Laptop Freezes Randomly: 4 Possible Solutions
You're in the middle of a big
project...
...and it happens.
Your laptop
freezes randomly and you're forced to reboot.
Your project? Oh dang, the last time
you saved was hours ago!
If you're wondering, "my laptop
keeps freezing and not responding" and are tired of wasted time caused by
these issues then this is the right article for you. In it, you'll learn
several possible solutions to your laptop freezing issues.
1.
You're Overloading the System (and It Needs a Refresh/Reboot)
If you're noticing that
your laptop freezes randomly for a few seconds then you could have a
software issue.
Open the Windows
Task Manager and take a look at these two tabs:
- Processes
- Performance
If you're seeing that a program or
two eating up your CPU and memory then that could be the issue. Try closing
them and see if the laptop keeps stuttering. You could reboot the computer and
note the performance, too. If this didn't solve the problem then there may be
issues with the hardware.
2.
There's Something Faulty With the Hardware (and It Needs Cleaning/Replacing)
Our laptops are workhorses between
work, entertainment, and more.
Like a car — your laptop
experiences wear and tear.
There are a few ways to check your
laptop's hardware:
- Use the Performance
Monitor and check for performance issue and hardware health
- Use the Windows
Memory Diagnostic or 3rd party memory checker tool for issues with RAM
- Use a GPU
stress test to check the performance and health of your video card
Outside of using software for
testing — you could do a visual inspection, too. Check around the vents to see
if there is built-up dust and debris that may be cutting off airflow to the
laptop. Or, do a sniff test to smell if there are any signs of melting plastic.
This rules out a few of the common hardware issues (at least).
3.
It's Infected (and You Need to Clean It)
Viruses and malware are common
reasons why a laptop stutters and freezes, too.
Clean up your laptop by running one
of these programs:
- Avast
- Kaspersky
- AVG AntiVirus
Windows Defender (the built-in virus
protection) is a good tool, too. Make sure that it's operational and up-to-date
so you're protected. And, take this moment to change your passwords (and
browsing habits) to prevent attacks.
4.
It's Beyond You (So Check With the Experts)
If all else fails and you're still
left wondering, "why does my laptop keep freezing?" then maybe it's
time to take it to the experts.
Check with several local tech
experts in your area to get an idea of pricing and procedure. Or, turn to the
Web and companies like Lifeguard Data Recovery (they offer data recovery services),
or others, to get the job done.
Experts may swap in new hardware (a
perfect time to upgrade!). Or, they may reconfigure or reinstall the software.
You could have them do a complete reinstallation and start fresh, too. It's up
to you!
Don't
Panic When Your Laptop Freezes Randomly
It's definitely a pain when you lose
out on work because your laptop freezes randomly and crashes. But, at least
there's a silver lining that it's still functioning and you can get it fixed.
There are a lot of things you can do as noted in this article.
Take a breather and approach the
troubleshooting with patience and logic. You got this!
Need more insights and guidance for
getting the most out of your laptop? Check out more of the guides on this site!
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