Laptop or PC Keeps Freezing Randomly? How to Unfreeze It, and 3 Keys That Show What to Fix
Top: a Lenovo ThinkPad on the Windows 11 lock screen. The steps below work on any Windows laptop or desktop, and there is a section for Macs. Photo: Yann Btx, CC0.
If your laptop has frozen, wait a minute, then press Ctrl + Alt + Delete. If the menu appears, Windows is still running: open Task Manager and end the app that has stopped responding. If nothing happens, hold the power button until it switches off. Then find out why it keeps freezing, because the kind of freeze points to the cause.
Find your freeze, then the fix:
- It’s frozen right nowUnfreeze it in order. How
- It started after an updateUninstall the update. How
- It pauses, then carries onCheck the drive. How
- It gets hot and the fan roarsClear the dust. How
- It still freezes after a resetTest the memory. How
- It only freezes in gamesSee PC crashes while gaming
- It’s a MacBookForce quit, then test. How
Laptop frozen? How to unfreeze a laptop or computer now
Work through these in order. Each step is a little more forceful than the one before, and the last one loses anything you haven’t saved.
- Give it a minute or two. A laptop that is busy can look frozen and then catch up.
- Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete. If the menu appears, Windows is still running. Select Task Manager, select the app that has stopped responding, then End task. Ctrl + Shift + Esc opens Task Manager directly.
- If the screen has gone black or blank, press Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B. It wakes a device whose screen has gone blank or black.
- If nothing responds, hold the power button until the laptop switches off. Wait a few seconds, then switch it on again.
Laptop frozen and won’t turn off? Unplug the charger and everything connected to it, remove the battery if yours comes out, and hold the power button for about 15 seconds. Then plug the charger back in and start it.
File Explorer also runs the taskbar and the desktop. If those stop responding while an app still works, restart it: in Task Manager, select Windows Explorer and choose Restart.
If only the keyboard has stopped and the pointer still moves, the laptop isn’t frozen. See laptop keyboard not working instead.
Why does my laptop keep freezing? Match the symptom
“Freezing” covers a few different faults, and each one points somewhere else. The quickest test is Ctrl + Alt + Delete: if its menu still appears, Windows is alive, and one app or File Explorer is the problem.
Then match what you see to the likely cause, and start there.
| What you see | Most likely cause | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| One app stops responding, the rest works | That app, or File Explorer | End the task, then reinstall the app |
| It started after a Windows update | The update, or a driver it changed | Uninstall the update |
| It pauses for a few seconds, then carries on | The drive, or something busy in the background | Check the drive |
| It freezes when it gets hot and the fan is loud | Dust and overheating | Clear the dust |
| It locks up completely, even after a Windows reset | Faulty memory or another hardware fault | Test the memory |
| It freezes with a dock, hub or drive plugged in | That device, or its driver | Unplug everything |
| It only freezes in games | Graphics driver, power supply or heat | PC crashes while gaming |
| It freezes, then shows a blue screen | A stop error with a code | Blue screen fixes |
If the fix on the same row doesn’t help, move down the page: the causes are in order from easiest to check to hardest.
How to see what caused a PC to freeze
Windows keeps a record of what failed and when. Look at it before you change anything.
- Reliability Monitor. Type reli in the Start menu and open View reliability history, or press Windows key + R and run perfmon /rel. It shows a day-by-day timeline, with rows for application failures, Windows failures and miscellaneous failures, which include Windows not shutting down properly. Click the day it froze to see the list, and double-click an entry for the details.
- Event Viewer. Under Windows Logs, look in Application for Application Error entries, and in System for errors from the Service Control Manager, around the time of the freeze.
- A system report. Run perfmon /report. Windows collects data for a short while, then shows a System Diagnostics report.
Look for a pattern. The same app failing every time points to that app. Windows failures, or different apps failing at random, point to a driver or the hardware.
