Why is my laptop freezing and buzzing?
Your laptop may be freezing and buzzing because of faulty video drivers or graphics cards installed, cooling fans are overheated, or from having a outdated BIOS.
- Faulty video drivers
- Overheating of the cooling fans
- Outdated BIOS
- Hardware problems
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You can try starting your laptop in Safe mode to see if the background programs like graphics drivers are causing the freezing and buzzing in your laptop.
Faulty video drivers
If the video drivers installed in your laptop are outdated or corrupted, the laptop may start freezing and producing a buzzing sound.
In this case, you will need to uninstall the drivers and download and install the latest drivers in your laptop. Make sure to download the drivers from only the official website of the graphics card manufacturer.
Overheating of the fans
Dirt and dust accumulation on the cooling fans of your laptop may lead to its freezing and buzzing. The cooling fans perform the function of keeping the temperature of the circuit components of the laptop’s processor normal.
When dust accumulates on the fans, they become heavy and produce a buzzing sound. To overcome this problem, you will need to clean the cooling fans with appropriate brushes and cleaning equipment.
Outdated BIOS
An outdated BIOS often results in the freezing and buzzing of the laptop. The only way to eliminate this issue is to update the BIOS settings by going to the BIOS setup.
Hardware problems
Hardware issues like broken or damaged slots, device issues or problems with installed drivers can lead to freezing and buzzing of the laptop.
These problems can be identified by launching the “Diagnostics” setup in your laptop and identifying the error codes. The system will run a diagnostics check and suggest the necessary repairs.
Is it normal for a laptop to make a buzzing sound?
Yes, it is normal for a laptop to make a buzzing sound. The sound originates from the components of the processor. When the processor is in a clock-stop state of power, the laptop goes into power-saving mode.
This generates a voltage in the components of the power circuit of the processor. This leads to the components resonating and producing a buzzing sound, which is considered normal.
Why does my laptop make a buzzing noise?
Your laptop makes a buzzing sound due to changes in processor activities, cooling fans heating up or dust accumulating in the fans.
In the case of cooling fans heating up due to trapped dust, you can clean the fans and remove all the dust to lower the buzzing sound.
- Processor activities
- Overheating of cooling fans
- Dust accumulation in the fans
Note: There is nothing you can do about the buzzing due to changes in processor activities.
How do I fix my laptop from freezing and buzzing?
You can fix your laptop from freezing and buzzing by starting your computer in Safe mode, running a diagnostics check, uninstalling and installing the video drivers in your laptop or updating the BIOS.
- Boot in Safe mode
- Diagnostics check
- Reinstall the video drivers
- Update the BIOS
Follow the steps given below to perform each of these fixes.
Method #1 Boot system in Safe mode
To start the laptop in Safe Mode, restart your laptop and press the “F8” key as soon as the laptop manufacturer’s logo appears on the screen. You will see the “Windows Advanced Options” menu on the screen.
Select the “Safe mode with networking” option from the menu. You will need to use the arrow keys of your keyboard. Press the “Enter” key and select the user account when the login screen appears on your desktop.
Method #2 Run Hardware Diagnostics
To run hardware diagnostics, restart your system and press the “F12” key as soon as you see the manufacturer’s logo. Click the “Diagnostics” option and press the “Enter” key to initiate the diagnostics.
A quick test will run automatically.
Note the error codes if there are any codes shown on the screen.
Method #3 Reinstall Display Adapter Driver
To fix the video driver issues in your laptop, right-click the “Start” button and select the “Computer Management” option from the menu.
- Click the “Device Manager” option. Click the “Display Adapters” option to expand it and see the names of the video drivers installed. Right-click the name of the video driver and select the “Uninstall device” option.
- Select the “Delete the driver software for this device.” checkbox to delete the driver. Restart your laptop and go to your laptop manufacturer’s website.
- Enter the details of your laptop and click the “Video” option.
- Click the video driver that you uninstalled and download the file.
Save the file on your desktop. Right-click the file and select the “Run as Administrator” option.
Follow the prompts given by the system to fix the video driver issues.
Method #4 Update the BIOS
To update the BIOS, go to your laptop manufacturer’s website. Enter your system’s specifications such as system tag and operating system. Go to the “BIOS” option and click the link to the available BIOS.
Download the file and save it on your desktop. When the download finishes, right-click the file name of the BIOS on your desktop and select the “Run as Administrator” option. Follow the steps as prompted by the system to update the BIOS.
Laptop making buzzing noise when plugged in
Your laptop may be making a buzzing noise when plugged in because of a faulty hard drive, malfunctioning speakers, cooling fans running at full speed, laptop motherboard facing internal damage, or fans clogged with dust.
