Recovering from a Windows Crash / Freeze

Recovering from a Windows Crash / Freeze

Here are the things you should try and do when you suspect you're in a crashed state. Taken in this order, these steps will cause you the least trouble and disruption.

A system crash on a computer usually leads to you needing to restart / reboot the computer. Doing that will cause you to lose any edits you've made to documents since you last saved that document to disk.

Save and Save Frequently!

How can you tell you're in a "crashed state"?

A Windows crash shows up in a number of different ways:

• You may see a system error message on your screen (a "general protection fault" or "fatal error") where Restart may be the only option.
• You may see some visual disruption on your screen (e.g.: half of an error dialog box drawn, for example).
• You may be able to move the mouse but your clicking the mouse button doesn't do anything.
• The arrow on the screen won't follow your mouse movements. This is called a "freeze" or "hang".

Note that if these last two are the symptoms you experience, you might want to hang out for a little while before taking the below steps. Your computer might be in a "wait state" while something happens in the background. This is often true if your PC is trying to perform some network functions like accessing a site on the Internet, sharing files or address a volume (floppy disk, CD, DVD, etc.). Give your PC another two minutes and see if control returns to you.

End Task

If you hold down the Control and Alt keys and, while holding those down also type the Delete key (at the upper right of the keyboard) you will call up the Close Program or End Task dialog box. You may click on one of the processes in this box and click the End Task button. That will have the system force that application out of memory (i.e.: it won't be running any more).

Activity 1: Try an End Task

Note: Closing an application creates a degree of instability in your system. In generally, you don't End Task unless you have to.... You might want to restart your Windows PC after you're finished with this lesson.

1) Exit out of all programs running on your PC in order to return to the Desktop.

I want you take this step in case your system crashes during this exercise -- so the crash won't take have you lose any changes to documents.

Click here if you're unfamiliar with how to move between programs or don't know how to tell if you've got programs open. (Clicking on this link will cause another browser window to open. Read through / practice that and then close that window and you'll be back here.)

2) Open the WordPad program. (Click here if you don't know how to do this. Clicking on this link will cause another browser window to open. Read through / practice that and then close that window and you'll be back here.)

3) Type some stuff in the the document window that opens. Do not save this document.

4) "End Task" the WordPad program holding down the Control and Alt keys and, while holding those down, also type the Delete key (at the upper right of the keyboard). This dialog box will appear:

5) Click on one of the WordPad process in this box and click the End Task button. That will have the system force that application out of memory (i.e.: it won't be running any more).

Activity 2: Restarting Your Windows PC

If pressing the Control-Alt+Delete keys doesn't work or if clicking on the End Task also doesn't work, you need to restart your computer. (NOTE: If you follow these instructions you'll have to wait for your PC to come back up / restart / reboot!)

1) Exit out of all programs running on your PC in order to return to the Desktop.

Click here if you're unfamiliar with this tactic. (Clicking on this link will cause another browser window to open. Read through / practice that and then close that window and you'll be back here.)

2) Toggle off the power switch or pull the power plug, count to five and plug it back in / power it on. (Click here if you don't know how to find the power switch on your computer.)

When things continue to go bad....

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