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All computers freeze from time to time. The mouse stops working and nothing seems to work. What should you do?

First, try holding down the ctrl and alt keys and then pressing delete. This might bring up the task manager box and allow you to shut down the computer.

If this doesn't work, press and hold the on/off button for a few seconds until the computer turns itself off. This works for pcs and laptops. Count up to 10 before turning the computer back on again to allow the electronics to reset themselves.

Once a computer has started to freeze it is likely to happen again. It is worth doing a little investigation and housekeeping to see if you can prevent the computer from freezing too often.

Start by updating your antivirus software and running a scan. Next update your antispy software and run a scan. If you don't have antispy software try installing Adaware or Windows Defender (for Windows Xp and later). Removing spyware and viruses will help prevent freezing.

Does the computer always freeze when a particular program or combination of programs are open? If a single program causes the freeze, try uninstalling and reinstalling the program, it might have become corrupted. If a combination of programs cause a crash, try to avoid having them open at the same time.

Did the computer start to freeze after you installed a new piece of software or a new item of hardware? Try removing the hardware and its driver, or removing the new piece of software. Does that stop the freezing?

Do some housekeeping. If your hard drive is becoming full, uninstall unnecessary software. Look at your documents folder. Is it full of photos, music or videos? Transfer these to a CD or DVD to free up hard disc space. If you hard drive is more than about three quarters full it wont perform effectively.

Now defrag your hard drive to tidy up the files and allow the computer to run more efficiently.

Open up your internet browser and delete the temporary internet files.

Check how much RAM your computer has. Antivirus programs alone use increasing amounts of memory these days and upgrading the amount of RAM may help keep your computer running freely and prevent further freezes.

Regular housekeeping and keeping your computer's protection up to date are the most effective way of preventing your computer from freezing.

Learn more about this author, Carol Smith.
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