Wanna know a little trick you can use to save yourself when you’re in a situation that seems to have only one solution? You know, when your computer completely freezes up and the only thing left to do is to resort to shutting off your computer at the switch and turning it back on.
Lots of things wrong with doing that, even if the consequences are not as bad in Windows XP or Windows Vista as they were in Windows 95, 98 or ME. In those older versions of Windows, shutting off your computer at the switch was like playing Russian Roulette – you never knew if your computer would start up again or die on the spot.
Even with Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7, shutting your computer off at the switch and then turning it back on should be done only when you have no other option. Some bad things can happen although seldom does it result in catastrophe.
Shutting your computer off at the switch and then turning it back on will certainly unfreeze your computer. It may also result in some serious Windows problems too. One thing is certain, you’re going to lose any documents you were working on. Also, restarting by turning the computer off and back on takes a lot of time. Windows is notorious for taking a long time to boot.
So, here’s a really nifty trick that has bailed us out more than a few times – you might want to memorize this one because someday you’re going to need it.
If you’re ever working in Windows and suddenly everything freezes, don’t panic. Don’t hit the “Off” button. Don’t take a chance on losing your work.
Windows XP Users – try this:
1. Press the “CTRL” “ALT” “DELETE” keys in sequence
2. Task Manager Appears
3. Click The “Processes” Tab
4. Find any and all instances of “Explorer.exe” and close them all by right-clicking and choosing “End Process”
5. If you’ve done this successfully your taskbar will disappear – don’t worry – that’s what you want.
6. Now, while you’re still in Task Manager, click “File” “New task” and type in “explorer.exe” (without the quotes)
7. Your taskbar should now reappear and your computer that was frozen should now be ready to go
Windows Vista & Windows 7 users –
You’ll find this easier. (You can, however, use the CTRL+ALT+DELETE keys to get to Task Manager if you like.)
1. Right-click an empty place on your taskbar
2. Choose “Task Manager”
3. Click The “Processes” Tab
4. Find any and all instances of “Explorer.exe” and close them all by right-clicking and choosing “End Process”
5. If you’ve done this successfully your taskbar will disappear – don’t worry – that’s what you want.
6. Now, while you’re still in Task Manager, click “File” “New task” and type in “explorer.exe” (without the quotes)
7. Your taskbar should now reappear and your computer that was frozen should now be ready to go.
This trick will work most of the time – but not always. Sometimes you cannot even use your CTRL – ALT -DELETE keys. If this happens you’ll just have to shut ‘er down. And, then restart.
There are other ways to get to the Task Manager too – for instance CTRL + SHIFT + ESC will take you there too.
Um, so what part of FREEZE isn’t clear? Unresponsive to any/all keyboard and mouse inputs is what I’d call “freeze” and I’d be happy to “memorize” something other than holding down the power switch until it shuts off.
What do you do when the computer is to Yalu locked up? Can’t even shut it down.
Yalu? If it’s a desktop just unplug it from the power source.
Good answer Tom. I have the same problem, and when it freezes it FREEZES until it says going to power save and then it reboots itself
Control,alt,esc worked for me when pc was completely frozen
Ctrl+Alt+Esc minimizes the window in focus on my PC.
Have to agree with tom here, my laptop has recently started freezing and the whole thing freezes, cant do ctrl alt del and cant move the mouse, sick of constant reboots!
Yes. My computer is totally frozen. No alt/ctrl/delete can help, and it won’t even reboot. Is there any other way to do this?
CNTRL+SHIFT+ESC opens task manager on any Windows system
Use cntrl alt delete and also f6…
CTRL + ALT + Delete brings up an options menu on Windows versions later than XP entailing an extra click – CTRL+SHIFT+ESC brings up task manager directly on all versions of Windows including Windows 10.
The F6 key does not bring up Task Manager. F6 – Moves the cursor to the Address bar in Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and most other Internet browsers. Ctrl + Shift + F6 moves between documents open in Microsoft Word. On some laptops you use F6 to reduce laptop speaker volume
The program still freezes
This tip was not meant to keep programs from freezing it was to give you away to unfreeze YOUR COMPUTER if it freezes. If you have a program that freezes a lot, then you either don’t have enough installed RAM, or you don’t have enough free memory available because you have too many programs starting with Windows, or you have malware.
Nothing happens when I use any key combination. My computer’s keyboard is frozen, too, and the mouse does not show up on the screen either.
Then just turn off your computer at the switch, or unplug it. You might want to try your keyboard on a different computer before you blame your PC for the keyboard issues.
Mine has been freezing when it goes into hibernation. It sits idle for a while, sometimes only a few hours in hibernation before it freezes, sometimes overnight before freezing. So I’m not even really signed into my computer when it freezes. Any help for that? And I agree with everyone else. My computer is COMPLETELY frozen, so no keyboard action or mouse clicks are even noticed by the computer.