Windows 11 freezing after an update? Uninstall it
If the freezing started straight after an update, the update is the first suspect. It does happen. Dell published an article for computers that stop responding or freeze intermittently after Windows update KB5051987, and its fix is to uninstall that update.
In September 2026, Windows Latest reported black screens and system freezes on some PCs with AMD Radeon graphics after that month’s update, KB5124008. They happened even outside games. Microsoft hadn’t confirmed it, and its emergency update, KB5129195, didn’t list a fix.
To remove an update:
- Open Settings, then Windows Update, then Update history.
- Under Related settings, select Uninstall updates.
- Select the update that arrived just before the freezing began, then Uninstall.
Some updates can’t be uninstalled, and removing a security update takes its fixes off your PC. So treat this as a test: if the freezing stops, wait for a fixed update rather than staying on the old one. If you can’t get into Windows, the same option is in the recovery menu, under Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Uninstall Updates.
If it was a driver update instead, roll the driver back. Right-click Start, open Device Manager, expand Display adapters, right-click the graphics, then choose Properties, the Driver tab and Roll Back Driver.
Why does my computer keep freezing? Start-up apps, drivers and safe mode
With no update to blame, find out whether software is the cause. Two tests split it quickly.
- Safe mode. It starts Windows with a limited set of files and drivers. If your computer keeps freezing normally but not in safe mode, a driver or an app is the likely cause, not the hardware. To get there, search for Change advanced startup options, select Restart now, then Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart, and press 4.
- A clean boot. It starts Windows normally but without other companies’ services and start-up apps. Run msconfig, and on the Services tab tick Hide all Microsoft services and select Disable all. Then open Task Manager from the Startup tab, disable each start-up app, and restart. If the freezing stops, switch the items back on half at a time until it returns. That half holds the culprit.
Then work through the usual suspects:
- Update the BIOS and drivers from the laptop maker, one at a time, testing after each. The BIOS is the firmware that starts the laptop before Windows. Outdated drivers and BIOS settings often cause lock-ups.
- Keep one antivirus. Two running at once can lock a computer up, so remove the extra one.
- Scan for malware. It can make a computer lock up or appear to stop responding.
- Repair Windows files. Search for Command Prompt, choose Run as administrator, run DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth, then sfc /scannow. DISM can take several minutes, so leave the window open until both finish.
- Reinstall the app if the same one freezes every time, then update it from the maker’s site.
PC freezes randomly, even after a reset? Check the hardware
When a PC freezes randomly with no pattern, even after a fresh Windows install, look at the hardware. One owner on Microsoft’s Q&A forum had a refurbished PC that froze constantly, sometimes straight after switching on. A fresh Windows 11 install didn’t help, and a memory test, CHKDSK, SFC and DISM all came back clean. An adviser suggested a longer memory test, and the owner later wrote that the RAM was the issue and sent the PC back.
PC keeps freezing? Unplug everything first
A dock, hub, external drive or even a faulty mouse can cause a lock-up. Disconnect everything you can, including external displays. On a desktop, leave only the monitor, mouse and keyboard. Do the power drain from the first section, then start up. If the freezing stops, add devices back one at a time until it returns.
Laptop freezing when it gets hot: dust and overheating
Locking up, not responding and restarting on its own are the typical symptoms of overheating. The processor slows itself down to protect itself, and that can feel like a freeze. The usual cause is dust: lint builds up on the cooling fins, so less air gets through and the fan works harder and louder.
Switch the laptop off and unplug it, then blow the vents out with a can of compressed air. Hold the can upright, 15 to 20 cm from the vent. Don’t blow into it with your mouth, because the moisture can damage it. Use the laptop on a hard, flat surface, because a bed or a sofa blocks the vents. A laptop stand lifts it off the desk.
If it still runs hot with clean vents, the fan, the heat sink or the thermal material may be failing. That is a job for a repairer.
