Over time, Windows OS becomes less fast and many people ask the question “why does my Windows 7 computer freeze?”
This is primarily due to the accumulation of various files in the system, including unnecessary ones. But sometimes the cause of freezing can be something more serious.
System problems
Let's consider the reasons that are associated with the incorrect operation of the system or its individual elements. It is worth noting that the solution and screenshots are presented using Windows 10 as an example, but are also suitable for other versions of the OS.
Autoload overloaded
The problem is especially acute for older PCs that have poor performance. When Windows starts, programs from startup automatically start almost simultaneously and place a heavy load on the computer. Further troubleshooting is shown using Windows 10 as an example, but it is also suitable for other versions of the OS.
To solve the problem:
System clogged
This happens if the system has not been reinstalled on your computer or laptop for a long time. Residual files and garbage accumulate and clog the OS.
You can solve this problem using CCleaner.
After these steps, the system will work faster.
Viruses and firewall
Everyone knows that viruses harm the system and can slow it down or damage important files.
To check the system:
But the problem may not only be with the virus itself, but also with the firewall. This is a technology that prevents malicious actions coming from the network against the PC.
The standard Windows firewall can greatly slow down the system, working simultaneously with the installed antivirus.
To disable it:
Important! Only disable the firewall if you have an antivirus installed.
Driver incompatibility
This primarily applies to laptops. After updating the system, drivers often become irrelevant. This leads to unstable operation of individual components, for example, a video card or chipset. Accordingly, the operation of the entire system slows down.
To update drivers:
Attention! Driver problems often result in high CPU load. (You can check it in the task manager)
System files error
When OS failures occur, system files suffer. This leads to errors in the system, registry and disk. To fix the problem:
- Download CCleaner from the website and install.
- Launch the program.
- Open the Registry tab and run a search for problems.
- Once complete, click “Fix Selected.”
- Close the program and go to Explorer.
- Select the system disk by clicking on it and open “Properties”.
- “Tools” → “Check”, and when finished, click “Optimize”.
- Restart your computer or laptop.
In case of a large number of errors, it is better to completely reinstall the OS.
Hardware problems
If fixing system problems did not help, then this indicates a more serious problem.
Important! Only a specialist can perform a complete check of your computer components; you do all actions at your own peril and risk.
Let's look at what problems there are with components.
HDD
The main cause of freezes is almost always the HDD. This is a very fragile element that can be damaged even from a small fall. You can determine the primary signs yourself.
- If you hear a crackling sound, intermittent beats, or knocking, this indicates a malfunction of the disk device.
- The problem disk reveals itself by the fact that when it freezes, the indicator light on the system unit indicating the HDD is constantly on.
In such cases, it is necessary to replace the device or send it to a specialist for repair. 
Almost no one pays attention to it, but it is also one of the most popular freezing problems. This is due to the fact that over time the power supply depletes its resource. As a result, it is not able to support the declared power, and the voltage on the power lines does not meet the standards.
The processor and other components do not receive enough power, which leads to unstable operation. Replacing the old unit in such cases can fix the problem with system freezes. 
Random access memory (RAM)
Braking may be due to a lack of RAM, or in cases of its malfunction.
The problem can be identified by the following signs:
- Freezes during copy and paste operations.
- Freezes when moving files, especially large ones.
In such cases, you can try to test the system by inserting RAM from another PC or laptop. 
Processor (CPU)
This problem is primarily associated with overheating of the processor or insufficient power. During heavy overloads, the temperature rises and causes the PC to slow down or shut down.
Important! Every six months you need to clean the components from dust and replace the thermal paste - this prevents overheating. The article contains detailed instructions.
Advice! Check the instructions for your processor to determine what temperature is considered optimal.
Deadly, Windows 7 stops responding to any commands, it’s even impossible to open the task manager? Such problems appear quite rarely. It must be said that a computer is a rather complex system, and its performance depends on a huge number of factors. The article will discuss the main ones. After reading, you will learn to deal with most of the problems that lead to “freezes” on your own.
