Your Windows 10/11 computer might become very sluggish and even entirely unresponsive for various reasons. However, there's no need to panic—you're not alone, and many others face similar issues. The good news is that we'll outline some possible causes and the best solutions to resolve a non-responsive computer.

When Windows 11/10 Doesn't Respond: Symptoms & Causes

You may experience your PC not responding while working or enjoying entertainment. Typically, the signs of Windows not responding include:

Intermittent hangs: The system becomes sluggish or freezes occasionally, but restarting the PC usually resolves it.

Regular freezes/hangs: Occasionally, your computer isn't responsive when handling multiple tasks simultaneously, and you can't interact with it. Alternatively, the device slows down and freezes after prolonged use.

Applications not responding: This situation can happen when running particular programs.

Several factors can cause a Windows system to slow down and become unresponsive, such as inadequate system resources, faulty RAM, corrupted registry entries, conflicts within the computer, driver problems, malware infections, and more.

However, don't stress—below are some practical steps you can take to get your computer back to normal.

Also read: 13 Tips for Addressing Windows 11/10 Slowness and Unresponsiveness

#1. Restart Your Computer

Windows 11/10 might pause momentarily during a particularly CPU-intensive task, giving the impression that the computer is fully frozen. However, this isn't the case. You can opt to wait a few minutes, provided this isn't a frequent occurrence.

If waiting doesn't help, try forcefully restarting your machine—press the Power button for several seconds until it shuts down, wait a bit, and then reboot the system.

#2. Use MiniTool System Booster

If you frequently encounter computer unresponsiveness, consider running one of the top PC tune-up tools to optimize the system when it briefly returns to normal. We recommend using MiniTool System Booster, which focuses on enhancing the entire computer with numerous powerful features.

To address a slow and unresponsive computer, run MiniTool System Booster to clean up your PC, free up memory space, uninstall unresponsive apps for reinstallation, disable background processes consuming significant system resources, and more. Without hesitation, download and install this PC optimizer on Windows 11/10.

Step 1: Double-click the desktop icon to launch MiniTool System Booster.

Step 2: To clean your computer and free up some RAM space, select Deepclean > START CLEAN. Follow the on-screen prompts to perform essential cleanup tasks like Internet Cleanup (deleting Internet junk files), Windows Cleanup (removing Windows temporary files), Registry Cleanup (fixing registry issues), and Memory Mechanic (releasing some memory space).

Step 3: Freezing can occur if numerous heavy programs run in the background simultaneously, as they consume many system resources, placing a strain on the CPU and RAM. Thus, use Process Scanner under Toolbox to identify and end these tasks.

Step 4: If a specific app fails to respond in Windows 11/10, causing the computer to freeze, try uninstalling the problematic program. For this task, go to Toolbox and select Advanced Uninstaller. Locate the target app and tap on UNINSTALL. Afterward, reinstall the program, and it should function correctly.

#3. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool

Faulty RAM is another reason for computer unresponsiveness in Windows 11/10. To check if this is your issue, follow these steps to run Windows Memory Diagnostic:

Step 1: Press Win R, type mdsched.exe, and click OK.

Step 2: Select the first option to restart now and check for problems.

Step 3: The system reboots and runs diagnostics. After the test, you'll see the results on the screen. If your RAM is faulty, consider replacing the problematic module.

#4. Troubleshoot Your Computer

Try this method if your computer suddenly stops responding to resolve the issue. Here's what you do:

Step 1: Open Control Panel via the search box and choose Large icons from the View by menu.

Step 2: Select Troubleshooting > System and Security and click System Maintenance.

Step 3: Click Next to clean up unused files & shortcuts and perform maintenance tasks.

#5. Update Device Drivers

Outdated, incompatible, or damaged device drivers can be the source of Windows unresponsiveness. Updating them might help resolve the issue in Windows 11/10.

Step 1: Right-click the Start button and choose Device Manager.

Step 2: Right-click each driver needing an update and select Update driver.

Step 3: Tap Search automatically for drivers and complete the process by following the instructions that appear.

#6. Perform a Clean Boot

A clean boot involves running Windows 11/10 without loading non-Microsoft services, helping identify which application is causing the freezing.

Step 1: Press Win R, type msconfig, and click OK.

Step 2: Go to General, check Selective startup, and uncheck Load startup items.

Step 3: Hit Services > Hide all Microsoft services > Disable all.

Step 4: Navigate to Startup > Open Task Manager and disable startup items.

Step 5: In the System Configuration window, save the changes by clicking Apply > OK.

#7. Conduct an SFC Scan

Windows 11/10 might not respond if some system files are missing or corrupted, and you can run SFC (System File Checker) to fix the issue.

Step 1: Launch Command Prompt with admin rights via the search box.

Step 2: Type sfc /scannow and press Enter to initiate a scan.

Related post: Windows 10 SFC /Scannow Stuck at 4/5/30/40/73, etc.? Try These 7 Solutions

Conclusion

These are common methods to resolve computer unresponsiveness. Additionally, you can try installing Windows updates, running a virus scan with Windows Security, uninstalling problematic programs via Control Panel, and resetting the PC (as a last resort).

Among these fixes, MiniTool System Booster is worth considering since this PC optimizer can significantly improve a slow and unresponsive computer. With it, you can uninstall apps, clean up your PC, stop heavy background apps, free up RAM, and more.

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