Computer freezes while playing games on Windows 11

When a Windows PC is matched with the appropriate hardware specifications, it becomes an ideal gaming platform. While the gaming experience is generally smoother, sometimes you may experience game crashes, especially on devices running Windows 11. In this article, we will share how to fix computer freezing issue while playing games on Windows 11.

What causes the computer to freeze when playing games on Windows 11?

One of the most frustrating experiences as a gamer is losing all your progress during a game because your computer crashed before saving. Many users frequently encounter this problem when using Windows 11 computers. This may be due to system compatibility, software issues, or hardware failure.

• Incompatible or buggy Windows updates: Sometimes, new Windows updates can cause bugs or conflicts that affect the stability of your PC. Windows updates may also cause game incompatibility.
• Fast GPU Driver: The GPU is one of the most critical PC gaming components. Fast GPU drivers can cause your PC to crash while gaming.
• Overheating: Gaming can stress your computer’s components, causing them to generate heat. Heat is removed via fans, but if the outflow is blocked, it can cause the system to overheat and crash.
• Disable resizable barcodes/4G+ encoding: Resizable barcodes allow your CPU to access the entire memory of your GPU, while 4G+ encoding allows your motherboard to support more than 4 GB of GPU memory. If you disable these options, your computer may crash while playing resource-intensive games.

Computer freezes while playing games on Windows 11

Now that you know the reasons why your PC freezes when playing games on Windows, let’s see how to fix the problem of Windows computer freezing when playing games on Windows 11.

Ensure good ventilation

Change screen resolution

Reinstall game service

Enable resizable barcode support and encoding above 4G

Downgrade GPU driver

Uninstall the latest Windows updates

Before you begin, you must ensure that your computer hardware specifications meet the specifications required by the game.

1]Ensure proper ventilation

Games can increase the temperature of system components, which is normal. Make sure your computer's vents are clear and free from dust clogs that could cause it to overheat and crash. It is best to use the computer in a dust-free environment and clean the dust from the GPU fan regularly.

Please make sure to place your laptop on a flat surface or stand when using it to keep the vents clear and promote heat dissipation.

2]Change screen resolution

Each monitor supports a different resolution range. If your settings don't match the minimum or maximum resolution supported by a game, it can cause your computer to crash. You can find your game's resolution requirements and adjust your monitor settings to avoid problems.

• Go to the game developer's official website to find the minimum and maximum display specifications for the game you want to play.
• Now, go to the desktop, right-click and open Display Settings from the context menu.
• Scroll down to find the Display Resolution option and expand Display Resolution.

• Now you will see all the resolutions available for display; adjust them according to the minimum and maximum resolutions available for the game.
• Restart your computer for the changes to take effect correctly. Check if the issue has been resolved for you.

If the screen resolution setting is grayed out, read the troubleshooting guide to fix it.

3]Reinstall the game service

Game services are usually services that help games run properly in Windows. Suppose the Game Services application is corrupted or not installed on your PC. In this case, you may often encounter compatibility issues where your PC freezes or crashes when you play games on Windows 11:

• Open the Windows Start menu, search for Windows PowerShell, right-click on the first result, and click Run as administrator.
• This will open elevated Windows PowerShell. Now paste the following command and press enter:

Get-appxPackage Microsoft.GamingServices|Remove-AppxPackage-所有用户

• In the same window, paste the following command and press Enter:

启动ms-windows-store://pdp/?productid=9MWPM2CQNLHN

• This will reinstall Windows Game Services for you. Please restart your computer to check if the problem is resolved.

4] Enable resizable barcode support and encoding above 4G

By default, your CPU and motherboard are not set up to access the full capabilities of your GPU, and some games require more than the default capabilities. The resizable bar graph allows your CPU to access your GPU's total processing power, while the aforementioned 4G encoding allows your motherboard to access more than 4 GB of GPU memory.

This means your CPU and GPU can communicate faster because more data can be transferred at the same time. This allows you to access the full capabilities of your GPU for a better, smoother gaming experience.

You need to update UEFI first and then enable ReBAR in BIOS/UEFI.

5]Downgrade GPU driver

Wrong GPU drivers will eventually conflict and cause problems with the game. If your GPU drivers have recently been updated, or they are the latest version, you can downgrade them to a previous version to resolve the issue:

• Right-click the Windows Start icon in the taskbar and open Device Manager from the PowerUser menu.
• Expand the Display Adapters option in Device Manager, find your GPU, and right-click on it.
• From the context menu, select Uninstall device and continue.

• After uninstalling the device, visit the OEM website for your GPU.
• Search the website for your GPU name and visit the driver page.
• From the driver page, download a version older than the current version.

• Run the installer to downgrade your GPU driver.
• Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

How to remove old and useless drivers in Windows

6]Uninstall the latest Windows updates

The latest Windows updates can sometimes introduce bugs and conflicts or make your game incompatible. You can uninstall the latest Windows updates to fix computer crashes while playing games:

• Press the Windows I key combination on your keyboard to open Windows Settings.
• Go to the Windows Updates section from the left pane of Windows Settings.
• Now, in Windows Update, open the update history. Please scroll down to find the Uninstall updates option and click to open it.

• Now you will see all updates that you can uninstall. Uninstall the latest version that you suspect is causing problems on your computer.
• Restart your PC and check if the problem is resolved.

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