For anyone experiencing that the cockpit becomes frozen and unresponsive but the sim (MSFS) is still responding it likely has to do with a gauge setting in the experimental options.
Found here:
General Options -> Experimental -> Set USE NANO VG FOR XML GAUGES to OFF
Doesn't seem to work for everyone that I see on google but it worked for me. I will caution that if you do this after you load into the sim, it loaded the airplane in a engine running state on both engines. FMC was cleared and most things were turned on but not all in the overhead panel. Advice is to be careful in your checks.