Terminology

There is a significant difference between the terms “crash”, “hang”, and “freeze”, and knowing and understanding the difference can help you find solutions to programs more quickly.

Crash
A crash is when a software program stops working and then closes. When this occurs, Windows usually creates an entry in the event log to help diagnose the problem.

Hang
A hang is when a software program becomes unresponsive. If you open the Windows task manager, the program still displays in the task manager, but doesn't consume high CPU power and doesn’t serve any new pages. To diagnose this problem, it is recommended that you find the dump file created by Windows.

Freeze
A freeze is when a software program stops functioning and cannot perform any functions. Usually there are no error messages that display, but the program remains visible. To diagnose this problem, it is recommended that you find the dump file created by Windows. 

Related Articles:

• How do I find event logs when a program crashes?
• How do I create a dump file when the program freezes or hangs?