Mouse won’t move, nothing responds, the screen’s stuck? Here’s how to unfreeze a laptop, from gentle fixes that save your work to a forced restart, plus how to stop it happening again.
Quick fixes to try first
- Wait 30–60 seconds. Windows sometimes catches up after a heavy task or update.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and end the frozen app.
- Still stuck? Hold the power button for 10 seconds to force it off.
In this article
Unfreeze it, from gentlest to most forceful
1. Close the frozen app
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, select the app marked “Not responding” and click End task.
- Or press Alt + F4 to close the active window.
2. Reset the graphics driver
If the screen froze but you hear sound or the mouse moves, press Win + Ctrl + Shift + B. The screen flashes and Windows restarts the graphics driver without closing your apps.
3. Restart with the keyboard
- Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete, then click the power icon (bottom right) → Restart. If the mouse doesn’t work, press Tab until the power icon is highlighted, then Enter.
- From the desktop: press Alt + F4 and choose Restart. Or press Win + X, then U, then R.
4. Force shutdown
Hold the power button for 10 seconds until the laptop turns off, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on. Unsaved work in open apps will be lost, but this doesn’t harm the laptop. Don’t make it a habit, though.
Laptop frozen and won’t turn off?
Keep holding the power button for up to 30 seconds. If that fails, unplug the charger and let the battery run down, or use the battery reset pinhole on the bottom if your laptop has one (see laptop won’t turn on).
On a Mac
- Force quit an app: Cmd + Option + Esc.
- Force restart: hold the power button (or Touch ID button) until the Mac turns off.
Why laptops freeze, and how to stop it
- Out of memory: too many browser tabs or apps. Check Task Manager → Performance → Memory. See how much RAM you need.
- Overheating: freezes during games or long video calls point to heat. See how to stop overheating.
- Drivers: graphics and storage drivers are common culprits. Update them. See updating drivers and BIOS.
- A full or failing drive: keep 10–15% free (free up space), and check drive health.
- Malware or a broken update: run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan, and see problems after updates.
Frozen on the login or lock screen?
- Force restart (hold power 10 seconds).
- If it freezes again at the same place, force it off three times during startup to open the recovery screen, then choose Advanced options → Startup Settings → Safe Mode.
- In Safe Mode, uninstall recent updates or drivers. See our crash and recovery guide.
FAQ
Is it bad to force shut down a laptop?
Occasionally, no. You may lose unsaved work. Doing it during a Windows update can cause problems, so give updates time to finish if possible.
Why does my laptop keep freezing?
Repeated freezing is usually low memory, heat, a bad driver or a failing drive. Work through the “why laptops freeze” list. If it’s an older laptop, see how to speed up a slow laptop.
