Select your model. How does HP install software and gather data? Learn how to upgrade to Windows 11 Windows 11 Upgrade Guide. This document is for HP and Compaq computers with Windows 7. The computer screen freezes, and the computer does not respond to input from the mouse or keyboard.
Before you begin the steps in this document, check for a solution to specific symptoms:. If a specific program is not responding , but others are, skip to the step to Uninstall software programs. If the computer locks up when coming out of sleep mode , restart the computer, adjust the power settings, and then update the BIOS.
If the computer locks up at random times or after turning on the computer, test for failing hardware components. Run the System Test from the Test Scripts section on the left. Skip any CD-write tests. If the memory, processor, or graphics adapter test fails, your computer might be overheating.
Skip to the step to Check and clean the air vents. Step 1: Exit current programs Disconnect the computer, remove any discs, and close all software programs. Disconnect all network cables from the back of the computer. Press and hold the Alt key on the keyboard, and then press the F4 key to close the software program you are using. If the computer responds, skip to the step to Uninstall software programs. On the Applications tab, look for a task with a Not Responding status.
Write down the name of the software program that is not responding. You might need to uninstall the program later. In Task Manager, click the program, and then click End Task. Repeat the previous step for all tasks with a Not Responding status. If the computer responds , one of the programs you ended is causing your computer to lock up. Save your work, restart the computer, and then skip to the step to Uninstall software.
If the computer does not respond , continue with these steps. Select the Show processes from all users check box, and then look for processes with high CPU and Memory.
CPU : Look for numbers approaching Memory : Look for numbers that continually increase for ten seconds or more. If your computer responds , a software program is causing your computer to lock up.
Save your work, restart the computer, and then skip to the section to Uninstall software programs. If your computer does not respond , continue to the next step. Step 3: Update any available device drivers Use Windows Update to update the software and drivers for your computer.
If a Let's identify your product to get started page displays, select your computer type, type the model name of your computer, and then click Submit. Follow the instructions to download any available BIOS updates. If a BIOS update is not available or does not resolve the issue, continue to the next step. Step 5: Check and clean air vents to prevent overheating Overheating can cause the computer to stop responding. Use compressed air to clean the air passages, and then wait for the computer to cool down.
Step 6: Scan for and remove viruses and malware Viruses and malware can cause the computer to stop responding. If removing viruses and malware does not resolve the issue, continue to the next step. Step 7: Uninstall software associated with an unresponsive computer Remove virus scanning software that you do not need, older versions of software programs, and software updates that were installed when Windows stopped responding.
Press and hold the Power button on the computer until the computer shuts down about 5 seconds. Older PCs may hang during startup when Windows 8. The best first action is to update the PC firmware and drivers available from the PC manufacturer.
These updates may resolve the issue. If you are still having a problem after updating all drivers and firmware, you can disable Fast Startup to see if that may be contributing to the issue:. In the Search box, type Power button.
Then, in the search results, tap or click Change what the power buttons do. If the check box in front of Turn on Fast Start up recommended is selected, tap or click on the box to remove the check mark. You may have recently made a change on the PC that may have caused the hang.
If so, you can resolve the problem by returning the PC to a previous configuration using System Restore. To learn how to run System Restore, click on the link for your operating system: Windows 7: What are the system recovery options in Windows?
Windows 8. Hangs during shutdown can result from faulty hardware, faulty drivers, or damaged Windows components. To resolve these issues:. Disconnect non-essential hardware, such as USB devices, to see if there is a change that could indicate a device issue. See if the issue also happens in Safe Mode.
If not, the problem may be related to installed software. Uninstall software that you are no longer using. There are also times when you may see a message that something is preventing Windows from shutting down.
For more information, see Turn off a computer: frequently asked questions. Please see the following article for guidance if your computer hangs while installing Windows Updates: Windows Update freezes when you install updates in Windows 8, Windows 7, or Windows Vista. Random hangs are often due to damage to the Windows configuration, faulty hardware, or malware. However, because this behavior is random, it can be especially difficult to identify the proper cause.
Please review the steps below to help identify the cause and determine the next course of action:. If the system is hanging randomly, it could be caused by damaged system files, software compatibility, or damaged registry files. Try each of the following steps to check if the hang is caused by one of these possibilities. Corrupt system files can cause Windows Explorer to stop responding. Faulty hardware could be the reason that Windows system files were improperly written to disk, or decayed over time.
If you have recently installed an app or driver and find that Windows is now hanging randomly, try removing the recently installed software. If you have a restore point saved before you installed the software, try running System Restore to return the system to a working state: Windows 7: System Restore Windows 8 or Windows 8. Registry cleaning tools can damage the Windows registry and cause a range of symptoms include random system hangs. For more information, please see the following Knowledge Base: Microsoft support policy for the use of registry cleaning utilities If the registry becomes damaged, it is recommended that you restore Windows to a working state using either System Restore, or Refresh.
