Windows 11 has been a success in features and user interface improvements. However, Some users are saying that Windows 11 freezes (hangs). There are several reasons your computer might hang up. These include insufficient RAM, corrupt files, invalid GPU drivers, unsustainable resolutions, and many other factors.
Windows is still in an early stage of development and is therefore not stable. We recommend that Windows 11 not be used as the primary operating system.
If you have upgraded to Windows 11, it is worth going back to Windows 10. If you aren’t interested in reinstalling Windows 11 or experiencing the freezing issue, we will show you how to fix it.
How to fix Windows 11 freezing issue?
Method 1 (Upgrading GPU drivers)
Outdated graphics card drivers can cause the freezing issue. Windows 11 can freeze if you update Windows 11 from an older Windows version and still use the outdated GPU drivers. Follow these steps to fix the issue.
1. Type Device Manager in the search bar.
2. Next, click Device Manager.
3. Expand Display adapters, right-click on your graphic card driver, and select Update driver.
4. Select Search automatically for drivers. Windows will automatically install any available drivers if there are.
Method 2 (Adjust Virtual Memory).
Insufficient memory is most often why your apps are slowing down or becoming unresponsive. If your RAM is only 4GB and you are doing resource-intensive tasks such as video editing and rendering, Windows 11 may freeze and display BSOD (black screen on death).
You can also choose to increase virtual RAM to resolve the problem with Windows 11 screen freezing. Here are some ways to improve virtual memory
1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Enter performance into the search box and hit Enter.
3. Now, click Adjust the appearance and performance Windows to open Performance Options.
4. Click the Change button under the Advanced tab.
5. Compare the Virtual Memory window’s Recommended paging size and the Value Currently Allocated.
- If the value for Currently allocated memory is less than Recommended, uncheck Automatically manage paging files size for all drives. Click the Custom size and enter the Recommended value in the Initial Size box. Enter a larger value into the Maximum size box. Click OK to save the changes.
- If the current allocation value is greater than the others, skip the rest and move on to the next step.
Method 3(Run an SFC Scan)
Windows 11 can freeze randomly after an update because it skips, loses, or damages system files. You can fix this problem by scanning your System and repairing the system files.
System File Checker can scan and restore corrupt files to resolve many system problems. Follow these steps to run an SFC scan if Windows 11 freezes at startup.
1. Type cmd into the search box. Right-click Command Prompt to select Run as administrator.
2. To start the scan and recovery, enter sfc/SCANNOW in the CMD window. It will take some time, so be patient and wait until it finishes.
Method 4(Run Disk Check)
Windows 11 may freeze randomly if there are errors on your hard disk. You can run a disk check using the CHKDSK command.
1. Start Command Prompt as an administrator in Windows 11.
2. Enter chkdsk n: /f /r and hit the Enter key. N is a letter of the drive. This tool will check your system for errors, fix them, and detect bad sectors. It can also recover readable information.
Method 5 (Windows Memory Test)
Users claim that a Windows memory test could be used to fix Windows 11’s random freezes.
1. Click Win + R and type mdsched.exe before clicking OK.
2. Select the first option. Restart now. Check for any problems in the popup window.
3. Windows 11 will restart and run the check task. There may be no errors. You can try another approach below.
Method 6 (Clear your Temp Files).
When you delete or uninstall apps from your System, temporary files may be left behind. These files can build up and cause slowdowns in the System’s performance. The System may freeze or slow down if there isn’t enough space for temporary files.
Follow these steps to delete temporary files from Windows 11.
1. Start Windows Settings, and then go to System> Storage.
2. Click Temporary files.
3. Click on the Remove button to remove any temporary files.
Method 7 (Switch External Display to an Aspect Ratio of 16:9)
Users who have used an ultrawide external monitor report that Windows 11 freezes randomly. You can switch to a 16:9 aspect ratio if you have the same problem with Windows 11. These are the resolutions that preserve a 16/9 aspect ratio: 3840×2160; 2560×1440; 1600×900; 1366×768, 1366×720, 1280×720 and 1152×648, as well as 1024×576. To adjust the resolution, follow the instructions for the first method.
Method 8 (Run Startup Repair).
Startup Repair should be your first choice if Windows 11 fails to start and redirect you to the login screen.
Follow these steps to perform Windows startup repair.
1. When your System turns on, hit F11.
2. This will take the Windows 11 Advanced Startup Options.
3. After booting, tap Troubleshoot
4. Click on Advanced Options
5. Choose the Startup Repair option
Windows 11 will now automatically diagnose the problem and repair it. Give it a while.
Method 9(Run DISM)
You can also run DISM (Deployment Image Servicing & Management) to resolve the Windows 11 system freezes caused by the system image.
1. Run Command Prompt using admin privileges.
2. Enter the command DISM/Online/Cleanup/RestoreHealth. Press Enter. The System will run and verify data corruption and fix them accordingly.
