[Solved] Windows 11 Freezes Randomly - 9 Ways
Some users reported that their Windows 11 freezes randomly. You can learn about 9 solutions to this problem in this article. If all the solutions fail to solve your problem, you can try to use reliable third-party software to perform "Universal Restore".
User case
Latest Windows 11 keeps freezing
“I recently downloaded Windows 11 on my laptop and for the first 3 days, everything went smoothly with no issues. After that, everything went down hill. I'm starting to experience random freezes as well as black screen on Windows 11. Sometimes, it only occurs once a day, other days 3 times and today, it happened about 6 times. I have no idea what might cause this computer keeps freezing Windows 11 issue because on the Event Viewer, it didn't tell me much. Anyone else getting this?”
- Question from Reddit
As mentioned in the case many people have encountered Windows 11 PC freezes randomly issue, this article collects 9 effective ways to help you solve your problem! Follow this article to get straight to your pain points!
👉[Advanced] Run universal restore via professional Windows 11 backup software
Why are there random freezes on Windows 11?
Not long ago, Microsoft released the official release of Windows11. Windows 11 is currently in the preliminary stage of use. Some users reported that they encountered some problems and small errors in use. One of the most common problems currently faced by Windows 11 users is random freezes. Users affected by this issue report that their Windows 11 unresponsive whenever this issue occurs. This problem should attract our attention, because it may eventually cause the system to crash.
There are several different situations that may cause this problem—Windows 11 freezes randomly. Some potential culprits that may be the source of this problem are listed below:
✬ Unsustainable resolution
✬ Insufficient VRAM
✬ Incompatible device drivers
✬ Corrupted system image files
✬ Outdated BIOS version
How to fix “Windows 11 freezes randomly” issue
This article provides 9 solutions to this problem, quickly see what they are. Click on the solution you want to use to perform the detailed steps.
Note✍: All the solutions mentioned below are arranged according to the severity of the problem. Therefore, it is vital to apply these solutions in order and not jump directly to the last solution.
If you have tried all these methods but the problem is still not resolved, you can move directly to the next part and use professional backup software to perform Universal Restore.
Solution 1: Change the screen resolution
Sometimes, your screen resolution may be too high for the GPU to handle. Therefore, Windows 11 will freeze randomly. In this case, you can resolve Windows 11 freezing by bringing your screen resolution down.
- Press Windows + I to open Settings (or click on Start Menu and select Settings).
- Tap on System -> Display.
- Click on Display resolution under Scale & Layout. Select the screen resolution you want (it’s suggested to go with the resolution that has recommended written next to it).
Solution 2: Update device drivers
It is also possible that Windows 11 freezes randomly because of outdated drivers. In this case, updating all drivers at once can help solve the problem. To update your device driver, follow the given steps.
1. Press Windows + I to open Settings (or click on Start Menu and select Settings).
2. Go to Windows Update -> Advanced Options -> Optional Updates > Driver Updates.
3. Under Driver Updates menu, select the updates you want to install.
Your system will now automatically scan for updates. If there are any updates available, your system will automatically install them.
Solution 3: Remove temporary files
Every time we delete or uninstall an application on the system, it tends to leave some residual temporary files. These temporary files pile up like a mountain, which may affect the overall performance of the system. Therefore, after deleting any application or program on the system, you must delete all files together.
To remove the temporary files on your system, follow the given steps.
1. Press Windows + I to open Settings (or click on Start Menu and select Settings).
2. Go to System -> Storage -> Local Disk ->Temporary files.
3. Select all the temporary files you want to remove.
4. When selected, click on the option which reads Remove files.
Now, the system will automatically delete the junk files on your system.
Solution 4: Adjust virtual memory
I believe you have noticed that most of the time your application slows down or stops running because of insufficient RAM memory.
To adjust your virtual memory, follow the given steps.
1. In the search box on the taskbar, type performance, then select Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows in the list of results.
2. In the new tab, go to Advanced tab and click on Change.
3. Compare the recommended value with the currently allocated one. If the current allocated value is less than the recommended, uncheck the Automatically manage paging file size for all drivers. Then click on Custom Size.
4. Now, enter the Recommended Value into the Initial size box. Add a larger figure in the Maximum size box. Click Set and OK to save the changes.
Solution 5: Repair corrupted files or system image via CMD
Sometimes, Windows 11 freezes randomly because it may skip or lose some files when you upgrade to Window 11. It is also possible that the system file is damaged. In addition, it may install some corrupted files, which may cause this issue. You can repair corrupted files or system image via CMD.
Run SFC command to repair corrupted files
1. Press Win+R to open the RUN dialog box, type ‘cmd’ and hit Enter.
2. In Command Prompt, type the following command and hit Enter:
- SFC /scannow
Your computer will now start searching for missing, skipped or damaged files in the system and will repair them automatically. Restart the system after the scan is complete.
Run DISM command to repair system image
1. Press Win+R to open the RUN dialog box, type ‘cmd’ and hit Enter.
2. In Command Prompt, type the following command and hit Enter:
- DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
The system will now run and verify the corrupted data and system files that may need to be repaired, and fix them accordingly. After the scan is complete, restart the computer.
