Why Do Programs Stop Responding or Lock Up?

You are typing away and suddenly realize your words aren’t on the screen. Your mouse cursor just keeps spinning. Your application is frozen.
First, let me explain what is happening behind the scenes. Windows expects all applications to interact with it. If a program is not “listening” or doesn’t respond to a command in a timely manner, it is considered “Not responding”.
There are many reasons programs can stop responding. The application may be performing an intense operation. There could be programming errors in the software code. Your computer may not have the resources necessary to run all of the applications you have open. You could have hardware problems or malware.

Will it Solve Itself?
In some cases, the program will begin responding again once it has completed other processes. Other times, you may have to end the task using Task Manager or reboot the PC.
If you can work in other programs, do so and give the frozen one some time to complete what it doing. If it doesn’t start responding again, press CTRL-ALT-DEL and click Task Manager. You can also right-click the taskbar at the bottom of your screen and start Task Manager. Task Manager will show all programs that are running on your computer. The frozen program will have (Not Responding) beside it. Highlight it and click End Task. You may get a message asking if you are sure. Click OK.
If this doesn’t close the program or Windows is completely locked up, you will have to reboot it. Most PCs require that you hold the power button in for at least 5 seconds to shut it down. Otherwise, it just goes to sleep. If Windows comes back where you left off, you didn’t hold the power button in long enough.
Many times, these problems are random. If it continues, you notice a pattern or can recreate the problem at will, it’s time to call in the experts.

Actions You Can Take:
- Add RAM to your computer
- Install a larger hard drive
- Scan your computer for a malware infestation

If that doesn’t solve the problem:
Heart of Texas Network Consultants can monitor the health and performance of your computer to help reduce downtime caused by these errors. We can determine if hardware is failing or about to fail. Call us for a no-obligation consultation