5 Ways to Fix Computer Freezes

There can be many reasons as to why your PC freezes. It could be because you are running too many applications all at once or perhaps there has been a power surge.

However, today’s computers are built to withstand occurrences such as the occasional fluctuation in electricity supply and with the modern powerful machines there shouldn’t be a problem multitasking either. If you’re computer begins to experience freezes on a regular basis then something is obviously wrong.

The modern Operating Systems such as WinXP are a lot more robust and stable than previous versions. Therefore your computer should not crash completely if your PC freezes. You should simply be able to reboot and continue on with what you were doing.

If this is the first time your computer has frozen, reboot it and pay attention to what happens. If everything appears to be working fine and programs are running normally without the machine freezing, then it’s probably just a glitch.

If however, your computer continues to freeze frequently then you need to take action before permanent damage is caused to the system. It will be necessary to perform some checks to find out what is causing the problem.

Below are the 5 of the most common ways to resolve computer freezes.

1. Check for Viruses

This should be part of your regular maintenance schedule and not just carried out whenever your computer experiences a freeze up. Always remember to update your virus definitions frequently or even better, set the program to update them automatically. Running a scan with old definitions will not be any good at rooting out newer infections.

2. Perform an Anti Spyware and Adware Check

You may think you are careful to visit only reputable and trusted websites and just because you don’t get bombarded with pop-ups or advertisements, you are safe from the dangers of spyware and adware. This isn’t always the case. Even reliable websites can have malware embedded either in its pages or in adverts. It’s important to run a spyware and adware removal program regularly to remove any danger of this malicious software causing serious harm to your system or your security. There are many of these programs available to download for free from the Internet, however, take care in choosing one and read the small print carefully. A lot of free software comes embedded with even more malware.

3. Check Your Hardware

Sometimes PC freezes can be resolved by something as simple as cleaning your hardware. Check the fan in particular as this is a common area for dust and dirt to gather. Accumulation of grime will cause the cooling system to insufficiently ventilate the CPU, which in turn can cause under performance from your PC and freezes or crashes.

4. Is There Enough Free Space on Your Hard Disk?

An overloaded hard disk can also cause your PC to freeze up as there is insufficient space for processing information. It’s necessary to keep a least 20% of your hard disk free.

5. Remove Clutter from Your Windows Registry

With regular use of your computer, the Windows registry will soon become over filled with old and redundant data. File fragments left over from uninstalled programs, orphaned and replicated files, all serve no purpose and will only cause your PC to work harder to locate what it is looking for. This can cause severe lagging and freezes. To remove this obsolete data it will be necessary to run a reliable registry cleaner such as RegCure. RegCure will automatically locate and remove any such files from the registry, resulting in a faster, more efficient performance from your PC.

It is always wise to carry out the above tasks as part of a regular maintenance schedule to keep your PC in good health. Do not wait until you are experiencing freezes or other problems before taking care of your PC.

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