# OK, why is my computer freezing up? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 8, 2019, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382 "2019-01-08T00:28:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382/21 "2019-01-09T22:47:18Z")
> [@ashtayk](#): > > ## I had the exact same issue with my work computer that suddenly developed these symptoms. The helpdesk guy asked me to run a couple of Reg Keys that fixed it immediately. Instructions below: > > Please execute them from CMD ( run as administrator > > To run as admin – click the windows logo on the bottom left and start typing CMD. Command Prompt will come up. Right click on this and then click “run as admin” > > Copy and paste one line at the time ( no spaces ) and hit enter. > > After both have been added please reboot your PC. > > ## reg add “HKEY\_LOCAL\_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management” /v FeatureSettingsOverride /t REG\_DWORD /d 3 /f reg add “HKEY\_LOCAL\_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management” /v FeatureSettingsOverrideMask /t REG\_DWORD /d 3 /f > > BTW My computer was running Windows 10 Pro - dont know if yours is a Home edition and if that makes a difference. That did not improve the situation, sadly. First message I saw upon reboot was “waiting for cache”. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382/22 "2019-01-09T22:51:21Z")
Have you tried a different browser? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382/23 "2019-01-09T23:01:22Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Have you tried a different browser? Yes, internet explorer acts the same, if not worse. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382/24 "2019-01-09T23:04:12Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > Yes, as long as you select “Keep personal files and apps” as shown in Step 6, you’ll have your files, programs, user accounts, registry files, etc. Step 6 where, exactly? I’ve only explored the last link you provided. And I’m running windows 10, not 8. thanks, ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382/25 "2019-01-09T23:26:28Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > You can open an elevated Command Prompt (run as an Administrator) and type SFC /scannow then hit “enter”. This occasionally fixes things… It just gave me a message that everything was fine. But now things do seem to be running normally again, so maybe ? ? ? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382/26 "2019-01-09T23:49:25Z")
Nope, it’s all just as messed up as before. I’m inching closer and closer to doing that windows 10 reset, as soon as I back up a few critical items. Can’t live like this! ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382/27 "2019-01-10T00:23:57Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > Another possibility is a messed up fan and overheating CPU processor chip, but usually the fan fails completely and the symptom is the machine boots then freezes after a minute or so. An erratic fan should be easy to hear. I helped a friend whose computer was overheating & shutting down soon after power-on. The heat sink/fan unit happened to have come off the CPU (thermal paste dried up?) do it was not properly cooling the CPU. Nut the fan was still functional, and you could hear (and see) it running. So hearing the fan running doesn’t _always_ mean it is properly cooling the CPU. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382/28 "2019-01-10T00:27:22Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Step 6 where, exactly? I’ve only explored the last link you provided. And I’m running windows 10, not 8. > > thanks, The link in post 12. This one: > **[How To Repair Windows 10 Install Without Losing Apps & Data](https://www.intowindows.com/repair-windows-10-install-without-losing-apps-data/)** > > Are you experiencing issues on your Windows 10 PC? Want to repair the Windows 10 installation but don’t want to lose apps and precious data? Here is how ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382/29 "2019-01-10T01:07:25Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Nope, it’s all just as messed up as before. I’m inching closer and closer to doing that windows 10 reset, as soon as I back up a few critical items. Can’t live like this! If you do this, make a full backup first. And make sure you have written - as in on paper - copies of accounts, passwords, license keys, and so on. Hmm… something I should have asked straight off: go into Event Manager (Start, Run, eventmgr.msc) and look at the System and Application logs under Windows Logs. Look for entries with a red icon next to them in the first instance. They’ll have the level of Error. It may take a while to come up. What do you see? If there’s lots of red you have a big problem. Look in the Source column for the culprits. If you click on each entry you’ll see details in the bottom. We’ll cover those once you report them, but if there are lots with a source of disk or ntfs then your HDD / SSD is likely failing. Or possibly the SATA cable is loose. Then look for ones with a yellow icon (Warning) next to them. If you look at the right-hand pane of the Event Viewer you should be able to filter the current log to isolate them more easily. What do you see? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382/30 "2019-01-10T01:11:12Z")