Solution 6: Run Disk Check
Incompatible hard drives may also cause random freezes on Windows 11. You can run Chkdsk Command to identify and fix any problems with the hard drive.
To run a disk check, follow the given steps.
1. Press Win+R to open the RUN dialog box, type ‘cmd’ and hit Enter.
2. In Command Prompt, type the following command and hit Enter: (you can change the drive letter and repeat this command to check all the drives present in your system)
Your system will now scan the drive for any errors. If you see errors, these errors may be the cause of Windows 11 freezing. In this case, please stop upgrading the disk.
Solution 7: Run Startup Repair
If you fail to solve the issue “Windows 11 freezes randomly” using the above methods, or you cannot start and enter the login screen or desktop, you should run Startup Repair to fix this problem.
To run the Windows Startup Repair, follow the given steps.
1. Power on your system. Hit F11 the minute your system powers up. This will take you to the Windows 11 Advanced Startup Options.
2. Upon booting, tap on Troubleshoot -> Advanced options -> Startup Repair.
Wait for a few minutes to diagnose the problem and work on repairing the problem automatically.
Solution 8: Perform a BIOS reset
BIOS (Basic Input Output System) is an integral part of how the hardware operates. Sometimes, resetting the BIOS can restore the settings and eliminate errors that cause your PC to freeze randomly.
To perform a BIOS reset, follow the given steps.
1. Press Windows + I to open Settings (or click on Start Menu and select Settings).
2. Go to System -> Recovery. Under Advanced Startup, click on Restart Now.
3. Wait for the system to Restart. Upon Restart, select Troubleshoot -> Advanced Options -> UEFI Firmware Settings.
4. Click Restart and your PC will boot to the BIOS menu.
5. Then look for Exit tab and select Load Setup Defaults and hit Enter.
6.Finally, select Yes in the confirmation dialog box.
Solution 9: Reset Windows 11
If none of the above solutions work for you, it may be because there is a problem with the entire installed operating system. In this case, you need to reset Windows 11.
Note✍: This step will erase all data present on the system. So, make sure to back up important files before resetting Windows 11.
To reset Windows 11, follow the given steps.
1. Press Windows + I to open Settings (or click on Start Menu and select Settings).
2. Go to System -> Recovery. Under Recovery options, click on Reset PC.
3. Click on Remove Everything.
4. Click Next if Windows warns you that won’t be able to roll back to a prior OS version. On the message prompt, click Reset.
[Advanced] Run universal restore via professional Windows 11 backup software
However, according to some users' feedback, they still haven't solved the random freezes of windows 11 after trying all the above methods. Even if they want to reset the computer, they find that Windows 11 reset not working. Don't worry, there is another way to get rid of these problems easily.
AOMEI Backupper Professional is an excellent PC backup software. It is incredibly straightforward that even a complete novice will have their whole system and files safely in no time. If you are troubled by random freezes on Windows 11 and cannot be solved with the above solutions, then this software can help you. You can have a quick view of its outstanding features.
✧ Universal restore: (also Dissimilar Hardware Restore) you can use it to easily restore system image of one machine to another that has dissimilar hardware and boot normal.
✧ Multiple backup methods: you can perform System Backup, File Backup, Disk Backup, Partition Backup.
✧ Advanced clone methods: system clone, UEFI clone, GPT to MBR clone, and customized clone.
✧ Support different storages: you can backup/clone to different storages, such as local disks, network location, cloud drives and external hard drives, etc. You can also restore files from these storages.
In order to solve the "Windows 11 keeps freezing" problem, you can create a system backup on another available Windows 11 computer via AOMEI Backupper, and then perform a Universal Restore. The following graphic tutorial will show you how to use Universal Restore to easily solve this problem. Download this software to try it free for 30 days.
▶ Preparations:
✪ You need to create bootable drive to boot the target computer.
✪ You need to create a system image on a functional PC. You can save the image to a NAS, or a USB drive.
Step 1. Boot the computer that has Windows 11 freezing problem via the bootable USB drive you created before. When you boot into recovery environment (here is Windows PE), AOMEI Backupper will pop up automatically
Step 2. Then, click "Restore" tab -> "Select Image File" to find the system image you created.
Step 3. In this example, the system image is stored on NAS/network. Click "Share/NAS" and input the necessary information. At last, click "OK" to continue.
Step 4. After the network path is added, you can navigate to the system backup image you created before, choose it and click “OK”.
Step 5. Select “Restore this system backup” and click "Next".
Step 6. Select a drive on the destination computer to receive the restored data and click "Next".
Step 7. Then preview the restore operation. The "Universal Restore" option is ticked by default. Do not uncheck it, or you may encounter startup problems after restore. Click "Start Restore" to perform this operation.
☆Tip:
SSD Alignment: This program also suggests you to check SSD Alignment box if the destination disk is an SSD.
Conclusion
That’s all the solutions for the “Windows 11 freezes randomly” issue. Hope your problem has been solved. The reliable backup software—AOMEI Backupper Professional can provide you with more functions that include clone, sync, powerful tools, etc.
Windows 11 is still in the initial stage of use, and you don't know what problems will happen in the future. To prevent being at a loss when something goes wrong, you can use it to create a backup. And you can also use it to move hard drive to new computer in Windows 11. Why hesitate? Try it now!