Alt + Tab freezes Windows computer when playing games? Why does your PC freeze when pressing the Alt + Tab key combination? Here this article on MiniTool provides you with effective solutions to help you get rid of the Windows 11 Alt Tab freeze bug.

Why Does My PC Freeze When I Press Alt + Tab

Many Valorant, CS: GO, or other gamers have recently found that Windows 11/10 freezes when they use the Alt + Tab keyboard shortcut to switch windows. When Alt + Tab freezes Windows computer, they need to take a lot of time to restart their PC and re-enter the game.

Possible causes for this Alt Tab freeze issue may include incompatible apps, corrupted system files, wrong hardware accelerated GPU scheduling, the new Alt + Tab system in Windows 11, and more.

Here several feasible solutions are offered for resolving this Windows 11 Alt Tab freeze issue.

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How to Fix Alt + Tab Freezes Windows Computer

Solution 1. Close All Game Streaming Services

Many users claim that the matter of “Alt + Tab freezes Windows computer” is caused by Discord. So, you can try to close Discord or other game streaming services before starting the game. If this way is not suitable for you, consider attempting the following solutions.

Solution 2. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool

Windows Memory Diagnostics is a Windows built-in tool that can help you troubleshoot memory problems. When Alt + Tab freezes computer Windows 10/11, you can try to open Windows Memory Diagnostics to check for memory issues.

Tips:
During the memory problem repair process, you will be required to restart your computer. So, make sure all open files are saved.

Type Windows Memory Diagnostics in the Windows search box and click it. Then click Restart now and check for problems (recommended) or Check for problems the next time I start my computer based on your own needs.

check for memory problems

Solution 3. Disable Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling

Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling is designed to reduce the load on the CPU, allowing the computer to run more efficiently. However, it can be responsible for the trouble of “Alt + Tab freezes Windows computer”. So, you can follow the steps below to disable this feature.

Step 1. Press the Windows + I keyboard shortcut to open Settings.

Step 2. Select System > Display > Graphics settings. Then switch the button under Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling to Off.

Step 3. Restart your computer to let this change take effect. After that, access the game and press the Alt + Tab again to check if Windows runs smoothly.

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Solution 4. Restore the Classic Alt + Tab System

Windows 11 introduces the new Alt + Tab system. This may be the cause of the Windows 11 Alt Tab freeze bug. To fix it, you can try to revert to the old Alt + Tab system by tweaking the Windows registry.

Tips:
Before proceeding with the following steps, consider backing up the registries or using MiniTool ShadowMaker to create a full system backup. Because any wrong operations to the registries could lead to computer failure.

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Step 1. Press the Windows + R key combination to open Run.

Step 2. Type regedit and press Enter.

Step 3. In the Registry Editor window, navigate to this location:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

Step 4. Right-click on the Explorer key and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name the newly created value to AltTabSettings.

Step 5. Double-click AltTabSettings and set its value data to 1. After that, click OK.

set up the value data to 1

Step 6. Restart your PC and check if the issue persists.

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Solution 5. Repair Corrupted System Files

If Alt + Tab freezes Windows computer, some system files may be corrupted or missing. To detect and repair system files, what you need to do is to run System File Checker.

Step 1. Run Command Prompt as an administrator.

Step 2. In the command line window, type sfc /scannow and press Enter.

run SFC scan

Step 3. Once the process is complete, restart the PC and check if Windows still freezes when pressing Alt + Tab.

Tips:
System file corruption is likely to result in data loss. To recover deleted files, MiniTool Power Data Recovery is the most recommended secure data recovery service. It helps recover documents, pictures, videos, audio, etc. from computer hard drives, USB drives, SD cards, CDs/DVDs, and other file storage devices effectively and easily.

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Verdict

Alt + Tab freezes Windows computer? Try the solutions listed above.

If you have any doubts about the methods mentioned above or if you have a better way to fix the Windows 11 Alt Tab freeze bug, please let us know by sending an email to [email protected].

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