CompTIA Exam 220-1101 Topic 1 Question 29 Discussion

When a computer frequently freezes and requires hard restarts, the first step a technician should take, especially when hardware components have not been recently changed, is to read the event logs. Event logs can provide critical insights into what is causing the system to freeze, including errors and warnings that precede the freeze. This information is essential for diagnosing software or operating system issues that might be causing instability. Checking the temperature or updating drivers might be subsequent steps based on findings from the event logs.

Reference: CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1101) troubleshooting section, which emphasizes the importance of using system logs to diagnose issues.