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While this word describes the state of Minnesota from November to March, it also refers to an unresponsive computer. When a computer does not respond to any user input, it is said to be frozen. When a computer system freezes, or "locks up," the screen stays the same and does not change no matter what buttons you press on your mouse or keyboard. Often, the cursor will not move when you move the mouse.
A computer typically freezes due to a software malfunction that causes the operating system to "hang." It may happen because of one of many specific reasons, including a memory leak, an infinite calculation, or other reason. Since computers are not supposed to freeze, a frozen computer is often due to a software programming error or unrecognizable input. Fortunately, modern operating systems, such as macosx are written in a way that if one program crashes, the operating system remains unaffected and the computer will not freeze.
If your computer does freeze, you will have to restart the computer to get it to function again. You can typically force your computer to shut down by holding the power button for several seconds. Since most computer freezes happen unexpectedly, it is a good idea to save your work often. |
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