Ubuntu Software frequently freezes in Ubuntu 16.04

Question

Almost every time when I try to open Ubuntu Software it freezes and goes black for a few seconds. Ubuntu Software hangs and does not respond when opened. The same thing occurs sometimes while using it.

Answer 1

1. Remove locked up instances of Ubuntu Software from memory.

   killall gnome-software  
   

2. Remove the ~/.local/share/gnome-software directory. It will be recreated the next time you open Ubuntu Software.

   rm -r ~/.local/share/gnome-software  
   

3. Uninstall and reinstall gnome-software.

   sudo apt update  
   sudo apt upgrade  
   sudo apt purge gnome-software && sudo apt install gnome-software
   

4. Check occasionally if there is a little square orange notification icon in the Ubuntu Software menu bar next to Updates. If this little orange square icon appears, click on it to switch to a screen that shows available updates and install the updates.