The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible - Arthur C. Clarke
Each new operating system and application release seems to bump up the minimum CPU and RAM requirements they need to function. This is fine for newer PCs but you may find your computer freezes when using an older machine. This article details some troubleshooting tips for reducing the likelihood of your computer freezing/hanging.
Start by checking you have enough disk space for virtual memory. Microsoft generally recommends having over 10% left free. You’ll find your computer freezes repeatedly once this drops under 4%.
If you have not defragmented your drive before, then it could be causing the issue. Your drive builds up with fragments of documents around the disk that increase file access times and RAM caching demands.
Try another web connection if the computer freezes while online. Don’t discount the possibility that the line has a fault. In addition, if browsing data heavy pages (video content, streaming, etc.) then the browser may be caching a lot of information. Check the Task Manager (on the processes section) for the memory usage by the browser. The simple computer fix is to restart the browser.
If the computer freezes only occur after installing a new product (software or hardware) then there are a few options to consider. It may have corrupted the registry so try uninstalling the software. Check the manufacturer’s website for product updates as you may have installed an old, buggy version of the product. Check the Device Manager (under the control panel/ system) to see if there are any faults detected with the hardware.
Other regular computer repair and maintenance activities that can boost the general health of your PC are to close unused services, check Windows Update for program/security/driver updates and run a registry cleaner. Lastly, scan for viruses, malware and adware as often as possible as these applications can damage the registry, which leads to system errors, or use up your CPU, RAM and bandwidth for whatever hacks they are attempting.
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