Dear Geek,
Sometimes, my computer freezes on me. While it is fun acting like I froze it with my freeze-ray, it tends to halt any work I am doing. What is going on here? What can I do to get it to un-freeze?
Signed,
Freezing to Death
Dear Freeze-ray manufacturer,
A frozen computer can indeed be annoying, but we can give you some solutions!
First thing you want to do is the easiest, just sit tight and wait. Twiddle your thumbs a moment. Sometimes a computer is just dealing with a big, or complex task. You’re asking too many things of it at once! Let it catch up!
If it’s still not working after a bit of time, check to see if the computer is able to respond to anything. Simply press the “Caps Lock” key on the keyboard. If the “Caps Lock” key is able to turn on or off, the computer passed, and we move onto the next step. If the “Caps Lock” key doesn’t do anything, try re-booting the computer.
Next step is ending the specific program that isn’t working. You can do this by clicking the “Ctrl”, “Alt” and “Del” keys on the keyboard, all at the same time to open the Task Manager. This tells you exactly what programs are running on your computer at any given time. If there is a program that isn’t working properly, it should be labeled as “Not Responding”. You can fix this by highlighting he program and clicking “End Task”. This will shut down the program, and should unfreeze your computer.
If all else fails, you will have to reboot the computer. This is easily done by holding down the power button for a few seconds until the computer turns off. You then turn the computer back on and let it restart. If you are worried about losing a specific document, many programs have an autosave feature which may help you recover a recent version of it after rebooting.
If your computer freezing is a frequent issue, there are a few reasons your computer could be freezing, and the issue can be easily solved in most situations.
The first reason your computer could be freezing is an issue with software. Is the computer freezing when you open a certain program? If so, the software for the program could be the issue. To fix this, just make sure you have all the latest upgrades for that program, and if it continues, reinstall it.
The second reason it could be happening is because of a driver issue. As an example, let’s say you’re playing the Sims, because let’s face it, everyone loves the Sims. A little bit into playing the game, your Sims freeze, and the program won’t respond. This driver issue in particular case could be the video drive.
First thing to do in this situation is to check that there are no errors in the Windows Device Manager. This is done by opening up the Device Manager, and make sure there are no device has an exclamation mark or red X. Next, double check that you have all the latest drivers for all the major devices in your computer.
The last easy fix is an operating system related issue. To fix this, just make sure all the latest updates are installed on your computer.
2 of the most common causes of computer freezes that we see, are not enough RAM, or your computer is full of spyware and needs an Optimization. Office users should have an Optimization done at least every 6 months. Home users should have an Optimization done at least every 3 months or so, depending on use, and types of websites being visited.
Some of the other issues could be heat related, hardware related, or even an issue with the Windows program itself. Unless you are very confident in your computer skills, it’s recommended that you bring your computer into a professional.
Call the geeks at Technology by Design at 204-800-3166 for more information on diagnosing your computer problems, upgrading your RAM, or having an Optimization performed on your computer.
If you have a question for our Resident Geek, send it to: geek@tbyd.ca. We’ll translate it from Geek-lish to English, so it actually helps!