Viruses
The first answer to the question of why the computer freezes is the simplest and most common. It is quite possible that uninvited guests have settled on your computer and are well camouflaged. Typically, viruses not only threaten the security of the system, but also significantly load computer resources. Sometimes this load leads to
Everyone knows how to deal with such a scourge. It’s enough just to install any anti-virus program, update its databases to the latest ones and run the full one. It didn’t help - call and check the processes to see if there are any suspicious ones. It would also be a good idea to look into startup by entering the name of the utility “msconfig” in the “Run” window.
However, if the computer freezes tightly after turning on, it will not be possible to install new software, much less check the PC. In this case, use any antivirus distribution that can create a bootable USB flash drive or CD.
Overheat
When releasing each new device model, manufacturers try to make it more sophisticated than the previous one. And this requires more power. The latter, in turn. increases heat generation. For some time, the standard cooling system copes with its job, but after a while its effectiveness decreases - as a result, the computer freezes completely. What to do if such a disaster happens?
Dust, which cannot be removed, clogs into radiators and interferes with air circulation. As dust settles on the cooler, it slows down the rotation speed of the propeller. Previously, such problems led to device failure. Today, fortunately, computers have become smarter; there will be no endless or video card. Modern devices have the ability to communicate with the motherboard, entrusting it with temperature control responsibilities. As soon as the values reach a critical point, the controller first tries to unscrew the cooler screw, but if this does not help, the system slows down the device, reducing the voltage. Soon the computer freezes completely.
To prevent such troubles from happening, remember a few simple rules:
Very often, because of this problem, the computer freezes in games or other graphic applications. To check how hot your computer components are, you can download a program. Fortunately, there are a huge number of similar ones on the Internet.
RAM problems
RAM is the most important element of a computer, which has a very large impact on its performance. Normal operation of RAM depends on compatibility with the motherboard, BIOS, and other installed memory sticks. A minor glitch, the smallest manufacturing defect - and the computer freezes tightly when turned on, not wanting to work even at low performance.
If you are going to increase or change the RAM, fully study its characteristics, go to the website of its manufacturer and the motherboard manufacturer in advance, study what speeds are supported, what tests have been carried out and whether it is recommended to use the devices together.
If the computer freezes until the configuration is changed, you can check whether the RAM is faulty using Windows 7. Just click on the “Start” button and type “memory checker” in the search column. During the procedure, the program will display all errors if any were found. There is only one recommendation: if there are errors, change the memory.
HDD instability
A hard drive is a device on which absolutely all data (both user and system) is stored. Accordingly, Windows accesses it all the time, reading and writing does not stop for a minute. This means that system performance directly depends on the speed of this component. Over time, “broken” clusters and unreadable areas may appear on it, which will lead to system failures. Often, because of this problem, the computer freezes on the Internet, because while surfing the browser constantly records and deletes many small files.
Repairing a broken HDD
If the HDD is worn out, you need to check it with special software tools that will find all damaged sectors and mark them as non-working. The OS will stop using “bads” and stop freezing. To check, launch the command line by entering the name of the program in the “Run” window - “cmd”. In it, run the command “chkdsk [drive letter]: /f /r” for each partition.
Experienced users can determine the status of the HDD by the sound of its operation. If it starts clicking or whistling, the equipment is most likely faulty and needs to be replaced. Be careful, often, if a hard drive begins to “crumble”, it will soon fail, and it is very difficult to recover data from such a device. Also, if the computer freezes after turning on, there is a high probability of wear on the hard drive.
Incorrect BIOS setting
If the computer freezes after turning on, very often the reason for this behavior of the system is incorrect BIOS settings. Someone may think that an ordinary user should not even try to fix something, he should contact a professional. But still the computer freezes tightly - what to do if there is no way to call a specialist?
If you approach BIOS configuration with care, even a beginner can handle this procedure. Learn complete information about your computer, and especially about the motherboard. Usually such data is easily found on the manufacturer’s official website. Find out which parameters are most important and what they are responsible for. When using the BIOS setup utility, never change many settings at once. First change a few, reboot, check the computer. Only then continue editing. A special mention should be made of the item that is in every BIOS - “Load Fail-Safe Defaults”. It brings all parameters to optimal - in the opinion of the developer.
