Your PC freezes: the screen locks, the mouse won't move, only a hard reboot (5-second power button) recovers it. Here are the 6 causes I see regularly in Cluses, Sallanches and Bonneville.
1. End-of-life hard drive (#1 cause)
After 5 years a mechanical HDD develops bad sectors. Test: chkdsk C: /f. Fix: SSD swap (€80 plan + €30-60 part).
2. Saturated RAM
Chrome with 30 tabs on 8 GB → swap → freezes. Fix: add RAM (DDR4/DDR5, €25-60).
3. Buggy graphics driver
Symptoms: freeze during video, gaming, multi-screen. Fix: Device Manager → roll back driver.
4. CPU overheating
After 3-5 years dried thermal paste → CPU reaches 95°C → throttles → freeze. Install HWMonitor. Fix: disassembly + thermal paste change. €80 hardware plan.
5. Software conflicts (two antivirus)
Avast + Defender enabled simultaneously fight each other. Fix: uninstall Avast.
6. Corrupted system disk
Power cuts, battery dying mid-work can corrupt Windows. Fix: admin cmd → sfc /scannow then DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth.
When to call
If freezes persist, it's likely hardware (disk or CPU). Full diagnosis €80, deducted from quote if you go ahead. On-site Cluses, Sallanches, Bonneville — travel included up to 40 km. Call +33 6 07 74 73 76.