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Avoid And Escape Computer Freeze Ups

 

We've all been there … you're working in Microsoft Windows, right smack in the middle of an important project and then it happens.
Absolutely.
Nothing.
That's right: your computer freezes up. It's a frustrating scenario that has happened to us all at one time or another. But don't fret! There are ways to escape these pesky Windows freeze ups—and even better—there are ways to avoid them altogether.
Every once in a while, a frozen program will begin working on its own again after a few moments. Therefore, we recommend waiting 2-3 minutes to see if this is the case before you take further action. If your computer stays frozen after this short time period, then follow one of the methods listed below for exiting out of the frozen program.
Use the "Ctrl + Alt + Delete" CommandThis is the most popular technique for escaping a Windows program that has quite responding to your commands. So before you try anything else, press and hold the Ctrl key and then press and hold the Alt key at the same time. While holding both of these keys down, hit the Delete key. Doing this should bring up a window called the Windows Task Manager, and you should see a listing of all open applications. (If you don't see this listing, you may need to click on an "Applications" tab that appears in the same window.) More than likely, the application that is causing your computer to freeze up will have "Not Responding" listed as its status. Click on the program that is not responding and then select End Task. A new window will pop up and prompt you to confirm that indeed you do want to end the task. Selecting Yes should close the problem program down, allowing you to restart it and continue working.
Reboot Your Computer

If the old "Ctrl + Alt + Delete" standby doesn't seem to work, then your only other option is to reboot your computer. However, if one of your Windows programs is frozen, you probably won't be able to shut down or restart your computer by proper means. Therefore, you will need to press and hold the power button for several seconds, until you hear your computer turn off. Be sure to leave the computer off for about 20 seconds before turning it back on. Once it is back on, you should be able to resume your work.

 

Rebooting your computer can also be a helpful solution if you simply notice that a program is running slower than usual, if your printer is not responding, if you Palm Pilot isn't syncing, etc. Because your computer is an electronic device, and because we are constantly deleting, writing and rewriting data to memory; uploading photos, files and programs from disks; downloading videos and PDFs from the Internet; and basically working it to a nub, it is bound to have some problems every now and then.

 

In very rare occasions, your computer may not turn off even after holding down the power key for several seconds. If this happens, you have a serious freeze up on your hands and your only choice is to pull the plug if you're on a desktop or wait for your battery to run out if you're on a laptop.

Tip: To make freeze ups a little less painful, make sure you save your work every few minutes. This will help prevent the loss of your most recent work and will save you much time and frustration in the event of a freeze up.
So now we've told you how to escape those nasty computer freeze ups, but how can you avoid them altogether? Well, there are certain precautionary steps you can take, including:

• Add more RAM so that your computer has more "brain power" to run all the different programs you use on a daily basis.
  
• Regularly reboot your computer to give it a fresh start from time to time.
  
• Defragment your hard drive about once a month so that you can free up space that's being unnecessarily used.
  
• Always shut down your computer properly to prevent damage. (Of course the exception to this rule is holding down the power button to turn off your computer in the event that the "Ctrl + Alt + Delete" command doesn't fix a freeze up.)
  
• Install anti-virus software and set it up to automatically scan your computer for potential viruses. Then, when a virus is found, you can delete it from your system immediately.
  
• Install software that finds and deletes spyware and adware from your computer. These types of programs can really slow your computer down or even cause more serious problems.
  

Unfortunately, computer freeze ups are just a part of computing! The best defense you have against surviving them is by educating yourself through some basic computer instruction. Specifically, learning the ins and outs of the Windows operating system can help tremendously. To get started, check out the free PC tutorial: Learn Windows from Video Professor.

 

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