One program keeps saying not responding
Why does one app keep freezing while everything else is fine?
Written by The CommonFixes team · fact checked by CommonFixes review desk
Last updated
Short answer
The program is waiting on something, usually a damaged settings file, a network folder that is offline, or an update it never finished. The quickest thing to try first: force close and reopen — Use Task Manager on Windows or Force Quit on a Mac, then open the program again. Many stalls never come back. Most people are done in about 15 minutes.
Full walkthrough below: 5 steps for Windows and Mac, rated easy.
Sounds like this
- •Grey window
- •Not responding in the title bar
- •Only one program affected
Why it happens
The program is waiting on something, usually a damaged settings file, a network folder that is offline, or an update it never finished.
Work through these in order
0% done- 1
Force close and reopen
Use Task Manager on Windows or Force Quit on a Mac, then open the program again. Many stalls never come back.
- 2
Repair it instead of reinstalling
On Windows open Settings, Apps, Installed apps, find the program, click the three dots, choose Modify or Advanced options, and pick Repair.
- 3
Open the program without your files
Start it and cancel any document it tries to load. If it behaves, the document is the problem, not the program.
- 4
Disconnect from network folders
Programs freeze while waiting for a shared drive that is no longer reachable. Disconnect mapped drives you no longer use.
- 5
Reinstall as a last step
Uninstall, restart, then install the newest version downloaded from the maker's own website rather than a download portal.
If none of that worked
Check Reliability Monitor by searching for View reliability history. It shows exactly which file crashed and when.
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Who wrote this and how we checked it
The CommonFixes team
Writer and researcher
We are a small group of people who spend our days repairing laptops and desktops for family, friends and small offices. Every guide here starts with a problem someone actually brought to us, and we only write down the steps that put the machine right.
- Everyday repairs
- Windows and Mac
- Plain language
CommonFixes review desk
Technical editor
Before a guide goes live, a second person walks through it on a real machine and checks each instruction against the maker's own support pages. Anything we cannot confirm is removed rather than guessed at.
- Fact checking
- Safety warnings
- Source links
This guide was last updated on 10 August 2026. If a step no longer matches what you see on screen, tell us on the contact page and we will test it again.
A gentle reminder: back up anything you cannot afford to lose before major repairs. If a step ever feels risky, stop and ask a technician. There is no shame in that.