junk:

• In the My Computer or Computer folder, you need to find the system drive (the hard drive you are using - Local Disk (C:)) and right-click on it. Then go to the very last tab “Properties”
• In the “General” tab, click the “Disk Cleanup” button
• Next, click “Clean up system files,” thereby getting rid of unnecessary files
• If necessary, you can view the files that will be deleted from your computer by clicking on the “View files” button

We carry out defragmentation

This is necessary in order to collect all the files together. Thanks to this wonderful operation, your computer will freeze less.
Following the instructions, we start the defragmentation process:

• Go to the “Properties” of the disk (we were already there) and click the “Service” button
• As you can see, everything is very easy, and with just one click on the “Defragmentation” button you will achieve the desired result. The main thing is to choose disk defragmentation
• If desired, you can set the frequency of automatic defragmentation

Checking for errors in the Windows file system

To check for errors:

• Go to the “Properties” of the disk in the same “Service” and under the first heading “Check disk” click “Run check”
• You will be faced with the choice of checking disk parameters; for convenience and automation of the process, you must select both options
• The check will only be carried out if you click “Run” and restart your computer

Let's scan the system to check:

In the Start menu, using the search bar, enter three letters - cmd. Right-click on the icon with the corresponding name (cmd) and select run as administrator
On the contrary, in the lines called C:\Windows\system32> we write: sfc/scannow and press the “Enter” button on the keyboard, i.e. "Enter." The check will begin and upon completion the system will let you know what errors have been identified and what needs to be done about them.

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Every computer user, sooner or later, is faced with the fact that it starts to slow down and freeze. There can be many reasons for this; today we will analyze the most common cases of breakdowns and consider ways to eliminate them.

I have already published an article on the blog, where I revealed the possible cause of Windows 7 “Freezing”, read it, maybe your problem is described there: “ ”

Today I’m continuing the topic I started, and we’ll look at a few more reasons why the computer starts to slow down.

What to do if your computer slows down and freezes Windows 7

The seventh operating system is most common among novice users, as it is the most convenient, simple and understandable. Therefore, it is worth considering the question of what to do if the computer slows down and Windows 7 freezes using the seven as an example.

The first reason is that there is not enough operating memory.

As you know, all programs downloaded from the Internet are installed on drive C, that is, on the same drive on which the operating system is installed.

Many beginners suffering from Plyushkin syndrome often start downloading various programs from the Internet and installing them on their computer, sometimes unnecessarily. Then they are conveniently forgotten. Sooner or later, the disk space runs out, and naturally, the computer will freeze, slow down, and turn off.

But even if you have enough space on your disk, cleaning it from garbage will significantly improve performance and speed.

Remedy:

Remove all installed programs that you have not used for a long time, clean your computer with the CCleaner utility, clean the registry with the RegCleaner utility, defragment drive C. Optimize booting with the Bootvis utility.

You can find “Startup” as follows: Start/Run/msconfig/Ok/Startup.

You can download programs for cleaning and “treatment” using the links below.

• Download CCleaner: megasoftlab.org/2008/02/26/ccleaner-2.05.555-russkaja-versija.html
• Download RegCleaner: www.softforfree.com/programs/regcleaner-12179.html
• Download Bootvis: http://soft.winsov.ru/programs/1269/

If you are too lazy to search for/uninstall programs, then completely reinstall the operating system.

When you reinstall the operating system, all the programs, software, and junk you installed will be deleted automatically, there will be enough space on the disk, and as a result, the computer will work faster.

Cleaning the system unit from dust

The next thing you should pay attention to is cleaning your computer from dust. To speed up your computer, it is recommended to clean the system unit from dust at least once every three months. However, be extremely careful not to damage the motherboard.

Scan your computer for viruses

One of the common reasons for a computer to freeze is a virus infection. To eliminate viruses, it is recommended to scan disks with the free healing utility Dr.Web CureIt.

This little program installs quickly and cleans your computer of viruses, Trojans, spyware, and other malicious programs that your antivirus program missed.

