Nothing strikes fear into the hearts of Windows users like the infamous Blue Screen of Death. The Blue Screen indicates either a STOP Error or a Bug Check, which means that Windows has to stop working entirely. Often, it’s caused by a software problem such as a bad driver.

During the heyday of Windows XP, it was a constant irritant. Nowadays, it’s far less prevalent since Microsoft has largely addressed the issue. Still, understanding the BSOD and how to deal with it can save you a lot of time and headache.

What Causes That Blue Screen?

There are many possible reasons why Blue Screens of Death eventually occur. In many instances, a corrupt registry will be the primary culprit. This means that there’s an issue with one or several of the DLL files your Windows installation relies on to function properly.

The Blue Screen can also be caused by hardware issues such as a failing power supply or a RAM stick that’s defective. Before we explore possible BSOD fixes, let’s look at how one can prevent them from happening in the first place.

Nipping BSODs in the Bud

In order to avoid the BSOD, the easiest thing to do is to keep your system in good working order. Let’s begin with software. Since DLL problems account for a hefty portion of Blue Screens, you should schedule periodic registry checks with a cleaner program such as CCleaner.

Also, be sure to scan for viruses regularly with Microsoft Security Essentials. Finally, configure your Windows installation to save a core dump to your hard drive so that it can be analyzed later to determine BSOD causes.

Additionally, ensure that your hardware is working normally so that it can be ruled out when diagnosing any future screen freezes. Begin by checking the memory. Running a Memtest once in awhile is never a bad idea, as it will alert you to memory problems in the making.

Faulty RAM modules can easily cause a BSOD and are often the root problem. If you’ve installed a new hardware device such as a hard drive, optical drive or wireless adapter, be sure that your software drivers are up-to-date and don’t conflict with your Windows system.

What to Do When It Happens

You may still encounter the occasional Blue Screen no matter how many preventative measures you take. Generally, a BSOD will tell you to reboot your PC using the familiar CtrlAltDel key combination.

However, there’s a wealth of information displayed on the screen that will give you a clue as to how to fix the problem. If you’re not great at troubleshooting Windows problems, a tool like WhoCrashed or BlueScreenView can help you out. Once you’ve rebooted, you can research your particular circumstances further.

An Ounce of Prevention

Even if it takes a bit of extra homework, it’s worth your time to ensure that Blue Screens of Death don’t occur in the first place. All things being equal, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

If you encounter persistent Blue Screens, you may want to call in a trained technician with years of experience who can quickly diagnose your problem. They’ll know where to look for probable causes and efficiently rectify them. In any event, the aforementioned tips should largely alleviate future BSODs.

Do you research about the BSOD to keep your computer safe and your sanity in tact. Researching online is a cinch with HughesNet, which brings you high speed Internet even if you live in a rural or remote area. Check out http://www.hughesnetplans.com/ to find the plan that is right for you.

When your computer turns off without warning, it is likely because it has overheated. Your computer’s internal systems monitor the temperature and will turn off your computer if it gets too hot. To diagnose and fix the problem, you will need to check the fan to ensure that it is not blocked clogged.

You will need a can of compressed air to blow dust out of the fan. If you are using a desktop computer, Continue reading →

There are a number of things that can cause your computer to turn off by itself. If your computer has overheated, then it could possibly turn off by itself. You should allow your computer to set for a few minutes before you turn it back on if it is very hot. You should also clean out the computer vents because dust and other residue can block the vents, which can prevent the computer from cooling properly.

A computer virus is another thing that Continue reading →

When your computer freezes while you are in the middle of doing something productive, it can be an extremely frustrating experience. Unfortunately, depending on what is causing your computer to freeze, you may lose any unsaved data when you correct the problem.

However, regardless of whether the problem that is causing your computer to freeze is a software or hardware issue, there are simple straightforward steps that you can take to resolve it.

Press the Ctrl, Alt and Delete keys on your keyboard simultaneously. If the keyboard is responsive, a new window with a list of options appears. Click Start Task Manager to open the Task Manager window. The list of programs currently running on your computer is displayed.

Click on the name of the program that has the message “This program is not responding” next to it in the Status column, then click the End Task button. The program that is causing the problem is automatically terminated and you can resume using your computer.

If the keyboard is unresponsive, you will have to perform a hard reboot of your computer. A hard reboot is restarting your computer without using the normal shut down procedure through the operating system. Press the power button on your computer and hold it until the computer restarts. You can resume using the computer when it restarts.

