Troubleshooting common computer problems

Welcome to my “Troubleshooting common computer problems.”

Sometimes the computer stops responding. This article provides recommendations that help to identify the potential causes of this behavior and eliminate this problem. If the methods described in this article do not solve the problem, perform a search on the Microsoft Support or Microsoft Support site using a more detailed description of your problem.https://www.blogger.com

Decision

First of all, we need to determine the category of the problem that arises. In this article, we will consider four categories of the behavior of a computer that does not respond to requests:

Hang-up: Your computer stops responding when you perform a certain set of actions, and to restart normal operation, the computer must be rebooted.

Arbitrary hang: your computer stops responding without any regularity, and to restore normal operation, the computer must be rebooted.

General hang: your computer stops responding for a certain time, and then resumes work without any action on your part. You do not need to reboot the computer. This behavior affects all applications.

Suspension of one application: the behavior of the computer is similar to the general hang, only occurs when you run a certain application (for example, while playing or browsing the web).

Eliminating Hangs

Select the subcategory below, which most accurately describes the circumstances of the computer hanging up. If no solution is found in the following instructions, use the recommendations in the section on arbitrary freezing.

At startup

The following are the most common causes of startup hang:

Hangs when shutting down the computer can be caused by a hardware or driver malfunction, or by damage to Windows components. To resolve these issues, follow these steps:

Check for updated firmware and drivers on the computer manufacturer's website. Install the available updates.

Install all the recommended updates for Windows by using Windows Update.

Disable any optional hardware, such as USB devices, to check if the device is frozen.

Verify that the problem persists in safe mode. If not, it may be associated with the installed software. Uninstall unused software.

Check the computer for malware.

Sometimes it happens that when you turn off your computer, a message appears indicating that due to some Windows program, you can not shut down. For more information, see Shutting Down Your Computer: frequently asked questions

When you install Windows updates

If your computer freezes when you install Windows updates, see the recommendations in the following article:

2700567 When you try to start Windows Update during the installation of Windows 8, Windows 7, or Windows Vista, it stops responding

Eliminating arbitrary hangs

Arbitrary freezes are often associated with damage to the Windows configuration, faulty hardware or malware. However, since this behavior is of an arbitrary nature, it is especially difficult to determine its cause. To determine the cause and make a plan of action, study the steps below:

Problems with the Windows configuration

If the system freezes arbitrarily, it can be caused by corrupted system files, hardware compatibility issues, or corrupted registry files. Try each of the following steps to check if the hang of one of the following causes is caused.

Hardware problems

If Chkdsk starts at Windows startup, this may indicate a hard disk failure. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

2854570 Disk check (Chkdsk) is performed when you start Windows 8 or Windows 7

Note that Chkdsk can run for a very long time. On large hard drives, this can take a day or more.

If Chkdsk finds and fixes the problem, it may indicate a disk failure. In this case, problems can be repeated in the future. If problems are detected permanently or cannot be fixed, it is recommended that you replace the hard drive. If necessary, contact the computer manufacturer for assistance.

Arbitrary freezes can be associated with other faulty equipment. Contact the computer manufacturer to perform the available hardware diagnostics. In particular, you may need to perform the following actions.

Computer diagnostics, during which the integrity of the main computing devices, such as processor fans and cooling system

Video and display diagnostics

Additional hard disk diagnostics

If there is a problem with these diagnostic tests, contact the computer manufacturer.

Malware or antivirus software

Malicious software can also cause arbitrary hangs and other performance issues in Windows. For information about finding and removing viruses, see the following article: How do I find and remove a virus?

In addition, if you suspect that your computer is infected with malware, it is also recommended that you run one or more online detection tools from trusted antivirus vendors. One such example is the Microsoft Safety Scanner.

Antivirus software can sometimes cause performance problems in Windows. This especially happens when the antivirus software is obsolete, or several antivirus programs are installed on the computer. If you have multiple antivirus solutions, delete all but one. Check for updates to the antivirus software, and if so, install them. For more information, see the following articles:

Removing installed other antivirus and antispyware software

What to do if the anti-virus program stopped working

Elimination of common suspensions

A general hangover usually indicates a particular type of performance problem due to faulty hardware or problems with configuring Windows, including a small amount of memory or disk space. To determine the cause and make a plan of action, study the steps below:

Problem with the hardware driver

If Windows periodically hangs, there may be a problem with the important driver in the system. Display drivers, Bluetooth drivers, network drivers and motherboard drivers can cause the system to hang temporarily.

Visit the computer manufacturer's website to make sure you have the latest firmware for your computer and the latest drivers for all the equipment in the system.

Install all the recommended Windows updates. Thus, you will have the best version of Windows.

Low productivity

The suspension can be part of a general performance problem that causes the computer to run slowly or with delays. In this case, you can level the problem by running Windows optimization for the best performance. And although this article does not address performance issues, the following links to pages with more information about basic optimization:

Windows 7:

Troubleshoot Windows system performance issues

Ensuring optimal Windows performance

Running the Performance Troubleshooter

Windows 8:

Help: Performance and Maintenance

Eliminating the hangs of one application

If the computer temporarily hangs when using a specific application, the reason is most likely not related to the OS itself, but to the conflict of the stalling application. To solve the problem, you can use various methods, the choice of which depends on the type of the conflicting application:

Steps for all applications

First, try all the methods listed to eliminate the overall hang:

Visit the computer manufacturer's website to make sure you have the latest firmware for your computer and the latest drivers for all the equipment in the system.

Install all the recommended Windows updates.

Optimize Windows for the best performance. (For more details, see the links in the section above.)

If these actions did not solve the problem, perform the following additional steps, checking after each of them whether the problem has been fixed.

Check if there are updates for the application, and if so, install them.

Check if the Internet connection is affected by the behavior. If you can run the application without an Internet connection, try this. Probably, the reason is a slow connection to the Internet.

Delete and do not.