How to fix programs and apps that keep freezing and crashing (Slow computer)

The easiest way to unfreeze a frozen program and a computer is to force-quit the program via the Task Manager, a Windows tool that specializes in monitoring and dealing with programs and processes.

To access the Task Manager, follow the steps below:

1. Open it by pressing the Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys on your keyboard;
2. Click on the program that is not responding, and select End task or End Process;
3. Re-launch the program.
   
   

As programs are more than they appear, i.e. they are actually a set of tasks and processes working together, errors are bound to happen, especially if one of the components becomes unresponsive. By restarting your device, you will reinitialize all the stuck components of the program (unfreeze it), as well as the operating system.

Turn off your device, and turn it back on after 2 minutes.

Just like we need air to breathe, programs need space to work. When a program runs, it requires memory which can be used associated to it. Another reason for a program or an app to freeze is due to lack of disk space or memory. Remove files you don't need, especially from the internal memory of the device, and run the program again.

Check out the running out of disk space / no space left guide to learn how to free up disk space (or memory).

Most of the time, programs freeze due to a slow system performance. In this case, what you need to do is to optimize the computer. There are many ways to optimize the computer's speed and performance, with the most common ones being:

• Update your computer's operating system;
• Update all the programs installed on your computer;
• Clean cached data and temp programs;
• Scan for and remove viruses.
  
  

Discover more solutions to optimize your computer in the Computer is slow guide.

Sometimes a virus, malware or any type of adware might interfere with the performance of several programs you have installed on your PC. Adware, for example, tends to affect the performance of your browser. If a virus has indeed invaded your computer, you need to find it and remove it, using an antivirus software. Having an antivirus software installed won't make your computer safe. Other preventive measures you can take to protect your computer and data include:

• Update the antivirus software regularly;
• Update Windows to the latest version;
• Update programs;
• Install programs only after doing research about them;
• Don't open every email you receive, especially the Junk emails.
  
  

Note: Learn useful tips on removing viruses and protecting your computer from future threats, via the virus removal and protection guide.

Apps aren't actually closed when you close them. They are still running in the background. They usually freeze when one of the tasks becomes unresponsive. To fix a frozen, non-responsive application on your Android device, you need to force-stop the app.

Follow these steps to shut down the frozen process:

1. Go to Settings;
2. Tap on Apps;
3. Tap on an app that became unresponsive;
4. Tap the (Force) Stop button to close the app.

Note: This process varies from device to device, but the logic and order of steps is the same.

Updating the operating system to the latest version is more than patching bugs. It brings speed improvements, as well as the latest system tools and trends the apps need to be aware of. One of the reasons why app(s) might be freezing is because of incompatibility of the app with the system. In this case, updating your operating system via Settings might fix the problem.

If you are not sure how to update your operating system, check out the how to update my device's operating system guide.

If your Windows Explorer keeps freezing and hanging frequently, it's possible that it's overloaded. Windows 7 keeps indexing the files on your PC, in order to make the search process easier and quicker, however, this might also slow the system down, making Windows Explorer unresponsive. In order to fix this issue, you will need to modify the indexing options.

To modify the indexing options, follow the steps below:

1. Click Start, type index and press Enter;
   

   
   
   

2. The window with indexing options will pop up:
   

   
   
   

3. Click on Modify and untick all the checkboxes;
   

   
   
   

4. Click OK and close the windows.

Check if the error shows up again, and if Windows Explorer is working fine, then repeat the steps above, and enable one option at a time until you determine which one was the culprit.

Programs can freeze due to incompatibility issues. If you updated the operating system, but the program has not been updated for a long time, it's possible it has issues with communicating with the operating system. In this case, to unfreeze the program, you just need to update it.

To update a program, you can either visit the program's official website and download the latest version from there, or just open the program, and click on an update button, if such is available. If it is, it's usually found in the help section.

The registry is where certain sets of instructions are restored related to the program, and the operating system are stored. These instructions are responsible for the "well-being" of the program. Sometimes programs freeze because of certain registry errors that can occur over time, for various reasons including program updates, operating system updates, third-party apps.

Fixing the registry manually is a very difficult process. Luckily, to fix them, you can use one of the many tools available, with the most popular being CCleaner, or Advanced SystemCare. All you need to do is to install a tool, run it and follow the instructions.

If the app has frozen and isn't responding, you can force-quit it, in order to unfreeze it. This course of action will stop all the tools and processes associated with the app, some of which may have stuck, causing the app to freeze in the first place.

To summon the force-quit tool, follow the steps below:

1. Press and hold the Command + Option + Esc keys on the keyboard until a popup opens on the screen;
2. Select the program that has become unresponsive and click on Force Quit.
   
   

   

If your software keeps crashing repeatedly, it could mean that your PC simply doesn't have enough memory to get them to function properly. Try and close some of the programs you have open, and which you don't need, and then try opening the software again.

To make sure the process has ended, i.e. the program is closed, go to Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Delete), select the process and click End Process.

Maybe an outdated antivirus software is the reason for this issue. As new viruses are released daily (hourly even), make sure to keep your antivirus software up to date in order to avoid conflicts as such.

Usually, unless updated automatically, you will receive a notification by the antivirus that an update is available. Alternatively, you can check for updates manually, inside the antivirus, most likely in the help tab, depending on the antivirus you use. You may also consult help guides, to learn how to check for updates manually.