There is nothing worse for any computer user than an unexpected system freeze. Multiply that by an infinite amount when it comes during gaming. Those hard hours of sweat and tears, stolen away in unceremonious fashion by an impromptu freeze. Ice cold indeed.
Worry not, we are here to help. With this simple step by step guide, you can help prevent your system from the dreaded freeze. To get to the root of the issue, we first must look at what is causing the issue.
The most common cause of system freezes in Windows 10 is the incompatibility of your hardware and drivers to run smoothly in conjunction with Windows 10, since many systems would initially be intended to run on a prior version of Windows.
Regardless of what is causing your freezing issues, here are numerous solutions which you can follow to help resolve the issue.
Repair Corrupt System Files
This can be a primary cause of your freezing issues, with corrupt files clogging your system and causing it to freeze. This should be a first port of call for many with freezing issue and the solution can be painless.
STEP ONE:
Open the Command Prompt (Admin) window. You can do this by right clicking the window Start Menu and choosing Command Prompt (Admin) option from the menu which appears.
STEP TWO:
Once you are in the command prompt function, type the command sfc /scannow as shown in the picture. This should run a full system scan and also automatically attempt to repair any corrupt files which may be present.
STEP THREE:
Leave the window open as the scan may take some time. After completion, you may see the message “Windows resource protection did not find any integrity violations” This is your all clear and should signal the end of your screen freezing woes.
Update Your Graphics Card or Drivers
Failing the first method, next you may want to try updating your drivers to the latest versions. Outdated drivers can be the cause of many issues within your system, including screen freezes.
STEP ONE:
Begin by opening your Quick Access Menu (Press Windows + X key at the same time). You may also right click on the Windows Start menu icon. From the menu which pops up, you should go ahead and click Device Manager.
STEP TWO:
In the device manager window, click Display Adapters. This should then expand to show your display software. Right click on your device and choose Update Driver from the drop down menu options.
STEP THREE:
In the pop-up window, select the option Search Automatically for Updated Driver Software. Using this option, window should find and automatically update the driver software. Restart after updating to apply the new changes. This should solve your issue.
STEP FOUR:
If the automatic search fails to pick up any driver updates, you can search for updated drivers on the manufacturer’s website. After finding the appropriately updated driver, download, install and restart your system for the updated drivers to take effect.
Increase your Virtual Memory
Another major cause of system freezes and sudden shutdowns is a lack of available memory. This means that if your computer is running at 100% capacity, due to some intensive process or task, your RAM memory is exhausted.
To compensate for this, Virtual Memory is supposed to take over and support the processes which are running at the moment of RAM exhaustion. However, Virtual Memory is often also lacking. Therefore, one fix can be to increase your virtual memory.
STEP ONE:
Hold the Windows Key and Press R. This should open the Run dialog box in the bottom corner of your screen.
STEP TWO:
Into the Run dialog box, you should type sysdm.cpl and continue to click ok once you have done so. At this point, a system properties window will open.
STEP THREE:
Once the System Properties window has opened, you need to find and enter the advanced tab. Under the subheading Performance, this in turn will open a Performance Options window. Here again you will need to click the advanced tab.
STEP FOUR:
Within the advanced tab, under the sub heading Virtual Memory you should select the option of change. You should then continue to uncheck the option Automatically Manage Paging File Size For All Drives. Choosing custom size, you should set initial size to 1000 and maximum size to 8192. Then it is time to restart your computer to allow the changes to enact.
Turn Off Fast Start Up
If all of the above solutions have failed, worry not. We still have a few fixes up our sleeves. One of those is to disable fast startup. You can do so as follows.
STEP ONE:
Right Click on the Start Menu or hold the Windows Key +X. Choose Power Options from the window which appears.
STEP TWO:
On the right side of the window, under the related settings sub heading, choose Additional Power Options.
STEP THREE:
On the left side off the power options window, select choose what the power buttons can do. This will proceed to opening a new system settings window.
STEP FOUR:
In this new system settings window, you should click the option of change settings that are currently unavailable. In the following window you should then continue to uncheck the Fast Startup option.
Save your changes and restart your computer to see if this will have the desired result.
Conclusion
As we can see, there are several reasons why you may encounter the dreaded freeze during gaming or other operations. There are also however, a number of simple fixes. These can help to quickly solve the issue.
By following the above steps, you will hopefully solve your freezing issue. This will help you enjoy convenient and stoppage free gaming. You will no longer have to worry about losing your game progress by following our simple guide.
Using your own judgement and some trial and error, this issue can quickly be resolved. Give it a try!
