Windows 11 freezing? Here’s what you should do
Ugh, Windows 11 freezing can really ruin the vibe when you’re trying to get stuff done. One second you’re typing away, and the next, everything’s frozen solid — like it’s stuck in a time warp. It’s enough to make anyone think the bloody thing’s possessed. But here’s the good news: it’s usually not the end of the world. There are a few handy steps you can take to break that freeze cycle. Nobody wants to deal with that chaos, right?
Update Windows
First up, see if Windows is throwing a tantrum because it’s running outdated. Keeping Windows up to date isn’t just a hassle — those patches often fix bugs that cause it to freeze. Head over to Settings, find Windows Update, and click “Check for updates.” You can also run the Windows Update Troubleshooter under Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters. Or, if you’re game, open PowerShell and type msdt.exe /id WindowsUpdateDiagnostic. If updates are available, install them and restart. Might seem a bit boring, but sometimes that’s all it takes to get things back on track.
Update Those Device Drivers
Next, check your drivers. They can be sneaky little buggers. If they’re outdated or dodgy, they can mess with how your hardware chats with Windows — classic recipe for freezing. Open up the Device Manager, right-click the Start button and select it, or press Win + X and choose Device Manager. Look for any devices with a yellow triangle — they’re waving a red flag. Right-click, select “Update driver,” and let Windows do its thing. If that doesn’t fix it, head over to the manufacturer’s website for the latest drivers. It’s a bit of a pain, but it helps everything run smoother.
Run a System Scan
Got corrupted system files? Yeah, they can really stuff things up. Windows has a tool called System File Checker (SFC) for that. To use it, open Command Prompt as an admin — search for cmd, right-click, and select Run as administrator. Then type sfc /scannow and press Enter. It might take a while, so grab a cuppa or a snack while it does its thing. You might also want to run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth first, just to tidy things up before running SFC, especially if there’s corruption around.
Software Conflicts Might Be the Culprit
If things started going haywire after installing some new software, that could be your troublemaker. Try a clean boot to see if a background app or service is causing the chaos. Type msconfig in the search box and hit Enter. In System Configuration, go to the Services tab, tick “Hide all Microsoft services,” then click Disable all. Next, head to the Startup tab — it might open in Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc). Disable everything that’s set to run on startup. Restart your PC and see if the freezing sticks around. If not, re-enable services one by one to find out which one’s causing the grief.
Keep an Eye on System Performance
Lastly, keep tabs on how your system’s behaving. Windows’ Performance Monitor (perfmon) can give you a fair idea of what’s going on. Press Win + R, type perfmon, and hit Enter. It shows real-time CPU, memory, and disk usage. Alternatively, you can open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and check out the Performance tab to see what’s hogging resources. If you notice any spikes, it might be time to kill some rogue processes, scan for malware, or consider upgrading your RAM or SSD.
Follow these steps, and hopefully those annoying freezes will become a thing of the past. Sometimes, hardware issues can be a cause, but most of the time, a bit of patience and troubleshooting does the trick.
Here’s a quick checklist:
- Check for Windows updates
- Update device drivers
- Run System File Checker
- Perform a clean boot
- Monitor system performance
Hopefully, this helps save someone a fair bit of frustration dealing with frozen screens. Cheers!