Which anti-virus products do you have running? Is it Webroot? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382/31 "2019-01-10T01:16:01Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Which anti-virus products do you have running? Is it Webroot? Windows defender. [sub]hangs head in shame[/sub] running event viewer now . . . ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382/32 "2019-01-10T01:26:44Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > If you do this, make a full backup first. And make sure you have written - as in on paper - copies of accounts, passwords, license keys, and so on. > > Hmm… something I should have asked straight off: go into Event Manager (Start, Run, eventmgr.msc) and look at the System and Application logs under Windows Logs. Look for entries with a red icon next to them in the first instance. They’ll have the level of Error. It may take a while to come up. > > What do you see? If there’s lots of red you have a big problem. Look in the Source column for the culprits. If you click on each entry you’ll see details in the bottom. We’ll cover those once you report them, but if there are lots with a source of disk or ntfs then your HDD / SSD is likely failing. Or possibly the SATA cable is loose. > > Then look for ones with a yellow icon (Warning) next to them. If you look at the right-hand pane of the Event Viewer you should be able to filter the current log to isolate them more easily. > > What do you see? LOTS and LOTS of Red error flags, all since 12/31/18, indicating disk as source of error. Sounds like disk failing? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382/33 "2019-01-10T09:46:43Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > LOTS and LOTS of Red error flags, all since 12/31/18, indicating disk as source of error. Sounds like disk failing? Bingo! Can you give the full details from Task Manager? There are three possibilities, in order of probability: 1 - The disk itself. 2 - The SATA cable. 3 - The SATA port on the motherboard. #2 is the easiest to check. Just replace the SATA cable if you have a spare. If you don’t, just unplug it at each end and plug it back in in case it’s just come loose. And don’t be ashamed about running Windows Defender. It’s a fine first line of defence. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382/34 "2019-01-10T13:46:59Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Bingo! Can you give the full details from Task Manager? > > There are three possibilities, in order of probability: > > 1 - The disk itself. > 2 - The SATA cable. > 3 - The SATA port on the motherboard. > > #2 is the easiest to check. Just replace the SATA cable if you have a spare. If you don’t, just unplug it at each end and plug it back in in case it’s just come loose. Don’t have task manager results available at the moment, will run when home. But the Event Monitor literally had over 5000 entries of Red Flag error pointing to the disk. I’ll be checking the cable tonight too. thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382/35 "2019-01-10T15:40:12Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > If you do this, make a full backup first. And make sure you have written - as in on paper - copies of accounts, passwords, license keys, and so on. Unless he screws up and accidentally checks something other than “Keep personal files and apps” that’s not really necessary. Yeah, it’s always recommended as a precaution, but again, unless one doesn’t follow directions very well, it’s unlikely that anything will be lost. Regarding Event Viewer: > [@](#): > > Chaos in the data > Unfortunately, less-than-helpful log entries are also quite common. Frequently, entries are completely indecipherable to normal people, and often even to technical folks who aren’t intimately familiar with the component logging the information. > > What’s worse, it’s completely normal for the Event Log to contain errors. > > Errors in the Event Log > I’ll say that again:\* it’s completely normal for the Event Viewer to show entries that are marked as “Error”\*, even on a completely healthy, normal system. I’d go so far as to say that an event log without errors just doesn’t happen. > > The bottom line is that applications – often including Windows itself – commonly fail to log things correctly, or even at all. > > Like I said, it’s a mess. > > Is Event Viewer any good at all? > There’s data, if you know what to look for > First, remember that the event log isn’t meant for normal people like you and me. It’s meant for the software engineers writing and debugging their software, and the technicians trying to diagnose what’s going on with your machine when it really does have a problem. > > Event Viewer is far from perfect, but