You will need to fix each of these reasons to prevent your laptop from making a buzzing sound when plugged in.
- Check the hard drive.
- Check the cooling fan speed when the laptop is plugged in.
- Check the speakers.
- Check the motherboard for internal damage.
- Replace the adapter if needed.
When the laptop has mechanical hard drives, then the hard drives are often a source of buzzing noise. They have fast-rotating components that can get damaged especially when you carry your turned ON laptop around. The surface of the hard drive can get damaged because of the scratching of the components on its surface.
The hard drive may also produce buzzing noise if the power cable is unable to supply enough power. To check if this is the issue, you will need to try and test a new hard drive with the same power cable. You will need to replace the power cable if it is causing the issue.
Check if the cooling fans of your laptop are running at full speeds for a long period when the charger is plugged in. This is not good for the health of your fans. To check this, you can try placing your ear near the exhaust of your laptop and check if you can hear the sound.
You can shine a flashlight on the fans to watch out for physical damage, or dust accumulation on the fans. If there is dust, clean it using appropriate cleaning materials. If the fans are damaged or broken, you will need to replace them.
You can also change the cooling profile of your laptop while charging to help the laptop cool more efficiently.
To do this, type “edit power plan” in the search bar and click the “Change Advanced Power Settings” link.
Click the “Processor Power Management” option to expand it. Expand the “System Cooling Policy” option and set the “Plugged in” field to “Active”.
- To eliminate the issues because of speakers, uninstall the speaker drivers and try using a headphone to check the sound. If the noise still comes from the laptop, then the speakers are good.
- To check the motherboard of your laptop, you will need to take it to a repair center and test the laptop using a new motherboard.
- To check if your laptop’s adapter is causing a buzzing sound when it is plugged in, you will need to remove the adapter from the computer and connect it only with the main power supply. If the LED on your adapter doesn’t turn ON and it creates a buzzing sound, then the adapter needs replacement.
Why does my laptop buzz when charging?
Your laptop may buzz while charging because of the power plan. You will need to run the troubleshooter to find out the problem that causes the laptop to buzz while charging. To fix this, follow the steps given below.
- Plug the charger in your laptop and start charging.
- Press the “Windows” and “I” keys together to open the “Settings” application.
- Click the “Update &Security” option.
- Click the “Troubleshoot” option.
- Select the “Power” option.
- Click the “Run as administrator” option. Windows will run the troubleshooter and start diagnosing issues. Make notes of the error codes and fix them afterward.
My Laptop makes a buzzing noise and won’t turn ON
Your laptop may be making a buzzing noise and not turning ON because of a bad adapter, a dead battery or a faulty mainboard. To fix this, you will need to replace the adapter, battery or mainboard.
Before replacing the battery or mainboard, run a troubleshooting process to find the real problem.
- Check the adapter.
- Test the battery.
- Test the mainboard.
How to fix a Laptop that is buzzing and won’t turn on:
- Plug the adapter into the main power supply but not into the laptop. At this point, the LED light on the adapter should be illuminated and the adapter shouldn’t make any sound. If the LED light doesn’t illuminate and the adapter buzzes, then you will need to replace the faulty adapter.
- Remove the laptop’s battery while the laptop is not plugged in the adapter. Press and hold the “Power” button for thirty seconds. Plug in a good adapter in the laptop and try to turn the system ON. If the system turns ON with the adapter but not with the battery, then the battery needs to be replaced.
- If your laptop powers ON only with a good power supply, then the mainboard of your laptop is faulty and needs replacement.
Why does my laptop freeze every few minutes?
Your laptop may freeze every few minutes because of background programs, viruses in your system, hardware problems or corrupted files in your system.
To fix this problem of your laptop freezing every few minutes, you will need to stop the background programs, remove the malware, check the hardware and delete the corrupted files from your laptop.
- Stop the background programs.
- Install an antivirus to remove viruses.
- Inspect the laptop hardware.
- Delete corrupted files.
- Open the “Task Manager” on your laptop and look for background programs like antivirus and gaming services such as Steam and Origin running in the background. When these programs start auto-updating, the laptop may freeze every few minutes.
- If you don’t have an antivirus installed in your laptop, then your laptop may have viruses and malware, which can trigger malicious codes and lead to your laptop freezing every few minutes. Try downloading an antivirus program and running a scan.
- Check the laptop hardware for failure or improper settings like date and time, memory and so on. There could be software issues like improperly installed device drivers and corrupted drivers that need your attention.
- You can run a system check to identify corrupted files and delete them from your computer. When these corrupted or damaged files try to repair themselves, the laptop may freeze every few minutes.