In the event that these tools do not resolve the issue, you may need to reinstall Windows. Windows 7: System Restore Windows 8 or Windows 8. If Chkdsk runs while starting Windows, it could be a sign of a hard disk failure. For more information, see the following Knowledge Base article: Check disk Chkdsk runs when you start Windows 8 or Windows 7 Please note that Chkdsk can take a very long time to run.
On large hard drives, it can even take a day or more. If Chkdsk finds and fixes a problem, this may be a sign that the drive is failing. If so, you may continue to experience problems in the future.
If problems are repeatedly found or can't be fixed, consider replacing the hard drive. Contact your PC manufacturer for assistance, if needed. Random hangs can also be caused by other faulty hardware. Consult with your PC manufacturer to run available hardware diagnostics. This could include:. PC diagnostics that test the integrity of the core PC devices, such as the processor fans and cooling system.
Malicious software may also cause random hangs and other performance problems in Windows. See this article for information about finding and removing viruses: How do I find and remove a virus? It is also recommended that you run one or more online detection tools from reputable antivirus software providers if you suspect a malware infection.
One such example is the Microsoft Safety Scanner. Antivirus software can sometimes contribute to performance problems in Windows. This is particularly common if your antivirus software is out of date, or if you are running more than one antivirus software on your PC at the same time. If you have multiple antivirus solutions installed, uninstall all but one. Check for and install updates for your antivirus software. For more information, see these articles: How do I uninstall antivirus or antispyware programs?
What to do if your antivirus software stops working. A generic freeze is usually indicative of some type of performance problem due to bad hardware or problems with the way Windows is configured, including low memory or disk space.
You may see Windows freezing periodically if there is an issue with an important driver on your system. Display drivers, Bluetooth drivers, network drivers, and motherboard drivers can all contribute to temporary freezing of the system. Check the PC manufacturer site to be sure you have the latest firmware for your PC, and that you are running the latest available drivers for all the hardware on your system.
Install all recommended Windows Updates. This ensures that you are running the most improved version of Windows. A freeze could be part of a general performance problem that is causing a slow or lagging computer. If so, you may be able to help the problem by optimizing Windows for better performance.
If your PC freezes temporarily when using a specific app, the cause is probably not with the underlying operating system, but rather there is a likely a conflict with the app that is freezing.
You can try a variety of steps to resolve the issue, that vary depending on what kind of app is freezing:. Try optimizing Windows for better performance.
At times you may find that your PC has become unresponsive. This article provides recommendations to help identify the potential causes for this behavior, and to help resolve this problem. If the methods in this article do not resolve the issue, perform a search to get more help from Microsoft Support or the Microsoft Community using a more specific description of your problem. The first step is to identify the category of issue you are facing. For the purposes of this article, we will define four categories of behavior for PCs that become unresponsive, as follows:.
Hang -- Your PC becomes unresponsive whenever you do a specific set of steps, and you must restart to recover the PC. Generic Freeze -- Your PC becomes unresponsive for a period of time, and then becomes usable again without taking any action. You don't need to restart your PC for it to be usable again. This behavior seems to affect all apps. Single-app Freeze -- Your PC exhibits the same behavior as a Generic Freeze, except that it only occurs when running a specific app, such as when playing a game or browsing websites.
Please review the sub-category below that most closely matches when your PC experiences a hang. If the guidance below does not address the issue, please use the guidance under Radom Hang for further recommendations. If you have external devices connected to the PC, try starting the PC with those devices disconnected.
Device connection and driver issues can contribute windows 7 computer freezes for no reason free download hangs. If the PC starts successfully without external devices connected, try repeating with more devices connected to identify the specific device or combination of devices that are contributing to the hang.
More information on a specific issue with USB storage devices is provided in the following Knowledge Base article:. Older PCs may hang during startup when Windows 8. The best first action is to update the PC firmware and drivers available from the PC manufacturer. These updates may resolve the issue. If you are still having a problem after updating all drivers and firmware, you can disable Fast Startup to see if that may be contributing to the issue:.
In the Search box, type Power button. Then, in the search results, tap or click Change what the power buttons do. If the check box in front of Turn on Fast Start up recommended is selected, tap or click on the box to remove the check mark. You may have recently made a change on the PC that may have caused the hang. If windows 7 computer freezes for no reason free download, you can resolve the problem by returning the PC to a previous configuration using System Restore.
To learn how to run System Restore, click on the link for your operating system: Windows 7: What are the system recovery options in Windows?
Windows 8. Hangs during shutdown can result from faulty hardware, faulty drivers, or damaged Windows components. To resolve these issues:. Disconnect non-essential hardware, such as USB devices, to see if there is a change that could indicate a device issue. See if the issue also happens in Safe Mode. If not, the problem may be related to installed software. Uninstall software that you are no longer using. There are also times when you may see a message that something is preventing Windows from shutting down.
For more information, see Turn off a computer: frequently asked questions. Please see the following article for guidance if your computer hangs while installing Windows Updates: Windows Update freezes windows 7 computer freezes for no reason free download you install updates in Windows 8, Windows 7, or Windows Vista.