Trying to fix the Blue Screen of Death is not easy because there are quite a number of different reasons why it may be present. A virus, a faulty hard drive or a problem with a particular partition could all be at the root of the problem. So, how can you address it? First, you need to locate the error number present on the blue screen. Once you log the error number, you can then look it up and determine the right steps for fixing it.

One method entails little more than letting the computer cool down. The problem may go away on its own in an hour or so. Booting via the DVD drive could be another simple option.

In serious situations, you may have to take the system in for virus removal or hard drive repair. This can prove costly which is why other simpler methods may be employed first. Many will simply reinstall the operating system and save the files into a new folder. If this does not work, you could employ a Linux boot disk to access files, move them to an external drive and then totally reinstall the hard drive. Others might move the original hard drive to an external case and install a new one.

What happens if the motherboard is the cause of the Blue Screen of Death? In this dire scenario, you may have no choice but to buy a new computer.

Over time, your computer’s hard drive becomes fragmented. What this means, is that there are hundreds of files broken up in several locations across your hard drive. This can cause your computer to slow down because it has to look for the information in different files. This is why it is so important to defragment your computer. What defragmenting does is it reorganizes the fragmented files and it speeds up the computer.
How often you use your computer, will help you decide how often to defragment it. If you keep your computer on everyday and never turn off, you never have to defragment it. The reason for this is because it automatically does it. If you use your computer just part of the time and turn it off, once every couple of weeks is fine. But if you are a heavy user it is a good idea to do it once a week.
It is easy to defragment your computer. Just follow these simple steps.

1. Click on your ‘start menu’. Then click in the ‘Computer’ icon.
2. Next, you right-click the disk you wish to defragment. Next you select ‘Properties’.
3. The next step is to click the ‘Tools’ tab and select ‘Defragment now’.
4. Next click ‘Defragment disk’. If you are not sure if you even need to defragment the disk, you can select ‘Analyze disk’. This will tell you how to proceed.

If your computer is running slow, there are a few easy things that you can do to speed it up. Probably one of the first things you can do is make sure that there is no malware or viruses, causing things to slow down. Run a virus scan and correct any issues, then run a malware scan and do the same. You can find free trial versions online. Next make sure that you have enough disk space. If things are tight, you may want to delete any unnecessary things that may be clogging up your system.

Depending on your computer and operating system, you can run a disk scan and a disk defragment program, to make sure that your hard disk is storing information efficiently. Use Google to find the best defragment program for your system.

Another thing that can make your computer run slow is never updating the operating system, and the programs you are using. There is a reason your computer wants to run updates every few days. Software is not static and things are constantly changing. You need the updated software patches to keep things running smoothly and safely. So, go ahead, and turn on the update feature and make sure your operating system and software is up to date. These few tricks should speed things up. If not, then a hardware upgrade may be in order. You may need to add memory or upgrade your entire system.

Almost everyone has a computer, and if they don’t they probably should. Having a computer makes everything from research, to finances, to shopping, easy and convenient. More homes with computers, also make computer problems more common. Here a few tips everyone can do to make sure that their home computer is running properly and continues to do so.

First off, problems happen with computers. Instead of being afraid of something happening to your computer or hoping problems never come up, it is safer to be prepared for when problems arise. The easiest thing you can do is back up important information. You don’t have to backup everything on your computer, just those things you may want to keep. You can always reinstall your operating system and software that you have on discs. Also, since many things we use are online or on the cloud, just be sure to save all of your passwords. A spreadsheet can be a great place to save all of the important information, and make backing up passwords easy.

Backing up your data can be as simple as transferring the information, you want to keep, to an external hard drive, or as elaborate as signing up for an online backup service. Once you have your data saved, you will not have to live in fear of a hard drive failure or data loss. The next thing to do is make Google your friend, and don’t be afraid to research any potential issues that come up. If you have had the problem, there is a good chance that many other people have had that problem too, and someone has documented the solution online.

Often times, fixing your computer, at home, can be as simple as turning your computer off and on. If your computer is acting strange there is a good chance that you may need to run a virus scan or malware scan. There are many free programs that you can use to run and fix potential virus or malware issues. Also, proper maintenance such as keeping the operating system up to date and keeping the hard disc from becoming fragmented, will help keep things running smoothly.