Download: www.freedrweb.com/cureit/

Errors in the system registry

The free Kerish Doctor utility will help you fix errors in the system registry on your computer. This small but very effective program prevents computer failures in real time and corrects errors in the system registry in a timely manner.

In addition, the utility installed on your device promptly and automatically safely cleans the system disk of digital junk and outdated applications, and optimizes the speed of the Internet connection, which increases performance several times.

Download the Kerish Doctor program: www.kerish.org/ru/product.php

What to do if your computer slows down and freezes Windows 7, tips

If you want your computer to never freeze, clean your desktop, unload drive C, perform regular cleaning, and scan to timely identify and neutralize malicious codes.

Never open a large number of programs at the same time! Train yourself to close the program if you do not plan to use it for the next 10 minutes.

Many open programs and applications noticeably slow down the operation of any computer, even a clean, fully functional one.

Now you know what to do if your computer slows down and Windows 7 freezes. By applying the tips from the article, you will achieve fast, trouble-free operation of the device.

You may also like articles:

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One of the most common troubles that a PC user encounters is its freezing. Sometimes this problem simply prevents it from working. It’s not so bad if after a reboot the situation does not recur, but it’s much worse when this phenomenon begins to recur with increasing frequency. Let's look at the reasons why a computer with Windows 7 freezes, and also determine ways to solve this problem.

Read also: How to remove computer slowdown on Windows 7

Main causes of freezing

You need to immediately draw a line between the terms “computer freezing” and “braking”, since many users are confused about these concepts. When braking, the speed of operations on the PC decreases significantly, but in general you can continue working on it. When freezing, it becomes impossible to solve the assigned tasks, since the device practically does not react to the user’s actions, up to entering a complete stupor, from which you can only get out of it by rebooting.

The cause of a PC freezing can be a number of problems:

These are basic groups of factors that directly initiate the creation of the causes of the problem we are studying. Moreover, sometimes different groups of factors can lead to the same immediate cause. For example, a freeze can be caused by a lack of PC RAM, which, in turn, can be a consequence of either a malfunction of one of the physical RAM strips or the launch of resource-intensive programs.

Now let's look at the main reasons for this phenomenon and options for solving the problems that have arisen.

Reason 1: Lack of RAM

Since we mentioned above that one of the reasons for a PC freezing is the lack of RAM, then we’ll start describing the problem with a discussion of it, especially since this reason is one of the most common reasons for freezing. Therefore, we will dwell on it in more detail than on other factors.

Each computer has a certain amount of RAM, which depends on the technical data of the RAM installed in the PC system unit. You can see the amount of available RAM by performing the following manipulations.

In addition, the functions of the RAM, if it is full, can be performed by a special paging file located on the PC hard drive.

Why did we find out all this? The answer is simple: if the amount of memory required to run all applications and processes currently running on the computer approaches or exceeds the total amount of available RAM and the page file, the system will freeze. You can see how much processes running on your PC require through the “Task Manager”.

What to do in this case? If the system is frozen “tightly” and this situation persists for a long time, then there is only one way out - to perform a cold reboot, that is, press the button located on the system unit, which is responsible for restarting the PC. As you know, when you restart or turn off your computer, the RAM in it is cleared automatically, and therefore after activation it should work normally.

If the computer reacts at least a little or at times returns at least part of its functionality, then it is possible to correct the situation without rebooting. To do this, you need to call the “Task Manager” and delete the process that is taking up too much RAM. But calling the “Task Manager” through the “Control Panel” in a frozen situation can take a very long time, since it requires several manipulations. Therefore, we make the call in a faster way by pressing the combination Ctrl+Shift+Esc.

Of course, if freezing occurs relatively rarely, then restarting or manipulating the Task Manager can serve as a way out of the situation. But what to do if you encounter a similar phenomenon quite often and the reason for this, as you found out, is precisely the lack of RAM? In this case, it is necessary to take some preventive measures that will either significantly reduce the number of such cases or completely get rid of them. It is not necessary to take all the steps listed below. It is enough to perform one or more of them, and then see the result.

