# Windows 7 Home premium keeps freezing up on me
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-home-premium-keeps-freezing-up-on-me/576050
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 26, 2011, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-home-premium-keeps-freezing-up-on-me/576050 "2011-03-26T12:52:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2011, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-home-premium-keeps-freezing-up-on-me/576050/1 "2011-03-26T12:52:13Z")
I used to have a netbook (using Windows 7 Starter) and explorer would keep freezing up on me. It always happened when Internet explorer was on. I figured a wanted a more powerful computer anyway so I got a Phenom II 3.0Ghz X4 and 8G Ram with Windows 7 premium.
Then that computer froze several times when I was using internet explorer. Sometimes all I had on were a 2-3 IE windows. So I switched to firefox. And it still freezes.
When it freezes, I turn it off and turn it on again. When that happens and it gets back to the desktop screen, if I ask it to do anything of any substance (like opening firefox/IE, a Jpeg or a Word file) it freezes up again.
I don’t have a great many startup programs. I use both Microsoft windows defender and Avast. What could be causing the freezes?
---
### Author:  [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2011, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-home-premium-keeps-freezing-up-on-me/576050/2 "2011-03-26T13:10:11Z")
Run a memory testing software.
---
### Author:  [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-home-premium-keeps-freezing-up-on-me/576050/3 "2011-03-26T14:21:38Z")
Since you are having the same problem with two computers and two browsers, I look to some program you have running on both that is not compatible with W7.
Run MISCONFIG and start eliminating programs that run at start up. There are also programs that you can run that look for incompatibilities. CCleaner is only mildly helpful in that regard. Glary’s utilities are better.
---
### Author:  [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-home-premium-keeps-freezing-up-on-me/576050/4 "2011-03-26T14:37:32Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#):
>
> Run a memory testing software.
“No errors detected”
The software that’s present on startup is:
Microsoft security client
Steam
Microsoft Windows OS
Avast antivirus
Catalyst control center
Logitech G35 headset
Java auto updater 2.0
ATI customer care
---
### Author:  [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2011, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-home-premium-keeps-freezing-up-on-me/576050/5 "2011-03-26T14:46:48Z")
Upgrade to IE9
Why are you running Avast anti virus \*and \*the Microsoft security client? You really don’t need two AV programs.
---
### Author:  [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-home-premium-keeps-freezing-up-on-me/576050/6 "2011-03-26T15:09:10Z")
China,
Paranoia.
I ran Glary’s utilities and it told me my startup programs were fine. It recovered something like 4.47G in temporary files though.
I’ll be trying IE9 right now, thanks.
---
### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-home-premium-keeps-freezing-up-on-me/576050/7 "2011-03-26T15:19:27Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#):
>
> Upgrade to IE9
>
> Why are you running Avast anti virus \*and \*the Microsoft security client? You really don’t need two AV programs.
In fact, if you were using both on both computers, that could be the problem. You are not supposed to run two different on-access antiviruses. It can cause stability issues, including freezing up.
If that is the case, IE9 probably won’t help–the problem is likely the two antiviruses both interfacing with the browser. Avast beat out MSE in all the tests I’ve seen, so stick with Avast.
---
### Author:  [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-home-premium-keeps-freezing-up-on-me/576050/8 "2011-03-26T16:24:51Z")
I built myself a nice AMD system last year and have had trouble with lock ups occasionally. Seems browser related also, most often soon after switching back from playing a game, so I suspect it has something to do with the video card transitioning back to 2d. I am using a HD5850 and it can get pretty hot (~70 C) I try to remember to run HW monitor so I can watch the GPU temperature more closely. Updated catalyst drivers seemed to reduce the problem.
Its annoying as the system is all top quality components, XP almost never froze hard on me on numerous PCs.
---
### Author:  [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-home-premium-keeps-freezing-up-on-me/576050/9 "2011-03-26T17:24:52Z")
Just a suggestion. I’m running Win 7 and Google Chrome. I’ve never experienced any problems. Why not try Chrome and see if anything changes for the better.
---
### Author:  [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-home-premium-keeps-freezing-up-on-me/576050/10 "2011-03-26T17:33:57Z")
I’ll try Chrome some more. I dislike the bookmarks system but having fiddled with it, it may not be so bad.