Sometimes you can download and install a new BIOS version on the motherboard manufacturer's website. Never refuse such a procedure. Updates often fix critical bugs and improve stability. It is likely that after installing the new version, the freezes will disappear. The main thing is to read the instructions in advance.
Windows Services
The operating system runs a large number of services all the time, either enabled by default or added during operation. The system can work fine without most of them. If some service does not respond or takes up too much processor time, the computer freezes.
To see which of them are in the system and which are running, open the administration window ("Start" - "Control Panel" - "Administrative Tools") and double-click the "Services" shortcut. To get comprehensive information about a particular service, double-click on its name.
First of all, pay attention to those that start automatically. The loading method is indicated in the “Startup type” column. There is only one editing rule - if you do not understand the description, do not disable the component, but find out more about its operation from the Internet. Try to check the stability of the system after each individual manipulation.
Processes and programs
Each program starts its own process (sometimes even more than one), if it enters an endless loop or malfunctions, and the computer does not always freeze completely; Windows 7 still tries to independently cut off oxygen to non-responsive components. It is very easy to identify a frozen element - it usually takes up the lion's share of RAM and almost all the processor time.
Solving the problem using the task manager
You can view the list of running processes in the task manager window. Press the combination “CTRL+ALT+DEL” on your keyboard. If you are sure that some program does not carry a payload, but at the same time takes 90-100% of the processor time, feel free to terminate it (by pressing “DEL” on the keyboard or by calling the context menu). You can also go to the location where the program is stored from here. This will be useful if you do not understand exactly what you are interrupting.
Checking processes is not always the best solution, but this procedure can often help if the computer periodically freezes. Remember that some programs can load the processor one hundred percent during the most active phases of their work. However, a frozen utility will not stop using maximum resources, and one that performs its functions without failures will again go into passive mode after some time. Also, do not try to end the process called System Idleness. It is used to poll other programs and system resources, and the variable in it does not display the processor load, but just the remaining free power.
One of the common problems that a user may experience is that the computer freezes while working, playing games, while loading or installing Windows. However, determining the reason for this behavior is not always easy.
This article provides details about why a computer or laptop freezes (the most common options) in relation to Windows 10, 8 and Windows 7 and what to do if you have such a problem. The site also contains a separate article on one aspect of the problem: (also suitable for Windows 10, 8 on relatively old PCs and laptops).
Most users know (because it is often said) that you cannot install more than one antivirus on Windows (the pre-installed Windows Defender does not count). However, there are still cases when two (or even more) antivirus products appear on one system at once. If this is the case for you, then it is very possible that this is why your computer is freezing.
Lack of space on the system disk partition
The next common situation when a computer starts to freeze is lack of space on drive C (or a small amount of it). If your system disk has 1-2 GB of free space, then very often this can lead to exactly this kind of computer operation, with freezes at various moments.
The computer or laptop freezes some time after turning it on (and no longer responds)
If your computer always, some time after turning it on, freezes for no reason and needs to be turned off or restarted to continue working (after which, after a short time, the problem recurs again), then the following possible causes of the problem are possible.
First of all, it is overheating of computer components. Whether this is the reason can be checked using special programs for determining the temperature of the processor and video card, see for example:. One of the signs that this is the problem is that the computer freezes while playing (and in different games, not just one) or running “heavy” programs.
If necessary, you should make sure that the ventilation holes of the computer are not blocked by anything, clean it from dust, and possibly replace the thermal paste.
The second possible cause is problematic programs in startup (for example, incompatible with the current OS) or device drivers that cause freezes, which also happens. In this scenario, Windows safe mode and subsequent removal of unnecessary (or recently appeared) programs from startup, checking device drivers, preferably installing chipset, network and video card drivers from the manufacturer’s official websites, and not from a driver pack, can help.
One of the common cases related to the option just described is when the computer freezes when connected to the Internet. If this is exactly what is happening to you, then I recommend starting by updating your network card or Wi-Fi adapter drivers (by updating I mean installing the official driver from the manufacturer, and not updating through Windows Device Manager, where you will almost always see that the driver does not need update), and continue to search for malware on the computer, which can also cause freezing at the moment when Internet access appears.
