Millennium Edition
10 reasons why PCs crash U must know
10 reasons why PCs crash U must know
Fatal error: the system is unstable or is busy, "he says." Enter to return to Windows or Control-Alt-Delete to restart the computer. If you do this you will lose all stored information in all open applications. "
You have just taken by the Blue Screen of Death. Anyone who uses Windows Mcft will be familiar with this. What can you do? More importantly, how can you prevent it happening?
1 Hardware conflict
The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates with other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). Are considered unique for each device.
For example a printer is usually connected internally on IRQ 7. The keyboard usually uses IRQ 1 and the floppy disk drive IRQ 6. Each device will try to hog a single IRQ for itself.
If there are many devices, or if they are not installed properly, two of them end with the same IRQ number. When the user tries to use both devices simultaneously, a crash can happen. The way to check whether your computer has a hardware conflict is through the following Route:
* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager.
Often when a device has a problem a yellow '! " appears next the description in the Device Manager. Highlight Computer (in the Device Manager) and press Properties to see the IRQ numbers used by your computer to see. If the IRQ number appears twice, can two devices.
Sometimes a device can share an IRQ with something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI steering'. This can be ignored. The best way this problem is to remove the problem device and reinstall it.
Sometimes you have more recent drivers available on the Internet to the device to to function properly. A good resource www.driverguide.com. If the device is a sound card or a modem, it can often be fixed by moving to a different slot on the motherboard (be careful about opening your computer, as you may void your warranty).
When working in a computer, turn it off, unplug from the power and touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any static electricity.
Mcft To be honest, the problem with IRQ numbers is not her. It is a legacy problem going back to the first PC designs using the IBM 8086 chip. Initially there were only eight IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It's easy to run from them. There are plans to increase the number of IRQs in future designs.
2 Bad Ram
RAM (Random Access Memory) problems on the blue screen of death with a fatal exception message. A fatal error indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean that a part is damaged and will be replaced.
But a fatal error caused by Ram can be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70NS) Ram with 60ns Ram will usually force the computer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.
One way around this problem is to BIOS settings and expect to increase the Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way an accused Ram problem is to rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or take some of them. Then try to repeat the circumstances that caused the crash. When handling Ram try not to touch the gold connections, because they can easily damage.
Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two types, because this may cause problems.
EMM386 error messages refer to memory problems but can not be connected to bad Ram. This may be due to free memory problems often linked to old DOS programs.
3 BIOS settings
Every motherboard comes with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings, press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.
Once BIOS, great care must be taken. It's a good idea to write on a piece of paper all the settings on the screen. That way, if you change something and the computer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to return to.
A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (Extended Data Out) RAM has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SDRAM has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram to lock up and freeze the computer screen.
Mcft Windows is better at allocating IRQ numbers than BIOS. If possible set the IRQ numbers to Auto in the BIOS. This Windows will assign IRQ numbers (or the BIOS setting Plug and Play OS is switched to 'yes' to allow Windows to do this.).
4 hard drives
After a few weeks, the information on a hard disc starts to be patchy or fragmented. It's a good idea to defragment the hard disk every week or so, allowing the disc to prevent a screen freeze. Go to
* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Defragmenter
This will start the procedure. You will not be able to write data to disk (to save) while the disk defragmenting, so it's a good idea to schedule the procedure for a period of inactivity using the Task Scheduler.
The Task Scheduler should be one of the small icons at the bottom right of the Windows opening page (the desktop).
Some Lockups and screen freezes caused by hard disk problems be solved by reducing the read-ahead optimization. This can be adjusted by going to
* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System Icon-Performance-File System-Hard disc.
Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are too full. Do some housekeeping on your hard drive every few months and free some space. Open the Windows folder on the C drive and find the Temporary Internet files. Removing the contents (not the folder) can free a lot of space.
Empty the Recycle Bin every week to free up more space. Hard drives should be scanned every week for errors or bad sectors. Go to
* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Scandisk
Otherwise transfer The Task Scheduler to perform this operation at night when the computer is not in use.
5 Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors
Fatal exception OE errors and VXD errors are often caused by video card problems.
These can often be resolved easily by reducing the resolution of the video display. Go to
* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Display-Settings
Here you should slide the screen area bar to the left. Take a look at the color settings on the left of that window. For most desktops, high 16-bit color depth is sufficient.
If the screen freezes or you experience system lockups it might be due the video card. Make sure not a hardware conflict. Go to
* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager
Here you select the + next display adapter. A line of text describing your video card should appear. Select (making blue) and press properties. Select Resources and select each line in the window. Look for a message that says no conflicts.
If you have video card hardware conflict, you will see here. Be careful on this point and write down everything you do in case you it worse.
