How to Fix Windows Update Causing Computer Freezes: 7 Solutions

"Freeze after Windows 10 update on laptop - My laptop automatically updated the Microsoft system yesterday, but it froze when I turned it on. I tried to force a shutdown by pressing the power button for several seconds and then restarted it three times, but it still froze after about 5 minutes each time. Now I can't do anything with it; it's completely unusable. What should I do? It's frozen again as I'm typing this email."

What should you do if Windows 10 freezes after an update?

A lot of Windows 10 users who installed the latest updates reported that their computers would crash and automatically restart at very odd hours. To fix the Windows 10 freeze after update issue, you can try the solutions from below.

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Fix 1: Update all device drivers to their latest versions

According to user reports, computer freezing issues usually occur after updating to Windows 10. This might be due to incompatibility between hardware and drivers. To resolve this issue, you can use a tool like DriverHandy to update all your device drivers. With just one click, it can address all driver issues, which is very convenient and can save you a considerable amount of time.

Step 1. Download the tool DriverHandy and launch it.

Step 2: Click "Scan" to quickly find all drivers on your computer.

Step 3. Select all the drivers and click "Update."

Solution 2: Disable Link State Power Management if Windows 10 is stuck

PCI Express Link State Power Management is part of the PCI-E specification and works in conjunction with Active State Power Management (ASPM) in Windows 10/8.1/8/7. If a Windows Update causes your computer to freeze, you can disable Link State Power Management as a possible solution.

< strong >Step 1:</ strong > Go to the Control Panel and click “Change plan settings” under Power Options.

Step 2. Click on “Change advanced power settings.”

Step 3. Disable "Link State Power Management" under both "Plugged In" and "On Battery" sections under PCI Express.

Solution 3: Perform a System Restore or a Clean Install of Windows 10

If your computer continues to freeze frequently and randomly after updating to Windows 10, you can try performing a System Restore to roll back to a previous version, or do a clean installation of Windows 10 to address the issue.

A System Restore or a clean install of Windows 10 will wipe out all the data you have on your PC. To prevent this, back up your data beforehand. You can download backup and recovery software here to help with that. If your computer is frozen and won't start up normally, you can click to find out how to backup data without booting into Windows.

Now, use Todo Backup to back up and restore Windows 10 with the following steps.

Backup Windows 10

Step 1. Launch Todo Backup on your computer and click Create backup on the main screen, then click the big question mark to Select what to backup.

Step 2: To back up the Windows OS, click "OS" to start the task.

Step 3: Your Windows operating system, system files, and partitions will be automatically selected, so you don't need to make any manual selections here. Next, click on the area indicated to choose where you want to save your System Image Backup.

Step 4. The backup location can be another local drive on your computer, an external hard drive, a network, the cloud, or a NAS. Typically, we recommend using an external physical drive or the cloud to save your system backup files.

Perform a system restore

* For unbootable computer, try to boot up the computer with Todo Backup Emergency Disk for system recovery.

Step 1. Launch Todo Backup and click on "Browse Recovery".

Click on “Browse” to restore

Step 2. Browse to your backup location and select the system image file you need. (The backup file created by AOMEI Todo Backup is with .pbd extension.)

Step 3. Select the recovery disk. Make sure that the partition style of the source disk and the recovery disk are the same.

Step 4: You can customize the disk layout as you wish. Then click "Continue" to start the system backup restore process.

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Solution 4: Clean Temp Files to Fix Windows 10 Freezing After Update

If the space for temporary files runs out, Windows 10 might freeze. You can prevent this by regularly clearing your temp files. Here's how.

1. Hold down the Windows key and R at the same time, then type temp into the Run window and press "Enter".

This will open File Explorer and display all of the temporary files on your computer.

Step 2: Select all the files in the Temp folder and delete them.

Solution 5: If Windows Is Still Freezing, Adjust Your Virtual Memory

If the issue persists after clearing the temp files, try this. Virtual memory combines part of your RAM and hard drive space to expand your physical memory. If your RAM is full, your computer may freeze after a Windows update. Here's how to fix it:

**Step 1:** Press `Win + R`, type `sysdm.cpl` in the Run dialog box, and then click "OK" to open System Properties.

Step 2: Click "Advanced system settings".