Computer freezes due to hard drive problems
And the last common cause of the problem is the hard drive of a computer or laptop.
Typically, the symptoms are as follows:
- During operation, the computer may freeze completely, and the mouse pointer usually continues to move, but nothing (programs, folders) opens. Sometimes it goes away after a certain period of time.
- When the hard drive freezes, it begins to make strange sounds (in this case, see).
- After some time of inactivity (or working in one undemanding program, like Word) and when starting another program, the computer freezes for a while, but after a few seconds it “dies” and everything works fine.
I’ll start with the last of the listed points - as a rule, this happens on laptops and does not indicate any problems with the computer or disk: you just have the power settings set to “turn off disks” after a certain amount of idle time to save energy (and idle time can be considered and operating time without accessing the HDD). Then, when the disk is needed (launching a program, opening something), it takes time for it to “spin up”, for the user this may look like a freeze. This option is configured in the power plan settings if you want to change the behavior and disable sleep for the HDD.
But the first of the listed options is usually more difficult to diagnose and can be caused by a variety of factors:
- Damage to data on the hard drive or its physical malfunction - you can use more powerful utilities such as Victoria, and also look at the S.M.A.R.T. information. disk.
- Problems with the power supply of the hard drive - freezes are possible due to a lack of power to the HDD due to a faulty computer power supply, a large number of consumers (you can try to disconnect some of the optional devices to check).
- Poor hard drive connection - check the connections of all cables (data and power) both on the motherboard and HDD sides, reconnect them.
Additional Information
If previously there were no problems with your computer, but now it has started to freeze, try to restore the sequence of your actions: perhaps you installed some new devices, programs, performed some actions to “clean up” the computer, or something else . It may be useful to roll back to a previously created Windows restore point, if any are saved.
If the problem is not solved, try to describe in detail in the comments how exactly the freeze occurs, what preceded it, what device it happens on, and perhaps I can help you.
When installing the Windows 7 operating system, a nuisance may arise - it freezes during installation. When the installation of Windows 7 freezes at the logo stage with the words Starting Windows, the cause of the problem may be a malfunction of the computer components: hard drive, motherboard, RAM. If the device breaks down, working with the system will not help - you just have to turn to repair specialists for help. If everything is in order with the hardware, but the Windows 7 installation window does not appear, then you can solve the problem in just a few steps, which we will describe in this manual.
The reason the system freezes on the logo is that it was not installed through the BIOS. Installing via BIOS is also called a “clean” installation because you format all data on the computer and accordingly delete information about the previous system. How to install OS via BIOS?
Step 1. Insert the boot disk with system () into the computer. Turn on or restart the PC.
Step 2. When the first inscriptions appear, quickly press the “Delete” key. The appearance of your BIOS varies by manufacturer.
Note! The design of the interface does not matter, since on modern computers the basic BIOS settings are the same.
Step 3. If you managed to click “Delete” when booting the computer, the BIOS window appears.
Step 4. Move through items using the arrows on the keyboard. Press the right arrow until the “Boot” item opens.
Step 5.“Boot” is responsible for booting the computer from a specific device. By default, the computer boots from the hard drive. But now we need to install the system, which is located on a flash drive (or CD). Press the down arrow and .
Select the item “Boot Device Priority” - press “Enter”
Step 6. A small menu opens where we select the device from which the computer will boot. In our example, this is a DVD.
In your case, it may be the name of the flash drive or CD media. Select the device - press “Enter”.
Select the item “Boot Device Priority” - press “Enter”
Step 7 Exit the “Boot” tab – press Esc. This way the changes will be saved and take effect after a reboot. In the window that pops up, select “OK” and press “Enter.”
The computer will automatically restart. The problem is solved - the Windows system will begin a “clean installation” without freezing or crashing errors. It is by working with the BIOS that problems like “Win 7 won’t install!! hangs when starting installation."
Windows 7 freezes during installation and installs slowly - what to do
Does your computer freeze when installing Windows 7? We find a way to solve the problem.