for people who know what to look for (and more importantly, what to ignore), it contains valuable data. > > Curious? Go ahead and browse around in Event Viewer; it doesn’t hurt to look. > > Just don’t jump to conclusions, and _don’t panic_ when you see lots of warnings or errors. Every properly functioning Windows computer will have them. > > In fact, if you look at Event Viewer while your system is functioning normally, you’ll get a sense of what “normal” looks like in your event log. Then later, when you see items that seem suspicious or out of place, or seem related to the problems you’re having, that might turn out to be information worth paying attention to. > **[The Event Viewer, Explained](https://askleo.com/event-viewer-many-errors/)** > > Many Windows components log messages and use Event Viewer to display them. Sadly, the messages are often cryptic and inconsistent, and the result is a mess. I think there’s a decent chance ad has a bad hard drive, but I think there’s still a decent chance it’s a software issue. Here are some better ways to check the health of the hard drive: > **[How to Check the Health of your Hard Drive - Digital Inspiration](https://www.labnol.org/software/test-hard-drive-for-problems/17430/)** > > Tech, a la carte ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382/36 "2019-01-10T17:54:15Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > Unless he screws up and accidentally checks something other than “Keep personal files and apps” that’s not really necessary. I worked in IT for nearly 30 years, looking after establishments with thousands of hard drives and one of the things I’ve learned is, “A good IT officer always tries to have a backup.” > [@](#): > > Errors in the Event Log > I’ll say that again: it’s completely normal for the Event Viewer to show entries that are marked as “Error”, even on a completely healthy, normal system. I’d go so far as to say that an event log without errors just doesn’t happen. But it’s not normal for there to be lots of them. > [@](#): > > I think there’s a decent chance ad has a bad hard drive, but I think there’s still a decent chance it’s a software issue. Possibly, which is why I asked after the virus checker. I’ve been out of the game for a few years so I recognise that things may have changed. I will reserve further comment until Qadgop gives full details. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382/37 "2019-01-10T18:35:18Z")
Virus checker said everything was beautiful, no intrusions or problems. But my Event Monitor was 5000+ items of RED EXCLAMATION POINT error and almost nothing else (save occasional informational updates), all beginning 12/31/2018 and continuing to the moment of the scan the other day. ALL saying the disk was problematic. Prior to that it had a month or two of logged misc information flags, interspersed with the odd red exclamation of an error or two every few hours or days but NONE of those were saying the disk was a problem. I will futz with the cables connecting the hard drive later, but if that doesn’t do anything, I think I’ve got a date with my computer guru for his pro opinion. I do appreciate everything you’ve done for me, and look forward to whatever wisdom you can offer once I tinker further. ---
**Author:** ![JB99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JB99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JB99)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382/38 "2019-01-10T18:56:39Z")
Whenever my computer starts to chug, the problem is invariably SuperFetch. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382/39 "2019-01-10T19:06:49Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I do appreciate everything you’ve done for me, and look forward to whatever wisdom you can offer once I tinker further. If the HDD is indeed faulty, replace it with a SSD. As large as you can afford and need. You won’t believe the difference in speed. A week later, you won’t believe how slow HDDs are. ---
**Author:** ![filmstar-en](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/50afbb/32.png) [@filmstar-en](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmstar-en)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382/40 "2019-01-10T21:38:55Z")
SSDs are also very cheap these days. I just upgraded a couple of very ancient laptops and they fairly wiz along now. I copied my HDD to SSD with a free drive copying progam Clonezilla. Copying may well expose any problem with the hard drive. Sometimes the file system can be get a bit corrupted. It is best to try fixing that first the chkdsk utility. If chkdsk fails, the HDD might be failing. That is a different class of problem. > **[chkdsk – Guide for Windows 10, 11, XP, Vista, 7, 8](https://neosmart.net/wiki/chkdsk/)** > > CHKDSK is a Windows utility that can check the integrity of your hard disk and can fix various file system errors. CHKDSK (or chkdsk.exe) is short for “check disk”. It’s recommend… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-why-is-my-computer-freezing-up/827382.md?page=3)