Frozen

Updated: 06/30/2020 by Computer Hope
Frozen computer hard drive

Alternatively called freeze, frozen describes the state where the computer appears to have stopped working when nothing on the screen moves and doesn't respond. When this occurs, usually the only solution is to reboot the computer.

What causes a computer to freeze?

A computer can freeze due to multiple reasons, including the following:

  • Hardware or software conflicts.
  • Software errors or failure.
  • Computer waiting for a response from a hardware device.
  • Defective RAM (random-access memory) chip or memory errors.
  • Computer overheating.

How do I know if my computer is frozen?

Sometimes a computer may hang while it is processing information or performing other tasks. You can quickly determine if a computer is still working by pressing the Num lock, Caps lock, or Scroll Lock keys on the keyboard and see if the LED (light-emitting diode) indicators change. If the LED indicators change, the computer is still responsive and may recover, if nothing changes the computer cannot recover.

How long should I wait if my computer is frozen?

If a computer is frozen, sometimes waiting for a little bit allows the computer to complete whatever task or process that is causing it to freeze. In most cases, you can try waiting 5 to 10 minutes to see if the computer will unfreeze itself. If, after 10 minutes, the computer is still frozen, you must take action to unfreeze it.

How do I fix a frozen computer?

Unfortunately, when the computer freezes usually there is not much that can be done to the computer other than rebooting. However, trying the suggestions on the below document may help unfreeze the computer in some situations.

Computer slang, Dead halt, Dead lock, End Task, Hang, Hourglass, Lock up, Power down, Software terms, Stutter