The first thing you need to do is to look for the reasons for the slow installation of Windows 7. Let's look at the common sources of problems:
How to solve Windows 7 slow installation problem
For successful installation, two critical parameters need to be corrected:
- Serial ATA (SATA) Mode - switch to “AHCI”. This is a more modern type of data transfer. It will help not only in solving the installation problem, but also generally speed up the operation of the OS.
- Disable the floppy drive (“Floppy Drive”). Despite the fact that floppy disks are a thing of the past and you may not even have this device, we recommend disabling its use in the BIOS.
Disabling the floppy disk
Step 1. Open the BIOS and press the “Delete” key.
Step 2. Go to the “Advanced” tab.
Step 3. Select the “OnBoard Floppy Controller” item and press the “+” button. The text “Disabled” should appear opposite the line.
Step 4. Save the settings.
Change the mode to “AHCI”
About Windows operating systems
The Windows family of operating systems is the most popular. Microsoft has held a monopoly on the market for more than twenty years. For ordinary users, the window interface has become familiar and convenient. But the main advantage of the Microsoft software product is its support for a huge amount of software. Professionals, from graphic designers to programmers, prefer Windows, since the programs they need for their work simply do not exist on other operating systems. The vast majority of video games are supported by Windows, something neither Linux nor Mac OS can boast of. The abundance of drivers for any components makes the system universal and makes it easier to use. When purchasing a device, you will always be sure that it will work on Windows without problems. Let's look at the history of significant versions of the popular OS.
- Windows 95. Served as the starting point for the development of window systems. Combining the operating principles of MS-DOS and the Windows family, the 1995 system became a staple for desktop computers. Thanks to the simplicity of the window interface, Microsoft managed to occupy the niche of graphical operating systems and gain a foothold in the market. The Start menu, long file names, and Plug and Play drag-and-drop functionality became the foundation and signature style of all subsequent Windows systems;
- Windows XP. Released in 2001, the system created a real sensation among PC users. Before the release of the "seven", XP remained the main operating system. Simple, easy to install and use. Occupies a minimum of disk space. Today, Windows XP is not supported by the company, which affects its resistance to virus attacks. However, owners of low-power PCs and laptops install the system on their devices: it is not demanding on technology and works properly without taking up a lot of RAM or loading the processor. The only significant disadvantage of the system is its vulnerability to viruses due to the lack of updates. However, the problem can be solved by installing the latest version of any reliable antivirus (Avast, Avira, Dr.Web);
- Windows Vista. Released in 2007. Was received coolly by the community. Visually beautiful, but requiring a powerful computer and weak in terms of security, the system turned out to be a failure. Performance problems, poor driver support, and reduced capabilities turned out to be the main shortcomings of the OS. A pleasant graphical interface, as one of the few advantages, will be transferred to the company's next OS - Windows 7;
- Windows 7. The product was released at the end of 2009. “Seven” remained at the top in terms of installations for 8 years. The most reliable, simple and convenient system of all. It took the best of XP and became more productive. After the unsuccessful Vista, the "seven" was greeted warmly. Great personalization capabilities, support for a huge number of drivers, ease and speed of installation contributed to the system capturing the market. In 2018, it is still installed on computers, despite the end of official support and the lack of updates from Microsoft;
- Windows 8. It so happens that Microsoft succeeds “every time.” Metro's revolutionary flat interface was met with disbelief and criticism. It was the appearance that affected the failure of the system. Ordinary functions: personalization, uninstalling programs, shutting down and restarting have changed significantly compared to Windows 7. It became difficult for an inexperienced user to find them, and therefore, in order to get started, it took a long time to delve into and study the new interface. But the company made the right conclusions, modernizing the stability and appearance of the system, preparing an excellent release - Windows 10;
- Windows 10. Essentially, the system takes the best from Windows 7 and 8. Decent performance, additional settings for gamers to improve performance, a free application store and extremely simple settings settings are the main advantages highlighted by users. After release, the system remained free for several months - for the first time in the history of Windows. Windows 10 is installed on new laptops by default. So, when buying a new device, you won’t have to pay extra money to purchase a license. An additional advantage of the system is its versatility. Windows 10 can be installed both on a computer and on mobile devices: smartphones, tablets, and even Xbox. Multiplatform ensures synchronization of settings and data for a single user account. All the innovations and improvements helped the “ten” overtake Windows 7 in popularity and become a universal operating system for personal computers.
