| 10 reasons why PCs crash U must Know | | | | in use. |
| Fatal error: the system has become unstable or is | | | | 5 Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors |
| busy," it says. "Enter to return to Windows or | | | | Fatal OE exception errors and VXD errors are |
| press Control-Alt-Delete to restart your | | | | often caused by video card problems. |
| computer. If you do this you will lose any unsaved | | | | These can often be resolved easily by reducing |
| information in all open applications." | | | | the resolution of the video display. Go to |
| You have just been struck by the Blue Screen of | | | | * Start-Settings-Control Panel-Display-Settings |
| Death. Anyone who uses Mcft Windows will be | | | | Here you should slide the screen area bar to the |
| familiar with this. What can you do? More | | | | left. Take a look at the colour settings on the left |
| importantly, how can you prevent it happening? | | | | of that window. For most desktops, high colour |
| 1 Hardware conflict | | | | 16-bit depth is adequate. |
| The number one reason why Windows crashes is | | | | If the screen freezes or you experience system |
| hardware conflict. Each hardware device | | | | lockups it might be due to the video card. Make |
| communicates to other devices through an | | | | sure it does not have a hardware conflict. Go to |
| interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are | | | | * Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device |
| supposed to be unique for each device. | | | | Manager |
| For example, a printer usually connects internally | | | | Here, select the + beside Display Adapter. A line |
| on IRQ 7. The keyboard usually uses IRQ 1 and | | | | of text describing your video card should appear. |
| the floppy disk drive IRQ 6. Each device will try to | | | | Select it (make it blue) and press properties. Then |
| hog a single IRQ for itself. | | | | select Resources and select each line in the |
| If there are a lot of devices, or if they are not | | | | window. Look for a message that says No |
| installed properly, two of them may end up | | | | Conflicts. |
| sharing the same IRQ number. When the user | | | | If you have video card hardware conflict, you will |
| tries to use both devices at the same time, a | | | | see it here. Be careful at this point and make a |
| crash can happen. The way to check if your | | | | note of everything you do in case you make |
| computer has a hardware conflict is through the | | | | things worse. |
| following route: | | | | The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to |
| * Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device | | | | uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit |
| Manager. | | | | the Change Settings button. You are searching for |
| Often if a device has a problem a yellow '!' | | | | a setting that will display a No Conflicts message. |
| appears next to its description in the Device | | | | Another useful way to resolve video problems is |
| Manager. Highlight Computer (in the Device | | | | to go to |
| Manager) and press Properties to see the IRQ | | | | * Start-Settings-Control |
| numbers used by your computer. If the IRQ | | | | Panel-System-Performance-Graphics |
| number appears twice, two devices may be using | | | | Here you should move the Hardware Acceleration |
| it. | | | | slider to the left. As ever, the most common |
| Sometimes a device might share an IRQ with | | | | cause of problems relating to graphics cards is old |
| something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI | | | | or faulty drivers (a driver is a small piece of |
| steering'. This can be ignored. The best way to fix | | | | software used by a computer to communicate |
| this problem is to remove the problem device and | | | | with a device). |
| reinstall it. | | | | Look up your video card's manufacturer on the |
| Sometimes you may have to find more recent | | | | internet and search for the most recent drivers |
| drivers on the internet to make the device | | | | for it. |
| function properly. A good resource is If the | | | | 6 Viruses |
| device is a soundcard, or a modem, it can often | | | | Often the first sign of a virus infection is instability. |
| be fixed by moving it to a different slot on the | | | | Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard |
| motherboard (be careful about opening your | | | | drive, making it impossible to start. This is why it |
| computer, as you may void the warranty). | | | | is a good idea to create a Windows start-up disk. |
| When working inside a computer you should | | | | Go to |
| switch it off, unplug the mains lead and touch an | | | | * Start-Settings-Control Panel-Add/Remove |
| unpainted metal surface to discharge any static | | | | Programs |
| electricity. | | | | Here, look for the Start Up Disk tab. Virus |
| To be fair to Mcft, the problem with IRQ | | | | protection requires constant vigilance. |
| numbers is not of its making. It is a legacy | | | | A virus scanner requires a list of virus signatures |
| problem going back to the first PC designs using | | | | in order to be able to identify viruses. These |
| the IBM 8086 chip. Initially there were only eight | | | | signatures are stored in a DAT file. DAT files |
| IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It is easy | | | | should be updated weekly from the website of |
| to run out of them. There are plans to increase | | | | your antivirus software manufacturer. |
| the number of IRQs in future designs. | | | | An excellent antivirus programme is McAfee |
| 2 Bad Ram | | | | VirusScan by Network Associates ( Another is |
| Ram (random-access memory) problems might | | | | Norton AntiVirus 2000, made by Symantec ( |
| bring on the blue screen of death with a message | | | | 7 Printers |
| saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates | | | | The action of sending a document to print |
| a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may | | | | creates a bigger file, often called a postscript file. |
| mean a part is damaged and will need replacing. | | | | Printers have only a small amount of memory, |
| But a fatal error caused by Ram might be caused | | | | called a buffer. This can be easily overloaded. |
| by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing | | | | Printing a document also uses a considerable |
| 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will | | | | amount of CPU power. This will also slow down |
| usually force the computer to run all the Ram at | | | | the computer's performance. |
| the slower speed. This will often crash the | | | | If the printer is trying to print unusual characters, |
| machine if the Ram is overworked. | | | | these might not be recognised, and can crash the |
| One way around this problem is to enter the | | | | computer. Sometimes printers will not recover |
| BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the | | | | from a crash because of confusion in the buffer. |
| Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way | | | | A good way to clear the buffer is to unplug the |