The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use automatic settings check box and click the Change Settings button. You looking for an institution that is not a conflict message.
Another useful way to resolve video problems is to
* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Performance-Graphics
Here you should move the Hardware acceleration slider to the left. As always, the most common cause of problems relating to graphics cards is old or faulty drivers (a driver is a small piece of software used by a computer to communicate with a device).
Check your video card manufacturer in the Internet and find the latest drivers.
6 Viruses
Often the first sign of a virus infection is instability. Some viruses delete the boot sector of a hard disk, making it impossible to start. This is why it is a good idea to have a Windows startup disk. Go to
* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Add/Remove Program
Here, look for the Start Up Disk tab. Virus protection requires constant vigilance.
A virus scanner is a list of viruses signatures in order to identify viruses. These signatures are stored in a DAT file. DAT files should be updated weekly on the website of your antivirus software manufacturer.
An excellent antivirus program is McAfee VirusScan by Network Associates (Www.nai.com). Another is Norton AntiVirus 2000, made by Symantec (www.symantec.com).
7 Printers
The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger file, often a PostScript file.
Printers have only a small amount of memory called a buffer. This can easily be overloaded. Printing a document also uses a considerable amount of CPU power. This computer will also slow performance.
If the printer trying to print unusual characters, these can not be recognized, and the computer may crash. Sometimes printers will not recover of a crash due to confusion in the buffer. A good way to empty the buffer separately from the printer for ten seconds. Starting a powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the default settings of the printer and you are able to continue.
8 Software
A common cause of computer crash defective or poorly installed software. Often the problem can be cured by removing the software and then reinstall. Use Norton Uninstall or Uninstall Shield to an application from your system easily removed. This will also remove references to the program in the System Registry and leaves the way for a completely fresh copy.
The system registry may be corrupted by old references to obsolete software that you thought was deleted. Use Reg Cleaner by Jouni Vuorio to clean the registry and remove obsolete entries. It works on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE (Second Edition), Windows Millennium Edition (ME), NT4 and Windows 2000.
Read the instructions and rigorously so you do not cause permanent damage to the registry. If the Registry is damaged you need to reinstall your operating system. Reg Cleaner can be obtained from www.jv16.org
Often a Windows problem can be resolved by entering Safe Mode. This can be done during startup. To send the message "Starting Windows" press F4. This you in Safe Mode.
Safe Mode loads a minimum of drivers. It allows you to find and problems that prevent Windows from loading properly fixed.
Sometimes installing Windows is difficult because of unsuitable BIOS settings. Suwin If you keep getting error messages (Windows setup) during the Windows installation, try entering the BIOS and Disable the CPU internal cache. Try Level 2 (L2) cache if that does not work off.
Remember to restore all BIOS settings back to their previous settings after installation.
9 Overheating
Central processing units (CPUs) are usually equipped with fans to keep cool. If the fan failure or if the CPU gets old can begin to overheat and generate a certain kind of error is a kernel error. This is a common problem in chips that are overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they should.
A solution to a bigger better fan and install it on top of the CPU. Specialist fans / heatsinks are available at www.computernerd.com or www.coolit.com
CPUs problems can often be corrected by disabling the CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This allows the machine to run slower, but it is also more stable.
10 Nutritional problems
With all the new construction around the country the steady supply of electricity has become disrupted. A power surge or spike can crash a computer as easily as a power failure.
If this has become a nuisance for you then consider buying a uninterrupted power supply (UPS). This gives you a clean power supply when there is electricity, and it gives you a few minutes to perform a controlled shutdown in case of power failure cutting.
It is a good investment if your data is crucial, because a power failure will cause unsaved data is lost.
About the Author
Vista will become the equivalent of Millennium Edition?
I recently purchased a laptop is using Vista. With all the negative reviews of Vista I was wondering or it will go the way of the Millennium Edit. It will be easier for me to just intall XP now on, then 2 years from the time a ton of stuff I am a backup.
Currently, Vista could go both ways. It all depends on future updates, etc. If a service pack comes out and solves a lot of problems (Like what happens with Windows XP), it will probably go the route XP. I strongly recommend against installing XP on a new laptop that came preinstalled with Windows Vista. Many laptops use proprietary hardware, so it's very hard to find drivers (the software that allows you to use hardware such as speakers, screen, keyboard, etc.). Drivers for laptop hardware sometimes never written for an older OS, because of the time and money. In personal experience, I tried to 'downgrade' a Vista laptop that was purchased in April to XP, and it took about 100 days and the majority of online searches to find the drivers. Some things still do not work as the hibernate mode, and they probably never will. Good luck with your choice!
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