System Frozen? Try These Steps

System Frozen? Try these steps to quickly get your system back up and running again.

Reboot - Even after closing an application, your memory or other processes may have become corrupted. Be safe and restart the system.

Safe Mode - If you shut down the system without using the Windows Shutdown option, boot up in Safe Mode. Windows will often prompt you after a system crash, or you can press F8 during the boot process for a menu with the option to boot into Safe Mode. Then just restart the system before proceeding.

Recover data - If you had to close out in the midst of working on something, your in-progress data may be lost. But you may be able to recover at least part of your files. Microsoft Office will often Auto Recover documents after a crash, and temporary or archived files may provide some assistance.

Watch out - Keep a close eye on the system’s performance and your usage for a while, so that if a freeze recurs, you can detect a pattern and, hopefully, identify the cause.

Save early, save often - Freezes can happen at any time, without warning. Make a habit of saving your work regularly. Don’t forget to schedule and verify regular system backups, as well.