| to troubleshoot a suspected Ram problem is to | | | | printer for ten seconds. Booting up from a |
| rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or | | | | powerless state, also called a cold boot, will |
| take some of them out. Then try to repeat the | | | | restore the printer's default settings and you may |
| circumstances that caused the crash. When | | | | be able to carry on. |
| handling Ram try not to touch the gold | | | | 8 Software |
| connections, as they can be easily damaged. | | | | A common cause of computer crash is faulty or |
| Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern | | | | badly-installed software. Often the problem can be |
| Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity | | | | cured by uninstalling the software and then |
| (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two types, as | | | | reinstalling it. Use Norton Uninstall or Uninstall Shield |
| this can be a cause of trouble. | | | | to remove an application from your system |
| EMM386 error messages refer to memory | | | | properly. This will also remove references to the |
| problems but may not be connected to bad Ram. | | | | programme in the System Registry and leaves |
| This may be due to free memory problems often | | | | the way clear for a completely fresh copy. |
| linked to old Dos-based programmes. | | | | The System Registry can be corrupted by old |
| 3 BIOS settings | | | | references to obsolete software that you |
| Every motherboard is supplied with a range of | | | | thought was uninstalled. Use Reg Cleaner by Jouni |
| chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A | | | | Vuorio to clean up the System Registry and |
| common way to access these settings is to | | | | remove obsolete entries. It works on Windows |
| press the F2 or delete button during the first few | | | | 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE (Second Edition), |
| seconds of a boot-up. | | | | Windows Millennium Edition (ME), NT4 and |
| Once inside the BIOS, great care should be taken. | | | | Windows 2000. |
| It is a good idea to write down on a piece of | | | | Read the instructions and use it carefully so you |
| paper all the settings that appear on the screen. | | | | don't do permanent damage to the Registry. If |
| That way, if you change something and the | | | | the Registry is damaged you will have to reinstall |
| computer becomes more unstable, you will know | | | | your operating system. Reg Cleaner can be |
| what settings to revert to. | | | | obtained from |
| A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. | | | | Often a Windows problem can be resolved by |
| This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended | | | | entering Safe Mode. This can be done during |
| data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer | | | | start-up. When you see the message "Starting |
| SDRam has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the | | | | Windows" press F4. This should take you into |
| wrong figure can cause the Ram to lock up and | | | | Safe Mode. |
| freeze the computer's display. | | | | Safe Mode loads a minimum of drivers. It allows |
| Mcft Windows is better at allocating IRQ numbers | | | | you to find and fix problems that prevent |
| than any BIOS. If possible set the IRQ numbers | | | | Windows from loading properly. |
| to Auto in the BIOS. This will allow Windows to | | | | Sometimes installing Windows is difficult because |
| allocate the IRQ numbers (make sure the BIOS | | | | of unsuitable BIOS settings. If you keep getting |
| setting for Plug and Play OS is switched to 'yes' | | | | SUWIN error messages (Windows setup) during |
| to allow Windows to do this.). | | | | the Windows installation, then try entering the |
| 4 Hard disk drives | | | | BIOS and disabling the CPU internal cache. Try to |
| After a few weeks, the information on a hard | | | | disable the Level 2 (L2) cache if that doesn't |
| disk drive starts to become piecemeal or | | | | work. |
| fragmented. It is a good idea to defragment the | | | | Remember to restore all the BIOS settings back |
| hard disk every week or so, to prevent the disk | | | | to their former settings following installation. |
| from causing a screen freeze. Go to | | | | 9 Overheating |
| * Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk | | | | Central processing units (CPUs) are usually |
| Defragmenter | | | | equipped with fans to keep them cool. If the fan |
| This will start the procedure. You will be unable to | | | | fails or if the CPU gets old it may start to |
| write data to the hard drive (to save it) while the | | | | overheat and generate a particular kind of error |
| disk is defragmenting, so it is a good idea to | | | | called a kernel error. This is a common problem in |
| schedule the procedure for a period of inactivity | | | | chips that have been overclocked to operate at |
| using the Task Scheduler. | | | | higher speeds than they are supposed to. |
| The Task Scheduler should be one of the small | | | | One remedy is to get a bigger better fan and |
| icons on the bottom right of the Windows opening | | | | install it on top of the CPU. Specialist cooling fans |
| page (the desktop). | | | | heatsinks are available from or |
| Some lockups and screen freezes caused by hard | | | | CPU problems can often be fixed by disabling the |
| disk problems can be solved by reducing the | | | | CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This will make the |
| read-ahead optimisation. This can be adjusted by | | | | machine run more slowly, but it should also be |
| going to | | | | more stable. |
| * Start-Settings-Control Panel-System | | | | 10 Power supply problems |
| Icon-Performance-File System-Hard Disk. | | | | With all the new construction going on around the |
| Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are | | | | country the steady supply of electricity has |
| too full. Do some housekeeping on your hard | | | | become disrupted. A power surge or spike can |
| drive every few months and free some space on | | | | crash a computer as easily as a power cut. |
| it. Open the Windows folder on the C drive and | | | | If this has become a nuisance for you then |
| find the Temporary Internet Files folder. Deleting | | | | consider buying a uninterrupted power supply |
| the contents (not the folder) can free a lot of | | | | (UPS). This will give you a clean power supply |
| space. | | | | when there is electricity, and it will give you a few |
| Empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more | | | | minutes to perform a controlled shutdown in case |
| space. Hard disk drives should be scanned every | | | | of a power cut. |
| week for errors or bad sectors. Go to | | | | It is a good investment if your data are critical, |
| * Start-Programs-Accessories-System | | | | because a power cut will cause any unsaved data |
| Tools-ScanDisk | | | | to be lost. |
| Otherwise assign the Task Scheduler to perform | | | | Say thanks . . . . . |
| this operation at night when the computer is not | | | | |