<img src="Adjusting Virtual Memory 1" alt="Adjusting Virtual Memory - 1" height="209" width="600">

Step 3: Click on "Settings" under the "Advanced" tab in the System Properties window.

Adjust Virtual Memory - 2 <img src="/images/en/screenshot/partition-manager/reset-virtual-memory-2.png" alt="Adjust Virtual Memory - 2" width="407" height="185">

Step 4: Click "Change" under the "Advanced" tab.

For that, you can adjust the virtual memory settings: "How to Fix a Freeze Caused by Windows Update"

Uncheck the option "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives."

• Check "Custom size."
• Then set both "Initial size" and "Maximum size" to values higher than the recommended ones.
• Click "Set" and then "OK."

Click “Adjust Virtual Memory”…

Solution 6: Run a disk check to fix random freezes in Windows

If your Windows 10 is stuck after update and the above solutions don't work, you can use the built-in tool to diagnose hard drive issues. Here's how:

1. Open File Explorer and right-click the hard drive or SSD you want to scan. Select "Properties."

**Step 2:** Click the “Tools” tab and then click the “Check” button in the “Error Checking” section.

**Step 3** Then, if you like, you can choose to scan the disk for or repair errors.

4. After the scan is finished, click on the “Show details” link and then examine the chkdsk log in the Event Viewer.

<img src="/images/en/screenshot/partition-manager/check-tool-in-propertities.png" width="363" height="499" alt="Check disk to fix Windows 10 freezing after update">

If everything is working correctly, you should see "Windows has successfully scanned the drive. No errors were found."

If it does, you'll see “We found errors on this drive. To prevent data loss, back up your files and repair the drive.” Windows will then scan and fix the drive. When it's done, restart your PC and check if Windows 10 is no longer freezing.

Solution 7: Run the System File Checker when Windows becomes unresponsive

If your system files become corrupted or go missing, Windows 10 might crash without warning. Microsoft has an inbuilt tool called the System File Checker that can recover and repair damaged or missing system files for you.

First, press `Win + X` to open the Admin menu, and then choose Command Prompt.

Step 2: Type sfc /scannow and press Enter.

If Windows 10 becomes unstable after the upgrade, run the SFC scan.

The tool will scan your computer for corrupted files and attempt to fix them. When the process reaches 100%, you'll see the final result. If the scan doesn't find any issues, you'll know that system files aren't the cause of random freezing on Windows 10. You can then proceed with a System Restore as explained in Solution 3.

4 Quick Fixes for an Unresponsive SSD in Windows 10/11

Is your SSD freezing in Windows 10/11? It can be frustrating, but we've got the right methods to fix it and apply the appropriate solution.

Conclusions

The above are seven of the best solutions from our troubleshooting articles for a Windows 10 computer that freezes randomly. Give them a try.

Frequently Asked Questions About Windows 10 Updates

According to reports, the Windows 10 update is causing some PCs to freeze or crash, even resulting in a boot loop. You can use the solutions above to address this issue. If you're still having problems, read on for the Q&A section below.

Why does my Windows 10 keep freezing?

Here are some possible reasons:

• Malware
• Outdated drivers
• Damaged system files
• Memory issues
• Power failures
• Overheating CPU

How do I start Windows 10 in Safe Mode?

The steps to enter Windows 10 Safe Mode are as follows:

• Hold down the Power button for five seconds, or until your computer turns off.
• Press the Power button again to turn your computer back on.
• You should see "Windows failed to start" or something similar from the PD.
• Navigate to “Advanced repair options > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings.”
• Click “Restart,” then select “Safe Mode” to boot into Safe Mode.
• Log in and restart your computer.

Can a bad SSD cause freezing?

A bad SSD can cause problems just like a bad traditional hard drive: both can lead to system freezes.

Why is my computer screen black?

If the device isn't charging, the issue could be with the charging cable, adapter, or power outlet. If the device has power, the problem is likely with the display.