Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: Applications freezing or crashing. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

Quick fixes to try first

1. Wait – sometimes applications just need a moment to respond.
2. Close and reopen – exit the application completely and launch it again.
3. Restart your computer – clears temporary issues and refreshes system resources.

Understanding frozen versus crashing applications

Before troubleshooting, it is important to distinguish between a frozen application and one that crashes:

• Frozen (unresponsive): The application window remains open but does not respond to mouse clicks or keyboard input. It may display “Not responding” in the title bar.
• Crashing (closes unexpectedly): The application closes abruptly without warning, sometimes displaying an error message or simply disappearing.

Use the diagnostic steps below that match the behaviour you are experiencing.

Detailed solutions

If an application is frozen

Method 1 – Close via Task Manager

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Locate the frozen application in the list.
3. Right-click it and choose End task.
4. Try opening the application again.

Method 2 – Close via Alt + F4

1. Click the frozen application window to give it focus.
2. Press Alt + F4.
3. Try reopening the application.

High CPU or memory usage

1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
2. Click the Processes tab and sort by CPU or Memory.
3. Identify any process using an unusually high amount of resources.
4. Right-click the offending process and select End task, or investigate further.
5. If the high-usage process is a background service you do not need, consider disabling it via Settings → Apps → Startup.

If an application keeps crashing

Step 1 – Update the application

1. Open Microsoft Store → Library and check for updates.
2. If the application was installed from a vendor’s website, visit the vendor’s site and download the latest version.
3. Ensure Windows itself is up to date (see “Check for Windows updates” below).

Step 2 – Repair the application

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Windows 11: Go to Apps → Installed apps.
   Windows 10: Go to Apps & features.
3. Find the problem application, click the three-dot menu and select Advanced options.
4. Click Repair. If the issue persists, click Reset.

Step 3 – Check for conflicting third-party software (clean boot)

1. Press Win + R, type msconfig and press Enter.
2. On the Services tab, select Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all.
3. Open Task Manager, go to the Startup tab and disable all startup items.
4. Restart your computer and test the application.
5. If the application works, re-enable services and startup items one by one to identify the conflicting software.

Step 4 – Reinstall the application

1. Open Settings (Win + I) → Apps → Installed apps (or Apps & features on Windows 10).
2. Select the application, click the three-dot menu and choose Uninstall.
3. Reinstall the application from the Microsoft Store or from the vendor’s installer.

Step 5 – Test compatibility mode

1. Right-click the application’s shortcut or executable and choose Properties.
2. Open the Compatibility tab.
3. Check Run this program in compatibility mode for: and select an earlier version of Windows.
4. Click Apply and then OK. Launch the application again.

Step 6 – Reset application data

1. Close the application.
2. Navigate to %LOCALAPPDATA%\[AppFolder] (replace [AppFolder] with the application’s folder name).
3. Delete or rename the folder to back up the data.
4. Restart the application so it creates a fresh data set.

System-wide troubleshooting

Create a system restore point

1. Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl and press Enter.
2. Open the System Protection tab.
3. Click Create, enter a description and click Create again.

Check available disk space

1. Open File Explorer and select This PC.
2. Check the free space on your system drive (usually C:).
3. If the drive is nearly full, delete unnecessary files, empty the Recycle Bin, or move data to external storage.
4. Restart the affected application and test again.

Check for Windows updates

1. Open Settings (Win + I) → Windows Update.
2. Select Check for updates and install any available updates.

Run System File Checker (SFC)

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Enter sfc /scannow and press Enter.
3. Allow the scan to complete and follow any on-screen instructions.

Run DISM if SFC does not resolve the issue

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Enter DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press Enter.
3. Wait for the process to finish, then rerun sfc /scannow.

Check Event Viewer and Reliability Monitor

1. Press Win + X and select Event Viewer.
2. Expand Windows Logs → Application and look for error entries that correspond to the time of the crash.
3. Note the Event ID and source; search Microsoft’s knowledge base for further guidance.
4. For a visual overview, open Reliability Monitor (type “Reliability Monitor” in the Start menu) and review recent crashes.

Check for malware

1. Open Settings (Win + I) → Privacy & security → Windows Security.
2. Select Virus & threat protection → Quick scan or Full scan.
3. If you use third-party antivirus software, run a full scan with that solution. See Antivirus alerts – what to do for guidance.

Update drivers

1. Open Device Manager (right-click the Start button and choose it).
2. Expand categories such as Display adapters and System devices.
3. Right-click each device and select Update driver → Search automatically for drivers.
4. Restart the computer after installing any updates.

Clear the Microsoft Store cache

1. Press Win + R, type wsreset and press Enter.
2. The Store will open after the cache is cleared.

Clear browser cache or disable extensions (web-based applications)

1. Open your browser’s settings and locate the option to clear browsing data.
2. Clear cached images and files, cookies, and site data.
3. If the problem persists, disable browser extensions one at a time to identify a possible conflict.
4. For a full guide, see How to clear browser cache and cookies.

When to get help

• If only one application is affected and reinstallation does not resolve the problem.
• If multiple applications crash, or the whole system becomes unstable.
• If you receive error messages – note the exact wording before seeking assistance.
• Open a support ticket: Open a Ticket

Still Having Issues?