Every once in while, you’ll run a program or open a website that overloads your computer’s hardware, causing your PC to freeze. You’ll see that some of your programs will be labeled as “Not Responding” and will fail to react when you click them. Windows Vista and the new Windows 7 operating systems are both well equipped to combat these types of errors. Here are a few easy ways you can recover a frozen computer:
Windows Task Manager
Windows has a special tool which allows you to view and control everything and anything that’s being run on your computer. The feature is known as Windows Task Manager; it list all the programs and processes your machine is running. It also can show how efficently your computer is using its memory.
In most cases, you can access this tool by right clicking on your taskbar and selecting Task Manager. If you’re unable to do so, try the Ctrl-Alt-Delete procedure described below.
When you open Windows Task Manager, you’ll be able to see which programs aren’t responding by checking their status. You can close the ones marked as “Not Responding” by clicking them and pressing on the End Task button. Usually, this will close the rogue program and unfreeze your computer.
Ctrl-Alt-Delete
The combination of the keys Ctrl-Alt-Delete is meant to override anything that your computer is running. When you press all 3 together at the same time, Windows brings you to a screen the following options:
From this menu, you can Shut Down or Restart your computer by clicking the red button in the bottom right. You can also launch Task Manager, in case you weren’t able to access it via the taskbar. Shutting down from this screen will ensure that all functional programs ask whether or not you’d like to save you what you were working on. Unfortunately, in most cases you won’t be able to save any information on a program that isn’t running properly.
Restart Your Computer
Ultimately, if you’re unable to fix your computer using the two methods described above, you’ll need to perform a hard reset on your machine. Once you locate the power button, hold it down until your computer turns off. When you turn your PC back on, it will no longer be frozen. However, this method should only be used as a last resort; in most cases, performing a hard reset deletes any unsaved information.
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