How to fix programs and apps that keep freezing and crashing (Web browser)

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.

Another reason for an app to freeze is that it may be outdated, and won't "cooperate" with the latest system updates. To stop this, you need to update the app, by following the steps below:

1. Open the Play Store app;
2. Enter the app's name;
3. Check if there are any updates available for this app, and tap on the update button.
   
   

In order to function at peak performance, apps store cached data and app data. This data ensures that you won't need to set up the app all over again, every time you open it. Unfortunately, app data has a tendency to become corrupt over time, an outcome of which is for it to freeze or crash. To fix the app, you will need to clear the app data and cache, which will automatically be replaced with clean versions the next time you open the app.

You can clear the data and cache of Google Play apps by following the steps below: 

1. Go to Settings and tap on Apps;
   
   
   
2. Select an app from the list and tap on the clear data and clear cache buttons;
   
   

Here is a video tutorial on where to clear app data and cache files (recorded on a Samsung Galaxy device, running on Android OS 8 - steps may vary from one device to another):

Maybe the app freezes due to some errors during the installation process. Maybe the Internet connection wasn't stable, or Google Play was freezing when the app was downloaded or installed. If the application keeps freezing over and over again, uninstall it, and install it again, this time ensuring that the Internet connection is stable, and the Google Play app doesn't freeze.

To uninstall an app, follow the steps below:

1. Tap and hold the app's icon;
2. Tap on the Uninstall option that will appear.
   
   

Alternatively, you can follow the steps in the video demo below:

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.

The fastest and easiest way to unfreeze a frozen app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is to force-quit it.

In order to do that, follow the steps below:

1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen (if you use iPhone X or newer), or double-tap the Home button to open the App switcher (iPhone 8 and older models);
2. Swipe to the left and right to find the app you want to close;
3. Tap and hold the app's thumbnail and slide it upward and off the screen;
4. Open the app, which should work fine now.

The app might be crashing and freezing due to an error which might have occurred during the installation, or update process (e.g. unstable Internet connection, unresponsive process). In this case, uninstall and reinstall the application again, a course of action that will remove corrupt files, and replace them with clean versions.

To reinstall an app, follow these steps:

1. Tap and hold the icon of the app you want to remove;
2. Tap on the (X) or (-) icon when it shows, and confirm you want to delete the app;
3. Open the App Store and Search for the app (or go to the Purchases tab);
4. Find the application you just deleted, and install it.

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.
   
   

   

Apps might freeze because the phone doesn't have enough memory available to allow them to function properly, which is probably loaded with other open apps. To free up memory and unfreeze your device, you need to close apps.

To close all open apps, long press Back button and pull down (close) all of them. After that, launch the app you need, again.

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.

As pieces of software, extensions, and websites rely on your RAM to be able to stay as they were, the browser can crash if the RAM is overloaded by too many requests (e.g. too many tabs are open).

In this case, to resolve the issue, you need to close the tabs you don't need, and then reload the ones you need. You can also close the web browser, and reopen it.

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.