When a Windows program or your computer is not responding, freezes, or becomes unresponsive, there are several possible causes why it happened. Most of the time, it is due to the lack of system resources like memory, storage and processing capacity compared to the needed resources of the unresponsive program along with other running tasks. However, in some cases, this issue of Windows might be due to conflict between the software and hardware, software bugs or malware.
There are several measures you can do to attempt to solve the non-responsive Windows or software. The steps for troubleshooting a non-responding program are described in detail below. Nevertheless, in early versions of Windows you will be prompted by Windows to “Close the program” or “Wait for the program to response”.
Solutions to fix Windows Program or Application is Not Responding Issue
1. Use Task Manager
Press the Ctrl + Alt + Del keys on your keyboard to launch the Task Manager window as your initial attempt to fix the program’s non-responsiveness. Click on the Task Manager, then select the problematic software or task, then select End Task to end the process. Remember that all your works or inputs in the non-responsive program will not be saved once you “End Task”. If the computer doesn’t respond to Ctrl + Alt + Del, it may be deadlocked, and must be forced shutdown the computer.
2. Restart or Shutdown the computer
Restarting your computer should be the next course of action if the program still doesn’t react after being closed and reopened. Although restarting the computer could seem like a “cop-out” solution, it frequently resolves many software problems and is one of the simplest troubleshooting procedures to carry out for the majority of computer-related issues.
Open the program once more to see if the problem has been fixed after restarting your computer. Continue to the part below if the programs cease responding once more.
3. Perform Disk Checking
The SFC and DISM scans will look for system issues, including registry issues, so following these scans, the issues should typically start working and the Program not responding issue in Windows 10 and 11 should be resolved.
Just run Command Prompt or CMD, then input:
For SFC: sfc /scannow
For DISM: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Note: Run DISM only if the problem persists after completing the SFC command.
4. Reinstall the Program
If the problem is randomly happened in only one specific program, and all other programs work correctly. Reinstalling the program or application might the best solution for non-responsive issue. Go to your computer’s settings, in Apps > Installed Apps, select the problematic program then uninstall it first. Now, download on the internet the installation file of the program and install it. Remember that you might encounter license issue once reinstallation is done and must be solved manually.
5. Check for Malware or Virus
Windows programs may experience issues from viruses or malware, such as ceasing to function. Ensure your computer has an antivirus program installed and that it is up to date. Run a virus and malware scan after that to see whether your machine has any infections.
See Also: How to remove virus or malware in your computer?
6. Memory Upgrade
You might try to use program or application that requires a lot of memory for smooth running. Using the application without the right memory may result to this non-responsiveness. So, upgrading your computer RAM or converting from HDD to SSD might solve this issue.
7. Seek for Technical Help
If the program still doesn’t respond after trying the aforementioned methods, get in touch with the application’s creator to see if there are any recognized problems with the program. The support staff for the program’s developer can also assist with further troubleshooting and problem-solving.