Can bad RAM cause freezing? Test the memory
Yes. Faulty memory is one of the common hardware causes of freezing. Windows has a basic test built in. Save your work, press Windows key + R, type mdsched and press Enter, then choose Restart now and check for problems. The result appears after the restart. If you miss it, open Event Viewer, then Windows Logs > System, and look for MemoryDiagnostics-Results.
A clean result doesn’t settle it. The forum owner above had a clean memory test and still had faulty RAM. MemTest86 is a free, more thorough test that runs from a USB stick before Windows starts. The adviser in that thread suggested a full run of eight passes. If you have more than one memory module and can take them out, try the laptop with one at a time to find the faulty one. Replacement modules are listed under laptop DDR4 RAM and laptop DDR5 RAM.
Laptop freezes randomly for a few seconds? Check the drive
A failing drive is another common hardware cause. Windows 11 shows the health of an NVMe SSD, the type of drive in the photo below. Go to Settings > System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Disks & volumes, select the drive, then Properties. Under Drive health you see the estimated remaining life, the available spare space and the temperature, with a warning if something is wrong.
Drive health only covers NVMe SSDs. For a SATA SSD or a hard drive, use the maker’s test in the next section, which checks the drive too. If the drive is failing, back up your files first, then replace it. See SSDs. A drive that is nearly full can also cause long pauses: the fixes are in how to fix a slow computer.
Dell, HP, Lenovo and Asus laptop freezing: run the maker’s test
Laptop makers build in hardware tests that check the memory, the drive and more. Some run before Windows starts, so they work even when Windows won’t.
- Dell: run the preboot diagnostics, called PSA, or a quick test in SupportAssist inside Windows.
- HP: press F2 repeatedly straight after the power button to open HP PC Hardware Diagnostics. If F2 doesn’t work, tap Esc and choose the diagnostics from the startup menu. Its system test covers the battery, the memory, the wireless module, the drive and the system board.
- Lenovo: inside Windows, run Hardware scan in the Vantage app. If Windows won’t start, Lenovo’s UEFI Diagnostics tool runs before Windows. Your model’s user guide gives the key that opens it.
- Asus: open MyASUS and go to System Diagnosis. It has a “System not responding” scenario and a one-click test that covers the memory, the drives, the battery and the fan. If the tab isn’t there, your model doesn’t support it.
Note down any error code the test gives you. It speeds up a warranty claim.
MacBook freezing? Force quit, then run Apple Diagnostics
On a Mac, deal with the app first. Press Option + Command + Esc, select the app that isn’t responding and click Force Quit. You may lose unsaved changes in that app. If Finder is the one stuck, select it in the same window and click Relaunch.
If you can’t force the app to quit, choose Restart from the Apple menu. If the Mac won’t restart, press and hold the power button for up to 10 seconds until it turns off, then press it again to start. On laptops with Touch ID, the Touch ID button is the power button.
If one app keeps freezing, update it, or delete it and download it again. If the whole Mac keeps freezing, run Apple Diagnostics:
- Mac with Apple silicon: shut it down, then press and hold the power button until the startup options appear. Then press and hold Command + D.
- Intel Mac: turn it on and immediately press and hold D.
Note the reference code it gives you, and take it to Apple or an authorised service provider.
Laptop keeps freezing after all this? Refund, repair or replace
If a hardware test found a fault, check what you are owed before you pay for a repair.
- Under 30 days old: under the Consumer Rights Act, you can reject a faulty item for a refund.
- Under six months old: a fault is presumed to have been there when you got it, unless the retailer proves otherwise. You can ask for a repair or a replacement.
- Up to six years (five in Scotland): your rights against the retailer can last that long. After six months, though, it’s up to you to show the fault was there from the start.
The forum owner’s PC was a recent refurbished purchase, and they sent it back. If yours is new or nearly new, start with the retailer.
Out of warranty, a repairer can tell you whether the faulty part can be replaced on your model, and what that costs against a new laptop. If the laptop won’t start at all after a forced shutdown, see laptop won’t turn on.
