How To Unfreeze A Frozen Computer In Windows 10

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HomeTechnology ArticlesComputers ArticlesOperating Systems ArticlesMicrosoft Windows ArticlesWindows 10 ArticlesHow to Unfreeze a Frozen Computer in Windows 10ByAndy Rathbone Updated2021-09-17 14:34:47From the bookNo items found.Share

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Download E-BookPersonal Finance For DummiesExplore BookWindows 10 All-in-One For Dummies Explore BookBuy NowSubscribe on PerlegoDownload E-BookPersonal Finance For DummiesExplore BookWindows 10 All-in-One For DummiesExplore BookBuy NowSubscribe on PerlegoEvery once in a while, Windows 10 just drops the ball and wanders off somewhere to sit under a tree. You're left looking at a computer that just looks back. None of the computer's lights blink. Panicked clicks don't do anything. Pressing every key on the keyboard doesn't do anything, or worse yet, the computer starts to beep at every key press.

When nothing onscreen moves (except sometimes the mouse pointer), the computer is frozen solid. Try the following approaches, in the following order, to correct the problem:

• Approach 1: Press Esc twice.

  This action rarely works, but give it a shot anyway.

• Approach 2: Press the Ctrl, Alt, and Delete keys simultaneously and choose Start Task Manager from the menu that appears.

  If you're lucky, the Task Manager appears with the message that it discovered an unresponsive application. The Task Manager lists the names of currently running programs, including the one that's not responding. On the Processes tab, click the name of the program that's causing the mess and then click the End Task button. You lose any unsaved work in that program, of course, but you should be used to that. (If you somehow stumbled onto the Ctrl+Alt+Delete combination by accident, press Esc to quit Task Manager and return to Windows.)

  

  If that still doesn't do the trick, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete again and click the Power icon (shown above) in the screen's bottom-right corner. Choose Restart from the pop-up menu, and your computer shuts down and restarts, hopefully returning in a better mood.

• Approach 3: If the preceding approaches don't work, turn off the computer by pressing its power button. (If that merely brings up the Turn Off the Computer menu, choose Restart, and your computer should restart.)

• Approach 4: If you keep holding down your computer's power button long enough (usually about 4 to 5 seconds), it eventually stops resisting and turns off.

About This Article

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About the book author:

Andy Rathbone is an expert on PC operation and repair, home theater and entertainment technologies, and tablet computing. In addition to all editions of Windows For Dummies, he is the author of Upgrading & Fixing Computers Do-It-Yourself For Dummies and Motorola XOOM For Dummies.

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