Why is my laptop freezing when I start it up?

July 27th, 2021

One moment you're happily going about your day—checking emails or listening to music—when, suddenly, everything stops. Your computer is frozen. You frantically drag and click your mouse desperate for signs of movement, but nothing happens.

Don't panic. At Asurion, our experts help millions of customers get the most out of their tech and resolve their most frustrating device problems, including computer repair. Here's our guide to why your computer is freezing or crashing and how to get it back up and running.

Why do computers start freezing or crashing?

Your Mac® or PC computer may be crashing for a variety of reasons, including:

The good news is there are simple workarounds that will save you time as you try to figure out why your computer keeps crashing.

What should I do when my computer starts freezing or crashing?

Is your Mac freezing? Is your PC crashing? Don't worry, we've got you covered. Here are some common troubleshooting steps for both.

Restart your computer

Typically, the most effective way to fix a frozen computer is to restart it. Doing so gives your system a chance to reset and start fresh.

The best way to restart a frozen computer is to hold the power button down for five to 10 seconds. This will allow your computer to restart safely without the disruption of a total power loss.

Make sure to disconnect any headphones or extra cords as these items can cause glitches as your computer restarts. If your computer freezes again during the start-up process, however, it's time to explore other options for solving the problem.

Quit programs that might be causing your computer to freeze

When too many software programs are running on your computer at the same time, your operating system can get overwhelmed. This causes websites and applications to drag, freeze, or even crash.

The Task Manager on Windows™ and its Apple® equivalent, Activity Monitor, are great tools you can use to force quit applications that are hoarding resources, making sure your device runs smoothly.

How to force quit programs using Task Manager on Windows 10:

How to force quit programs using Activity Monitor on a Mac:

If your Mac or PC repeatedly crashes after force quitting certain applications, you may need to uninstall them. They're likely incompatible with your hard drive.

Another way to keep your computer safe from freezing or crashing is called, well, Safe Mode.

Unlike force quitting, this feature automatically strips your computer of unnecessary apps during the startup process. The downside, however, is that your computer will disable videos, games, and high-resolution graphics, among other applications. So it's best to use this option only when you're troubleshooting critical issues.

How to run Safe Mode on Windows 10:

After your device restarts, a list of options will appear. Select option 5 or press the F5 key for Safe Mode with Networking. This will allow you to connect to the internet. Your PC will now restart in Safe Mode.

To exit Safe Mode, simply restart your device normally.

How to run Safe Mode on your Mac:

To run safe mode on a Mac, you'll first need to figure out if your Mac is using an Apple Silicon processor or an Intel processor.

How to start up your Mac in Safe Mode with an Intel processor chip:

How to start up your Mac in Safe Mode with a Silicon processor chip:

To exit Safe Mode on a Mac, restart your computer normally without pressing or holding any keys during startup.

Update your device drivers

Device drivers are an essential part of your operating system. They send instructions to other parts of your machine, telling them how to do their jobs. But when drivers are out of date or not working properly, they can cause problems for your machine, locking it up.

While drivers are typically updated automatically, they occasionally need to be updated manually—especially if you've recently installed a new mouse or an external hard drive, which can sometimes cause your computer to crash.

If you have a Mac, you'll need to update your whole operating system (see the next section for more details). In the meantime, here's how to update your device drivers for Windows.

How to update your Windows' device drivers:

Update your operating system

Your operating system is responsible for managing programs on your device and making sure they all work together properly. So, if you want to prevent computer crashes, it's important to check and see if your operating system is updated regularly.

This is also important because operating system updates contain key security patches your device needs to protect itself from viruses and cyberattacks. Here's how to update your operating system for Mac and PC.

How to update your Windows operating system:

How to update your Mac operating system:

Restore your system to a previous state

Sometimes, a bad piece of software or a faulty device driver can cause your computer to crash.

But both Mac and Windows operating systems give you the option to restore the most recent settings on your device before the problem occurred. On a Mac, it's called Time Machine, and on Windows, it's called System Restore. Here's how they work.

How to run a System Restore on Windows 10:

How to run a Time Machine backup on a Mac:

Unfortunately, a Time Machine backup only works if you have an external hard drive connected to your Mac and have already set up this option in advance. If you've done so, follow these steps.

Scan your computer for viruses and other forms of malicious software

Viruses can also cause your computer to keep freezing or crashing, wreaking havoc on your machine over time. For step-by-step instructions on how to remove a virus from your Mac or PC, check out our comprehensive guide.

With the Asurion Home+ protection plan, you can keep your computer—plus all of your other favorite home tech—running at their best for less than $1/day. You'll not only get reliable protection, but also 24/7 access to tech experts who can answer questions about everything from setting up your wireless mouse to troubleshooting your hard drive. To learn more about complete computer coverage, visit asurion.com/homeplus.

*The Asurion® trademarks and logos are the property of Asurion, LLC. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Asurion is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any of the respective owners of the other trademarks appearing herein.*

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