Use Event Viewer to troubleshoot system freezes

This article describes how to use the Windows® Event Viewer to identify system freezes.

1. To open Event Viewer, click Start > Run and then type eventvwr.

   You can also enter eventvwr in PowerShell® at the Command Prompt to open Event Viewer.

2. After Event Viewer opens, in the left-hand column, click Windows Logs > Application.

   Note: If you don’t see any freeze events in the Application section, look in Windows Logs > Systems.

3. On the right-hand side, click Filter and then check the boxes for Critical, Warning, and Error.

4. Find the event associated with the freezing by searching for the time and date the issue occurred.

5. Note the Event ID and message text and use a search engine to find potential resolutions.

Note: You can use Windows support to find your specific event ID and troubleshoot it. Filter the support information for your Windows operating system version by using the Select your product drop-down menu in the upper right-hand corner.