Computers and Technology

Computers crash often, and you have probably had it happened to you, and on more than one occasion. This probably leads you to ask "Why do computers crash?" Well, there are many reasons. There could be errors within the Windows operating system, or errors in the computer hardware. Software errors are the most common problem, but sometimes you can get hardware errors as well.

Why Computers Crash: Answer #1 - Improper Cleaning Procedures

There are a lot of hardware components that run together to make your PC work. Over time, these components can age and begin to work improperly. Unfortunately, these problems are hard to fix because they aren't always consistent. Moreover, the components inside that tower can overheat and begin to fail. If your RAM (random access memory) or Central Processing unit (CPU) gets too hot, they will fail and your computer will crash.

That is why there are fans built into each tower. These fans, though, can bring dust and other tiny particles into the tower and cause all the components to clog and eventually overheat. An easy solution for this is to take the casing off your tower and buy a can of compressed air. Don't blow into the hardware yourself, as you may spit a little or get dust in your face and sneeze all over your hardware. This could cause further problems with your computer. Use the compressed air from a distance so you don't do any damage, and please, do this outdoors. Keeping them clean is one quick way to solve the "Why do computers crash?" problem.

Why Computers Crash: Answer #2 - Hard Disk Errors

A far more serious problem that can cause you computer to crash is hard disk errors. Data is stored in units on the hard disk called sectors. These sectors can become damaged or corrupt. Sometimes new hard disks can have faulty sectors due to the manufacturing process, but they are marked and given more space to make up for the damaged ones. If you try and access a file that is on one of these bad sectors, then your system will crash. Over time, your hard disk will get more bad sectors. What's more is that if you bump your computer tower, and the head that reads the information on the disk makes contact with the disk itself, it can cause a massive scratch, which will result in serious data loss as well as system crashes.

Think you may have some of these problems? To check if there are errors on your hard disk, do an error check. The procedure for this will depend on your operating system (OS), so read your manual to get specific instructions. If there are errors on your hard disk, you will probably have to buy a new one. This is why it is so important to back up all your important files on a CD or DVD. If you have those backup files, adding a new hard disk to your machine will be a cinch. If you want to answer your own "Why do computers crash?" question quickly, run a test on your machine right away.

Why Computers Crash: Answer #3 - OS Errors

The most common cause of a computer crash is an error within the operating system software. Your operating system accesses files and tries its best to make sure information is flowing properly between hardware and different software programs. However, over time, these links can become damaged, and you will get error messages, or your system will lock up, which looks a lot like a crash. Usually all you have to do is reset you computer, and you are back up and running. Sometimes, though, these files can become corrupt, and no matter how many times your reset your computer, the same errors keep happening. In this case, you may have to reinstall the software. Also, because no one is perfect, there are programming errors inherent in every operating system. This is why you need to do a lot of system updates.

These usually fix the programming errors, but they can also cause new conflicts within the programming. It's not always perfect, but for some, it answers the "Why do computers crash?" question. Read update bulletins as they become available to decide which updates you should or shouldn't install on your machine.

Another solution to this problem can be a registry cleaner - these tools are effective in detecting and repairing all forms of registry errors, they clean out useless junk files, improve system stability and increase PC Performance.

Why Computers Crash: Answer #4 - Resource Problems

The operating system can also cause your computer to crash when it fails to manage its resources properly. Sometimes a couple of programs are all trying to access the same thing, and each program is waiting for the other to give up control of those resources. In this case, you could just restart your computer or you can set priority to the program you want to focus on.

Setting priority : Access windows task manager - select processes - right click the program you are using and then select the priority level.

Hopefully you now have an answer to the question "Why do computers crash?" It is rarely the same problem twice, and many things contribute to a computer crash. You just have to remember to always make backup copies of important files so when your computer does crash, you won't lose any important information.