Random hangs are often due to damage to the Windows configuration, faulty hardware, or malware. However, because this behavior is random, it can be especially difficult to identify the proper cause.
Please review the steps below to help identify the cause and determine the next course of action:. If the system is hanging randomly, it could be caused by damaged system files, software compatibility, or damaged registry files. Try each of the following steps to check if the hang is caused by one of these possibilities. Corrupt system files can cause Windows Explorer to stop responding.
Faulty hardware could be the reason that Windows system files were improperly written to disk, or decayed over time. If you have recently installed an app or driver and find that Windows is now hanging randomly, try removing the recently installed software. If you have a restore point saved before you installed the software, try running System Restore to return the system to a working state: Windows 7: System Restore Windows 8 or Windows 8.
Registry cleaning tools can damage the Windows registry and cause a range of symptoms include random system hangs. For more information, please see the following Knowledge Base: Microsoft support policy for the windows 7 computer freezes for no reason free download of registry cleaning utilities If the registry becomes damaged, it is recommended that you restore Windows to a working state using either System Restore, or Refresh.
In the event that these tools do not resolve the issue, you may need to reinstall Windows. Windows 7: System Restore Windows 8 or Windows 8. If Chkdsk runs while starting Windows, it could be a sign of a hard disk failure. For more information, see the following Knowledge Base article: Check disk Chkdsk runs when you start Windows 8 or Windows 7 Please note that Chkdsk can take a very long time to run. On large hard drives, it can even take a day or more. If Chkdsk finds and fixes a problem, this may be a sign that the drive is failing.
If so, you may continue to experience problems in the future. If problems are repeatedly found or can't be fixed, windows 7 computer freezes for no reason free download replacing the hard drive. Contact your PC manufacturer for assistance, if needed. Random hangs can also be caused by other faulty hardware. Consult with your PC manufacturer to run available hardware diagnostics. This could include:. PC diagnostics that test the integrity of the core PC devices, such as the processor fans and cooling system.
Malicious software may also cause random hangs and other performance problems in Windows. See this article for information about finding and removing viruses: Windows 7 computer freezes for no reason free download do I find and remove a virus? It is also recommended that you run one or more online detection tools from reputable antivirus software providers if you suspect a malware infection. One such example is the Microsoft Safety Scanner. Antivirus software can sometimes contribute to performance problems in Windows.
This is particularly common if your windows 7 computer freezes for no reason free download software is out of date, or if you are running more than one antivirus software on your PC at the same time. If you have multiple antivirus solutions installed, uninstall all but one. Check for and install updates for your antivirus software. For more information, see these articles: How do I uninstall antivirus or antispyware programs? What to do if your antivirus software stops working. A generic freeze is usually indicative of some type of performance problem due to bad hardware or problems with the way Windows is configured, including low memory or disk space.
You may see Windows freezing periodically if there is an issue with an important driver on your system. Display drivers, Bluetooth drivers, network drivers, and motherboard drivers can all contribute to temporary freezing of the system. Check the PC manufacturer site to be sure you have the latest firmware for your PC, and that you are running the latest available drivers for all the hardware on your system.
Install all recommended Windows Updates. This ensures that you are running the most improved version of Windows. A freeze could be part of a general performance problem that is causing a slow or lagging computer. If so, you may be able to help the problem by optimizing Windows 7 computer freezes for no reason free download for better performance.
If your PC freezes temporarily when using a specific app, the cause is probably not with the underlying operating system, but rather there is a likely a conflict with the app that is freezing. You can try a variety of steps to resolve the issue, that vary depending on what kind of app is freezing:. Try optimizing Windows for better performance.
See the links provided in the section above for details. If these steps do not resolve the problem, proceed with these additional steps, checking for resolution after each one:. See if the state of the Internet connection changes the behavior. If you can run the app without an Internet connection, try it while disconnected from the Internet.
This will tell you if a slow Internet connection may be the cause. If the freeze occurs with a Microsoft Store app, and none of the steps listed in "Troubleshooting steps for all apps" resolved your issue, try the guidance provided in this article: Troubleshoot problems with an app.
If the freeze occurs with windows 7 computer freezes for no reason free download desktop app, and none of the steps listed in "Troubleshooting steps for all apps" resolved your issue, windows 7 computer freezes for no reason free download these additional steps:. Check the app for compatibility with your version of Windows. If the app provider does not list your version of Windows as compatible with the app, you can try to enable compatibility settings for the app. For more information, see the following article: Make older programs run in this version of Windows.
Some apps provide an option to repair the app within the Control Panel. Check if the problematic app offers such an option by opening the Control Panel, and then navigating to Programs, then Programs and Features.
Tap or click on the problematic app from the list. If the app provides a Repair option, a Repair button will appear next to the Uninstall button. Click on Repair to repair to the app.
Try performing the clean boot troubleshooting steps listed in the following Knowledge Base article: How to perform a clean boot in Windows. Test the app while signed in as a different user.
If the app does not exhibit any problems while in a second user account, your user account may have windows 7 computer freezes for no reason free download damaged configuration.