It’s best not to use Hibernate and better to use sleep. Hibernate create huge files on your Windows drive which can affect performance especially if they are not cleaned up once in a while.
Can use control alt escape etc but touchpad frozen so cannot click on anything on screen
CTRL+SHIFT+ESC opens task manager on every version of Windows
Touchpad frozen , windows 7
CTRL+SHIFT+ESC opens Task Manager on all versions of Windows. You don’t need a touchpad for that.
You need the touch pad to select a program to close unless you’re going to tell us a hot key for that too
Not understanding why you’d need a touchpad.
the laptop is FROZEN like SERIOUSLY!!!! and it has not been working for the past week now it is just a frozen thing that I now mourn for 24/7 because it has my EVERYTHING!!!
please help with REAL advice??!!!!
Real advice? Get the malware off your computer with a real antimalware program reduce the number of programs starting with Windows, get rid of the factory installed crapware, and next time buy a laptop with more than 2 GB of RAM.
Help me my windows 8.1 laptop froze, I can’t click on anything but the hot bar and I been working on a design on a program called illustrator cc and I didn’t save my work!! 2 days of hard work!
You can use CTRL+SHIFT+ESC to access the Task Manager. Click the processes tab, find Windows Explorer, right-click on it and choose “Restart”.
I just upgraded my PC to Widows10 and wanted to delete 3 unwanted old files. Now my PC is frozen solid.
Please help!! My keyboard is “dead” no response from any key.
ALT + CONTROL + DELETE cannot work because keyboard does not respond. Can I just switch off the power?
I don’t know what files you could have deleted that would cause this, but windows 10 has a lot of recovery options. At this point you have no choice but to power off your computer completely and leave it off for a couple minutes and power it back on. You may see a recovery options display on the screen when you power it back on. Pick the option that best fits your situation.
My laptop is completely frozen ctrl alt delete or any other suggestions have not worked
Then turn off the power switch and leave it off for 5 minutes before turning it back on. If the power switch does not work, if your laptop is plugged in, unplug it, then remove the battery for 5 minutes and put it back in. Then turn your computer on.
THANK you! Saved my work (and my sanity).
Press power button at for 1 minute then release. It will switched off . Then turn it on after 10 minute.
Hoooo
Worked,,,,
Really should only be used as a last resort. Also, you don’t need to leave it off for 10 minutes – 3 or 4 minutes tops.
Omg thank you
Wow… It worked#! Thanks men 🙂
Toshiba laptop satellite cb-50
Freezes when I turn it on. I get “Toshiba Leading Innovation ” and nothing else.
Help mick
Sounds like you have a hard drive problem. I really don’t think this article applies to you. You may need to reinstall Windows or reset your PC to its factory state by using the recovery partition.
Infoave, while we all find the suggestions helpful, perhaps you should read some of our comments before responding. Especially if you are typing from and older manual.
And on that note ***poof***
I have no idea what “read before responding” infers…we always read the comment before responding. And I’m not sure what “…typing from and older manual…” means. Your comment is enigmatic, I’ll give you that.
Enigmatic? Your too kind with that one. Her comment is definitely an non sequitur, if anything at all. Geek Squad use “manuals” and charge big bucks to “power on” a consumers computer…then refer to “a manual.” This forum provides REAL and MEANINGFUL advice from pro’s that know their stuff. I am most grateful to Infoave for their advice, The’ve saved the day for me MANY times, with puzzling issues. I have savedHUNDREDS of dollars in shop time and repair costs and had the satisfaction of learning and doing my own repiars. Kudos, Infoave.
Good Grief. Spent a whole lifetime typing it!!!!!!!!!!
To prove we do read these posts:
One of my English teachers once told me that there are only 10 exclamation points to use in a lifetime. While I may have to paid attention well enough to pick up a lot in my English classes, that always stuck with me. You used up a whole lifetime’s worth of them in one day. See? We do read these posts before replying.
CNTRL+SHIFT+ESC not working, keyboard freeze. CTRL+ALT+DEL getting black screen! Only way what helps me, forced shut down!
Please working fix!
My os: WIN7 Ultimate X64
Why don’t Windows 10 laptops have a manual telling us all of this on the lid of the laptop
You, my friend, are brilliant. Thank you!!! The “explorer.exe” solution is nothing short of genius. Saved me many hours of work reconstructing a document… and gives me the possiblity of getting some sleep tonight. I would like to spread the word about your site/service. Who and where are you, out of curiosity?
Again………………. a thousand thanks
Mine is still frozen I just installed windows 10 and factory reset my laptop. Helpppp
Not enough information. If you did “factory reset” your computer, it would be exactly as it was the day you bought it.