Microsoft Games Freeze when accessing Ads

I don't know how to start a Surface Pro 3 in Safe Mode (without the keyboard attached).

Nevertheless, the problem seemed to fix itself after a day. I suspect there was a glitch in the game server that was causing it.

Hi Joe,

Thank you for keeping us updated on the status of the issue.

Please feel free to reply, in case you face any other issues with Windows in future.

Have a great day!

Hello,

Thank you for keeping us updated on the status of the issue. I really appreciate the effort made by you in order to fix the issue. Your response will sure help others in this community facing similar issues.

Please feel free to reply, in case you face any other issues with Windows in future.

Have a great day!

Hi Joe,

Thank you for posting your query in Microsoft Community.

I understand that the screen freezes and goes black while browsing ads during playing games and I will be happy to answer your query. Let me ask you;

1. What do you mean when you say, "I have to access an Ad page"?
2. Does the issue occur only while accessing ads?
3. Do you face this issue till the time you continue playing games?
4. What is the KB number of the update which got installed?
5. Which security software is installed in the computer?
6. What is the make and model of the computer?

This could be caused due to several reasons. Let's try to diagnose the issue first to ensure it is not because of any third party software conflict.

Method 1: Start the computer in safe mode with networking first and check if the issue persists. If the issue does not persists in safe mode with networking, place the computer in clean boot state.

Step 1: Start the computer in Safe Mode with Networking

Safe mode with networking is a troubleshooting option for Windows that starts your computer in a limited state. Only the basic files and drivers necessary to run Windows are started. The words Safe Mode with networking appear in the corners of your monitor to identify which Windows mode you're using.

a. When you hit the power button in Windows 8.1 (through Charms Bar), hold down the Shift key when clicking the Restart button.

b. The next screen will present you with three options. Click Troubleshoot.

c. Next, hit Advanced options followed by Windows Startup Settings from the next screen.

d. Your PC will now be rebooted to enable the advanced parameters, which include Safe Mode as well. Once it restarts, you’ll get nine options whereby the following commands apply:

• F4 for Safe Mode
• F5 for Safe Mode with Networking
• F6 for Safe Mode with Command Prompt

Step 2: Perform Clean boot to avoid any third party software conflict.

To help troubleshoot error messages and other issues, you can start Windows by using a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. This kind of startup is known as a "clean boot." A clean boot helps eliminate software conflicts.

Placing your system in Clean Boot state helps in identifying if any third party applications or startup items are causing the issue. You need to follow the steps from the article mentioned below to perform a Clean Boot.

**How to perform a clean boot in Windows**    

Note: Refer "How to reset the computer to start normally after clean boot troubleshooting" to reset the computer to start as normal after troubleshooting.

Method 2: This could be due to incompatible/missing/corrupted display adapter as well. Hence I would suggest you to update the driver from Device Manager and check. If the issue still persist, install the latest display adapter from the computer manufacturer's support website.

Step 1: Update the driver from Device Manager

a. Press Windows key + X and click Device Manager

b. Expand Display adapters

c. Right click the current display adapter and click Update Driver

Step 2: If the issue still persists, visit the computer manufacturer's support website and install the latest display adapter for the same computer model for Windows 8.1.

Hope this information is helpful. Please feel free to reply in case you face any other issues with Windows in future.