How to fix a frozen laptop screen quickly

By Anujj Trehaan

May 21, 2025

11:00 am

What's the story

A frozen laptop screen can be a big pain, especially when you are stuck in the middle of something important.

Fortunately, there are some easy-to-follow steps you can take to fix the problem and that too, in no time.

Here, we'll give you some handy tips to unfreeze your laptop screen and return to your work without any further interruptions.

Power cycle

One of the simplest solutions is to restart your laptop.

Long press the power button for some ten seconds until the device shuts off completely.

Wait for a few seconds before powering it back on.

This should help clear any temporary glitches that may have caused the freeze.

Task Manager

If certain programs are responsible for the freeze, use Task Manager to close them.

Simply press Ctrl + Shift + Esc at the same time to open Task Manager.

Find any unresponsive apps under the 'Processes' tab, and hit 'End Task'.

This should free up system resources and restore the functionality.

Temperature control

Overheating can also cause a frozen screen.

Make sure that your laptop's vents are not blocked with dust or dirt, which could restrict airflow.

Use a cooling pad if you have to, and keep your device on a hard surface instead of soft ones like beds or couches.

System updates

Outdated drivers or software could also be responsible for freezing problems.

To check if your drivers/software are up to date, head into "Settings," then "Update and Security," and finally "Windows Update."

Install any available updates for both drivers and operating systems to keep your PC running smoothly.

Reset option

If all else fails, perform a hard reset as a last resort.

Disconnect any external devices from your laptop, unplug it from power sources, and take its battery out if possible (on removable-battery models).

Press and hold the power button for about fifteen seconds before putting everything back in place and restarting it again.