Read more: Configuring autorun applications in Windows 7

Lesson: Cleaning RAM on Windows 7

Reason 2: CPU load

System freezes may be caused by CPU load. You can also check whether this is true in the “Processes” tab in the “Task Manager”. But this time, pay attention to the values ​​​​in the “CPU” column. If the value of one of the elements or the sum of the values ​​of all elements approaches 100%, then this is the cause of the malfunction.

This situation can be caused by various factors:

We will dwell on the issue of viral activity in detail when considering a separate cause. Now we will look at what to do if other factors were the source of the freeze.

Reason 3: System disk is loaded

Another common source of freezing is the load on the system disk, that is, the partition of the hard drive on which Windows is installed. In order to check whether this is so, you should look at the amount of free space on it.

The only way out of this situation may be to clean the hard drive of garbage and unnecessary files. In this case, it is necessary that the amount of free space on it exceeds at least 2 - 3 GB. This is the volume that will ensure relatively comfortable work on the computer. If cleaning operations cannot be carried out due to a hard freeze, then reboot the system. If this action does not help, you will have to clean the hard drive by connecting it to another PC or starting it using LiveCD or LiveUSB.

To clean the disk, you can take the following steps:

Performing these manipulations will help get rid of freezes.

In addition, you can use hard drive defragmentation as an additional tool to increase the speed of your computer. But it is worth remembering that this procedure alone will not get rid of freezes. It will only help speed up the operation of the system, and you will have to clean the hard drive in case of overcrowding in any case.

Lesson: How to clear space on drive C in Windows 7

Reason 4: Viruses

Viral activity can also cause your computer to freeze. Viruses can do this by creating a load on the CPU, using a large amount of RAM, and damaging system files. Therefore, if you observe constant cases of PC freezing, you need to check it for the presence of malicious code.

As you know, scanning an infected computer with an antivirus that is installed on it rarely detects a virus even if it is present. In our situation, the matter is further complicated by the fact that the system freezes, and this is guaranteed to prevent the anti-virus utility from performing its immediate functions. There is only one way out: connect the hard drive of the PC that is suspected of being infected to another device, and scan with a specialized application, such as Dr.Web CureIt.

If a threat is detected, act according to the program prompts. Cleaning the system of viruses will allow the computer to operate normally only if they have not damaged important system files. Otherwise, you will need to reinstall the OS.

Reason 5: Antivirus

Paradoxically, sometimes the reason for freezing can be the antivirus installed on your PC. This can happen due to various factors:

To check if this is the case, disable your antivirus program.

Read more: How to temporarily disable your antivirus

If after this the freezing incidents no longer recur, then it is better for you to use other software products to protect your PC from malware and intruders.

Reason 6: Hardware failure

Sometimes the cause of a computer freezing may be a malfunction of the connected equipment: keyboard, mouse, etc. Such failures are especially likely to occur if the hard drive on which Windows is installed is damaged.

If you suspect such factors, you need to disconnect the corresponding device and see how the system works without it. If no failures are observed for a long time after this, then it is better for you to replace the suspicious device with another one. Using faulty devices connected to a PC can lead to much more serious problems than a normal freeze.

Sometimes the cause of freezing may be static voltage created inside the system unit. In this case, it is recommended to clean the computer from dust and ground the unit itself. By the way, dust can also cause overheating, which negatively affects the speed of work.

As you can see, a fairly wide range of factors can be the reasons for a computer freezing. To solve a problem, it is very important to establish what exactly leads to its occurrence. Only after this can we begin to eliminate it. But if you still haven’t been able to determine the cause and you don’t know what to do next, you can try to roll back the system to an earlier, stable version using the System Restore tool. An extreme step, if attempts to resolve the issue using other methods fail, may be to reinstall the operating system. But you need to take into account that if the source of the problem is hardware factors, then this option will not help you.

One of the common problems that a user may experience is that the computer freezes while working, playing games, while loading or installing Windows. However, determining the reason for this behavior is not always easy.

