Zoom freezes randomly during meetings on Windows 11 laptop

I have the same problem, I just got a new HP ENVY with Windows 11 and paid $150 for the Zoom.  Windows crashed in the middle of a zoom call with a client.  Today I attended a zoom meeting and the screen went black but I could still hear them.  I was unable to interact and unmute.  I need this fixed, I bought this zoom for a business I am starting.

Generally, freezing issues are related to the hardware and the connection. If using WiFi then random freezing is possible because WiFi is not a stable connection (use ethernet). Run task manager and see what the performance is like. High CPU or GPU usage can be a cause. Since you are using a laptop make sure the hardware is getting adequate ventilation. Poor ventilation can raise the temp to where the hardware locks up after some time of usage.

If this works please click accept as a solution.

Hi @Rovmenpaul are you familiar with the  System Restore feature in windows?

Regards, Robert 

If my reply helped, don't forget to click the like button! Also, if this solved your problem, please click the accept as solution button.

I have had this same issue for WEEKS!  Internet:  stable.  I have tried different browsers, IT looking at my hardware capacity (fine), zoom being the only program running, etc.   I'm at my wit's end.

We now have 6 users, all running windows 11 (with all updates and software drivers up-to-date), and the latest version of zoom installed that are all having the same issue "been experiencing random freezing issues during Zoom meetings on my Windows 11 laptop. The video just stops and the app becomes unresponsive, although audio sometimes keeps playing in the background."
This doesn't seem to be happening on the zoom web app, but is consistently happening on the desktop app. 

We have verified that there are no runaway processes in task manager that could be causing this. 
Does anyone have a solution that they have tried which has worked? 

does anyone have a solution for this "Lately I’ve been experiencing random freezing issues during Zoom meetings on my Windows 11 laptop. The video just stops and the app becomes unresponsive, although audio sometimes keeps playing in the background?" 
We're having the exact same issue and nothing has helped. 

Hi, Rovmenpaull!

My Zoom Desktop, during meetings, shows a very similar symptom, but both video and audio freeze for several seconds up to about 2 minutes. I discovered that this happens when opening Windows Explorer or an "Open..." or "Save..." dialog box, that is, it seems that the problem involves the interaction between Zoom Meetings and Windows Explorer. I have been dealing with this for a few months, but I don't know if it involves any driver (my video driver, from AMD, is up to date, and I have had Windows 11 25H2 for only 1 or 2 days) or if it's an actual Zoom bug (it seems that the problem started in the latest revisions of Zoom version 6).

We have the same issue on lots of Dell laptops. Some brand new. Laptops crash or freeze when trying to join a call or while on a call. We have tried all of their support teams fixes, but none work… We’re at the point now where we’re telling users not to use Zoom anymore and use different calling platforms. A massive fail from Zoom.

We’ve discovered that this is actually a Microsoft issue, where the drivers of the camera and the latest Windows update cause the issue on both Zoom and other VC platforms. We’ve been hounding Microsoft for a fix for a couple of weeks now, but I don’t think it’s a big enough issue for them to drop their donuts and get to work. Zoom, please help us with some backup from you guys!!! We need this fixed yesterday!

We’ve seen this issue on some newer Windows 11 laptops from different manufacturers, including Dell, HP, Lenovo, ASUS, etc. In most cases, the problem is not caused by your Zoom account or client settings. It is usually related to the device itself, local camera, graphics, or driver stack. 

On these devices, several parts have to work together at the same time: camera driver, Windows video pipeline, GPU acceleration, OEM firmware, and sometimes AI/NPU-based camera effects or any built-in AI effects such as background blur, eye contact, or auto framing. When one of those layers becomes unstable, Zoom may freeze, the video may stop, or the app may become unresponsive even though the meeting itself is still running normally.

The best next step is to update the laptop directly from the manufacturer’s support page, not only through Windows Update. That includes the BIOS, chipset, camera, graphics, and wireless drivers. We also recommend updating Zoom to the latest version for the device, then temporarily turning off Windows Studio Effects or other camera AI effects and testing again. If needed, turning off Zoom hardware acceleration for video can also help as a test.

If the problem doesn't go away after those steps, it's usually best to open a support case.