Laptop keeps freezing: your questions
The common causes are an app or File Explorer that has stopped responding, a recent Windows update or driver, and overheating from dust in the vents. A failing drive or faulty memory can do it too. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete during a freeze. If its menu appears, the problem is an app. If nothing responds, look at updates, heat and the hardware.
Wait a minute, then press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and use Task Manager to end the app that has stopped responding. If the screen is black, press Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B. If nothing works, hold the power button until the laptop turns off, then start it again. Unsaved work is lost.
Try Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B in case only the screen has stopped. If that does nothing, hold the power button until it switches off. If it won’t switch off, unplug the charger, remove the battery if it comes out, and hold the button for about 15 seconds. After the restart, check Reliability Monitor to see what failed.
Yes. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic by typing mdsched in the Run box. A clean result doesn’t rule the memory out, so for a more thorough check run MemTest86 from a USB stick, or test one memory module at a time.
Open Reliability Monitor by running perfmon /rel, then click the day of the freeze to see which app or Windows component failed. Event Viewer also logs Application Error entries, and perfmon /report builds a System Diagnostics report.
Random freezes with no pattern, especially ones that survive a fresh Windows install, point to the hardware: the memory, the drive, overheating or a connected device. Unplug everything you can, check the temperatures and run the memory test and your PC maker’s diagnostics.
Start with the steps that suit any laptop: end the stuck app, uninstall a recent update and update the drivers. Then run Hardware scan in the Lenovo Vantage app. If Windows won’t start, use Lenovo’s UEFI Diagnostics tool, which runs before Windows. Your model’s user guide gives the key that opens it.
Sources
- Microsoft, keyboard shortcuts in Windows. Ctrl + Alt + Delete, Ctrl + Shift + Esc, and Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B for a blank or black screen.
- Microsoft, advanced troubleshooting for Windows freezes. The Ctrl + Alt + Delete check, the Event Viewer entries and perfmon /report.
- Microsoft, perfmon, and Computerworld, troubleshooting Windows with Reliability Monitor. Opening Reliability Monitor and reading its rows.
- Microsoft, how to uninstall a Windows update. Settings and recovery menu routes, and the security-update warning.
- Microsoft, Windows startup settings, and how to perform a clean boot. Safe mode and the clean boot steps.
- Microsoft, System File Checker. The DISM and SFC commands.
- Dell, computer locks up or stops responding, overheating and fan issues, and stops responding after KB5051987. The power drain, devices, drivers, antivirus, malware, safe mode, dust and compressed air, and the update fix.
- Windows Latest, KB5129195 and the September 2026 update. Reports of freezes on AMD Radeon PCs, and restarting Explorer from Task Manager.
- ASUS, resolving freezes and unresponsiveness, and MyASUS System Diagnosis. Disconnecting devices, rolling back a driver and the diagnostic tests.
- Lenovo, how to unfreeze a computer, and Lenovo user guide, UEFI Diagnostics. Waiting before a restart, common hardware causes, soft surfaces, Vantage Hardware scan and UEFI Diagnostics.
- HP Japan, HP PC Hardware Diagnostics. F2, the Esc menu and what the system test covers.
- TechRepublic, Windows Memory Diagnostic, and MemTest86. Running mdsched, finding the result, and the free USB test.
- Windows Central, SSD health on Windows 11. The Drive health panel and its NVMe-only limit.
- Microsoft Q&A, PC keeps freezing randomly. The refurbished PC whose freezes turned out to be its RAM.
- Apple, force an app to quit, if an app stops responding, and Apple Diagnostics. Force Quit, the 10-second power button hold and the diagnostics keys.
- Which?, faulty products. The 30-day, six-month and six-year rules.
- Photos: Lenovo T440P by Yann Btx (CC0, cropped), dust-clogged heatsinks by Dale Mahalko (CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped), SO-DIMM in a ThinkPad T60 by Kreuzschnabel (CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped), NVMe SSD by Kent Madsen (CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped) and MacBook Pro 16 by Premeditated (CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped).
