Microsoft Teams frequently freezes during calls on my Windows Surface device.

Hi @Diksha Kakkar,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

Thank you for bringing the issue with Microsoft Teams to our attention. I understand how challenging it can be when the app freezes during calls, especially when you're presenting or actively participating.

Based on your description, this issue may stem from a few underlying causes such as graphics rendering conflicts, corrupted or overloaded cache files, or outdated drivers or firmware.

To better assist you and offer the most effective solutions, may I kindly ask you to share the following details:

• Are you signed in Teams with a personal account (e.g., Outlook.com, Hotmail.com) or the account associated with your school?
• If you have access to another device, could you try signing into Teams on that device to check if the same issue occurs there?
• Could you double check whether your internet connection remains stable during calls, especially when the freezing occurs?
• Could you try signing into Teams using a web browser to see if the issue still occurs there?

In the meantime, here are a few steps that you can try to resolve the issue:

1/ Fully clear the Teams cache:

Over time, cached data can become corrupted or outdated, leading to performance issues like freezing or crashing. Clearing the cache forces Teams to rebuild fresh data, which often resolves glitches.  

Steps:

• Quit Teams completely.
• Press Windows + R , type: %userprofile%\appdata\local\Packages\MSTeams_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Microsoft\MSTeams
• Delete all files and folders in that directory.
• Restart Teams.
• For your reference: Clear the Teams client cache

2/ Update Teams manually

Running an outdated version of Teams can cause compatibility issues, especially with newer Windows updates or Surface firmware. Manually updating ensures you're using the latest version with performance improvements and bug fixes.

Steps:

• Open Teams.
• Click three dots at the top-right corner > Settings > About Teams

• Let it install and restart the app.

3/ Uninstall and reinstall Teams:   

If the app installation itself is corrupted, a full reinstall can resolve deeper issues that cache clearing or updates won’t fix. This process removes all components and installs a clean version.

To uninstall Teams, you need to uninstall two items. Follow the steps below to fully uninstall Teams.

• Quit Teams by right-clicking the Teams icon in the taskbar and choosing Close window.
• In Windows, click on the Start button > Settings > Apps.
• Under Apps & features, search "teams".
• Highlight Microsoft Teams, then select Uninstall.
• A box will appear, then again select Uninstall to confirm. A new box will appear, asking "Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?" > Select "Yes".
• Now select Teams Machine-Wide Installer, click Uninstall. Then follow the same process described in the previous step

• Now you can reinstall Teams via this link: Download Microsoft Teams Desktop and Mobile Apps | Microsoft Teams

4/ Update drivers and firmware for Surface:

Outdated drivers or firmware can cause hardware-level conflicts with applications like Teams, especially during video calls or presentations. Keeping your Surface device up to date might ensure optimal compatibility and performance. Please follow the instructions in this link to update:

Download drivers and firmware for Surface - Microsoft Support

Additionally, regarding your note about the missing option to disable GPU hardware acceleration, thank you for pointing that out. I encourage you to submit feedback through the Microsoft 365 Feedback Hub. Your input is incredibly valuable, and sharing it directly with Microsoft helps ensure that real-world user experiences like yours are considered in future updates.

To submit your suggestion to Microsoft:.

Go to: Microsoft 365 Feedback Hub →Send Feedback→ Describe your proposal in detail

Our product team is in charge of the site and constantly reviews customer feedback. The more votes a feature receives, the more attention the related team will give it. In fact, many features are developed and improved based directly on customer input.

Note: Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution. 

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this. 

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

I'm looking forward to your reply.

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