Why is My PC Crashing?

Nothing can put a
damper on productivity
quite like a computer
that crashes on a regular
basis. Sometimes, a
crash is preceded by the dreaded “blue screen of
death” or another
warning; other times, a
computer simply shuts off
without any warning at all. In
either case, the end result is a whole lot of frustration,
aggravation and lost work. If
your computer has been
crashing frequently, you’d
probably like to put an end to
it. Unfortunately, getting to the bottom of things if often
easier said than done. The
following tips about
improving your computer’s
performance, though, are
excellent places to begin. Possibility #1: Corrupted
System Registry Files Every Windows-based PC has
something called a Windows
registry. The registry contains
several files that are integral to
the performance and
operation of your computer. Over time, some of those files
can become corrupted, be
misplaced or get lost
altogether. When that
happens, the system registry
becomes compromised – and frequent crashes are all-too-
common symptoms. The best
way to rule this possibility in
or out is by running a
Windows registry cleaning
program. Such programs scan your Windows registry for
problems then automatically
make repairs. If you run a
registry cleaner and the
crashes persist, they are
probably being caused by a different issue. Possibility #2: Disorganized
Files Windows operating systems
handle file organization in a
way that isn’t very intuitive.
Basically, they break files up
and fit them into gaps in the
computer’s memory. As time goes by, these disorganized
files can prompt frequent
crashes. Luckily, a great
optimization solution is built
right into Windows-based PCs:
the disk defragmentation utility. Although its location on
a computer varies, you can
generally locate it within the
System and Security section
inside the Control Panel. By
running a defrag once every few months, you may be able
to keep those pesky computer
crashes at bay. Possibility #3: Malicious
Software Malicious software can take
many different forms.
Sometimes, it’s a virus that is
accidentally unleashed after
opening a strange email; other
times, its adware that tags along with other information
that is automatically
downloaded from a website.
Whatever type it is, there’s no
question that malicious
software can wreak havoc on a computer’s performance.
Happily, there are many
topnotch programs out there
that regularly scan your
computer for the presence of
such problems – and that help guard against them, too. Buy
one, install it and use it
regularly; your crash issues
may come to an end. Possibility #4: Too Little
Available Memory When you buy a new
computer, it feels like there’s
no end to the amount of
memory that it has. Of course,
this isn’t true at all. As never-
ending as the available memory on your PC may
initially seem, the fact is that it
can be depleted with
incredible speed. You can find
out for sure by checking the
information within “My Computer.” If it appears that
your available memory is low,
you can use a PC cleanup
program to remove
unnecessary files; such
programs remove things like temporary Internet files and
other file debris that can suck
away much-needed memory. Possibility #5: Overheating If you’ve run through all of the
preceding possibilities and
continue experiencing
frequent crashes, a hardware
issue could be to blame. An
easy one to rule out is overheating. A computer’s CPU,
or central processing unit,
includes a fan that is designed
to keep it running cool.
Sometimes, the fan wears
down and doesn’t work as efficiently; other times, it’s
just not able to handle the
work that your computer has
to do. In either case, buying a
bigger, better fan isn’t very
expensive. If it puts an end to your PC crashing problem, it
will have been more than
worth it. Don’t Put Up with Frequent
Crashes! As discussed, frequent
computer crashes can be
triggered by a wide variety of
issues. Luckily, many of these
issues are relatively easy to
remedy. Work your way through the preceding list;
chances are, you’ll be able to
pinpoint the problem and put
an effective cure to work. Nine
times out of ten, a computer
simply needs a little bit of routine maintenance to get it
back on track again. In the
future, keep these points in
mind. Any time you buy a new
computer, keep up with its
basic maintenance right from the get-go. By doing that, you
could avoid “blue screen of
death” and crashing problems
altogether – and that’s
something that you’re bound
to appreciate!