This article provides details about why a computer or laptop freezes (the most common options) in relation to Windows 10, 8 and Windows 7 and what to do if you have such a problem. The site also contains a separate article on one aspect of the problem: (also suitable for Windows 10, 8 on relatively old PCs and laptops).

Most users know (because it is often said) that you cannot install more than one antivirus on Windows (the pre-installed Windows Defender does not count). However, there are still cases when two (or even more) antivirus products appear on one system at once. If this is the case for you, then it is very possible that this is why your computer is freezing.

Lack of space on the system disk partition

The next common situation when a computer starts to freeze is lack of space on drive C (or a small amount of it). If your system disk has 1-2 GB of free space, then very often this can lead to exactly this kind of computer operation, with freezes at various moments.

The computer or laptop freezes some time after turning it on (and no longer responds)

If your computer always, some time after turning it on, freezes for no reason and needs to be turned off or restarted to continue working (after which, after a short time, the problem recurs again), then the following possible causes of the problem are possible.

First of all, it is overheating of computer components. Whether this is the reason can be checked using special programs for determining the temperature of the processor and video card, see for example:. One of the signs that this is the problem is that the computer freezes while playing (and in different games, not just one) or running “heavy” programs.

If necessary, you should make sure that the ventilation holes of the computer are not blocked by anything, clean it from dust, and possibly replace the thermal paste.

The second possible cause is problematic programs in startup (for example, incompatible with the current OS) or device drivers that cause freezes, which also happens. In this scenario, Windows safe mode and subsequent removal of unnecessary (or recently appeared) programs from startup, checking device drivers, preferably installing chipset, network and video card drivers from the manufacturer’s official websites, and not from a driver pack, can help.

One of the common cases related to the option just described is when the computer freezes when connected to the Internet. If this is exactly what is happening to you, then I recommend starting by updating your network card or Wi-Fi adapter drivers (by updating I mean installing the official driver from the manufacturer, and not updating through Windows Device Manager, where you will almost always see that the driver does not need update), and continue to search for malware on the computer, which can also cause freezing at the moment when Internet access appears.

Computer freezes due to hard drive problems

And the last common cause of the problem is the hard drive of a computer or laptop.

Typically, the symptoms are as follows:

• During operation, the computer may freeze completely, and the mouse pointer usually continues to move, but nothing (programs, folders) opens. Sometimes it goes away after a certain period of time.
• When the hard drive freezes, it begins to make strange sounds (in this case, see).
• After some time of inactivity (or working in one undemanding program, like Word) and when starting another program, the computer freezes for a while, but after a few seconds it “dies” and everything works fine.

I’ll start with the last of the listed points - as a rule, this happens on laptops and does not indicate any problems with the computer or disk: you just have the power settings set to “turn off disks” after a certain amount of idle time to save energy (and idle time can be considered and operating time without accessing the HDD). Then, when the disk is needed (launching a program, opening something), it takes time for it to “spin up”, for the user this may look like a freeze. This option is configured in the power plan settings if you want to change the behavior and disable sleep for the HDD.

But the first of the listed options is usually more difficult to diagnose and can be caused by a variety of factors:

• Damage to data on the hard drive or its physical malfunction - you can use more powerful utilities such as Victoria, and also look at the S.M.A.R.T. information. disk.
• Problems with the power supply of the hard drive - freezes are possible due to a lack of power to the HDD due to a faulty computer power supply, a large number of consumers (you can try to disconnect some of the optional devices to check).
• Poor hard drive connection - check the connections of all cables (data and power) both on the motherboard and HDD sides, reconnect them.

Additional Information

If previously there were no problems with your computer, but now it has started to freeze, try to restore the sequence of your actions: perhaps you installed some new devices, programs, performed some actions to “clean up” the computer, or something else . It may be useful to roll back to a previously created Windows restore point, if any are saved.

If the problem is not solved, try to describe in detail in the comments how exactly the freeze occurs, what preceded it, what device it happens on, and perhaps I can help you.