Video - Starting Windows freezes when installing Windows 7
Good afternoon friends. Today I decided to continue the previous article “Why does the computer freeze?” and tell you in more detail what to do when your computer freezes. If you have not read my last article, it is advisable to read it. Although some of my recommendations will be a repetition of past ones. But I want to sort them out so that it becomes clear to the user if the computer freezes, what to do? From start to finish.
The computer freezes, what to do, action plan
Task Manager
The first thing you need to do is call the task manager. It is called by the hotkey combination Ctrl + Alt + Del. Then select “Start Task Manager”
then “Applications” and see which applications are currently running for you.
If the inscription “Not responding” is visible above some program, highlight this sentence and click “Cancel task”. Also, carefully review all the programs that you have running and think about whether you need them to work at the moment or not?
If you don’t need them in their working state now, also select them and cancel the task. Do not overload your operating system again.
A little patience
But, for example, this combination of hot keys did not help you (i.e. there are no changes, the mouse stands still), then I would advise you to be patient and wait a little. Wait a few minutes. Sometimes it may even take half an hour until the computer solves its newly created problems and temporarily fixes the situation. After the freeze has passed, follow step 1.
Restarting the computer
If you do not have the patience to wait, or the computer still does not come out of the frozen state, in this case you just need to restart the computer. You can't do this through the Start button. Therefore, we press the hard reset button and boot the system again. After this, it is advisable to launch the dispatcher and follow step 1. Maybe you have some program that is constantly loading and is causing a problem.
Recovering bad sectors
It may be that the system takes a very long time to boot after a reboot. This means that some kind of failure occurred in it. In this case, you need to wait until it boots completely and perform the function of restoring damaged sectors of the system.
This action is performed using the Chkdsk command. That is, you need to analyze the system disk for errors, then check and repair damaged sectors. There is nothing to be afraid of, the computer will do everything for you. I described exactly how to carry out this analysis in the article: “?”.
Virus check
After eliminating errors in the system, you need to check your computer for viruses. Quite often, computer freezes occur directly due to the influence of various pests. Turn on your favorite antivirus and scan. At the same time, scanning needs to be carried out not only on drive C, but on the entire computer.
So, you have completed the scan, but the question is: “The computer freezes, what should I do?” remained relevant, i.e. Freezing continued. Then let's continue.
Cleaning the registry
If you don’t have any such program at the moment, it doesn’t matter. You can clean the OS using the system method. You will learn about this from the article: “ Urgent Windows cleaning" This is a pretty good method that can be used even when you have registry cleaning programs.
Defragmentation
You need to defragment. We often install new programs on our computer and remove old ones. Such programs and applications are not installed evenly across hard drive partitions. They are scattered across its different sectors.
I advise, if you are a beginner, to study this article, but then still call a specialist and see everything in action. In the future, you can easily reinstall the system yourself.
Service center
But lastly, if even after reinstalling the system you continue to have problems with your computer freezing, it is advisable for you to call a technician or take your computer to a service center. There can be quite a few reasons why a computer freezes, from breakdowns of various PC components, to failures in the RAM board, overheating of the hard drive and other problems.
Video computer freezes 15 solutions to problems
Do you now have any idea what to do if your computer freezes? I tried to explain this whole process to you in more detail. I hope your computer will work like a good Swiss watch! Good luck!
Friends, to make your computer freeze less, I suggest you install an SSD solid-state drive on it, as I did. Buy it You can go to AliExpress. Disks on a page range from 120 to 960 GB, i.e., actually 1 TB. Judging by the description, the disk is suitable for both Computers and (laptops).
From the screenshot you can see the disk volumes. If you need to install the system, it is enough to purchase a disk with a capacity of 120 GB. If it’s a full-fledged hard drive, then, at your discretion, from 480 to 960 GB. Why do I recommend installing Windows on a solid-state hard drive? Your system will boot in seconds! If you purchase a 1TB disk, all your programs will work!
Sincerely, Andrey Zimin 08/15/2015
