"Freezing" means that all of a sudden you can't move your mouse cursor, close a program or window, or do anything at all. Everything on the screen is frozen in its current condition.

Here are the some steps to take:

• Try to remember what you just did on your computer that may have caused the freeze. Also, remember which programs you had open. If you get any error messages, write them down. If the problem happens again, this information may help to find the source of the problem.
• Press the Command () + Option + Esc keys all together. If you see a message asking you if you want to force a quit, click Yes. The Mac closes the program. Immediately afterwards, choose Special > Restart to reboot your computer.
• If that doesn't work, press Ctrl + Command () + the Power Button on your keyboard all together. This restarts the computer. Wait until the OS starts up and you should be back in business.
• If you still get some kind of error message or your Mac doesn't restart, press Ctrl + Command () + the Power Button on your keyboard all together. Then, as soon as you hear the sound from your Mac, press Shift. Hold down Shift until you see "Extensions Disabled" at the bottom of the Mac OS logo as your computer restarts. If this works, it means that some extension (a program that adds an additional capability to your Mac) is causing the problem. Sometimes there are conflicts between extensions. If you recently added some software, especially the type that adds some capability to your Mac (rather than an application like Microsoft Word), you can try to disable it.
• To disable an extension, choose the Apple Menu > Control Panel > Extension Manager. Scroll down through your extensions and see if you can find the one that you think might be causing the problem. Click the X mark next to it to clear the checkbox. Restart your computer. If the problem goes away, at least you know what caused the problem.
• If you are getting frequent freeze ups, but one of the above methods corrects the situation temporarily, try rebuilding the desktop. After you have restarted the computer and are "unfrozen," choose Special > Restart. At the sound, press and hold Option + Command () together until you see the message, "Are you sure you want to rebuild the desktop?" Press Return or click Yes. Wait as it rebuilds the desktop file. See if this corrects the problem of frequent freeze ups.
• If your mouse is not connected properly, it can give the impression that your screen is frozen. Check the connection between the mouse cord and your computer.