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Common Causes of System Crashes and How To Prevent Them

System crashes are annoying and time consuming. Every time your computer crashes you have to restart the computer and wait patiently to start using the applications and software programs. If you are experiencing a number of system crashes it is important to try to find the source of the problem to prevent it from happening again.

Here is a list of some of the most common reasons system crashes occur.

Viruses and Spyware. The number one reason for system crashes is because your system contains a virus or spyware. One of the reasons viruses were invented was to try to crash out systems. If you experience a system crash you should immediately run a virus scan as well as a malware scan. This could prevent the problem from happening.

Defragmenting. When you save a large number of files on your computer it takes up hard drive space. When you delete them those spaces stay there. This causes some software programs to be installed in a number of different spots on your hard drive. When you go to use that program it has to find the files and if they are in different spots it could cause the system to crash. Try to defragment the computer so that all files are put together. This could prevent system crashes from happening.

Overheating. Another common cause of system crashes is because the cooling system on the computer is not working. When a computer gets overheated it will shut off and try to heal itself by letting it cool down. Make sure all your cooling fans are working properly. If not fix them as this may fix the problem of system crashes.

Filed Under: Computers, Technology Tagged With: , ,

Computer Problems: Errors Upon Starting the Computer

Have you ever experienced a problem with hundreds of computer errors coming up on your computer screen the minute that you try to start your computer? While you might have tried a system restore and dumping the cache you probably still experience these problems. That is because errors when the computer starts could be a result of spyware and viruses.


If you are experiencing these errors upon start up it is nothing to worry about. The solution is fairly simple and just takes a little time and patience. Here is how to fix the problem of start up errors on computers or laptops.

The first step is to download a reliable and safe anti-virus program. There are several free ones on the Internet as well as the name brand ones like Norton or AVG. All of these programs will work and can be installed in a matter of minutes on your computer.

After the anti-virus program has been downloaded it is important to make sure that you run a complete scan on your system. Depending upon how large your computer’s memory is this could take anywhere from a few minutes to hours. However, a complete scan is essential to finding and removing all the viruses.

Once the scanning process has finished it will show you a list of problems that might be on your computer. There will be an option to repair these problems if the computer has not already done so. Do this immediately and restart the computer.

After the viruses have been removed it might be a good idea to run a reliable spyware program as some of these are often overlooked by virus programs. These can include Spybot S&D or Malwarebytes. These similar to the anti-virus programs.

Filed Under: Computers, Internet Tagged With: , Malwarebytes,

Protecting Your Home Computer from Food

Most people think about protecting their home computer in terms of having up to date virus software and running periodic scans. Protection can also mean performing frequent back-ups and keeping your files secure and passwords secret. One thing we don’t always think about is how to protect your home computer from the grime and damage that comes from food and drink.

The Habit

Many people eat or drink at their home computer to increase their efficiency. A cup of coffee at the computer is a morning routine, just like eating lunch while getting some work done seems like a harmless habit. The crumbs from food can cause serious damage and stick inside your keyboard long after you’ve finished that sandwich. Greasy food can be especially problematic as greasey fingers can har your keyboard and mouse, leaving difficult marks on the surface that are tough to get out safely.

Combatting the Problem

Alwasy wash your hands after eating at your desk and avoid touching your computer during mealtime. If you can move away from your computer for meals, do it. You can set up a sound to alert you to new emails or anything that needs attending to during lunch. If you must drink at your computer, keep the mug or cup far away from your computer to avoid spills. Mark your calendar with regular times to clean out your computer keyboard and if you notice crumbs, clean them out immediately with tape, compressed air, or a full-out keyboard clean.

Damage Control

If you do severe damage, like spilling a beverage on your computer, try to act quickly and don’t panic. With water or tea, sometimes you can let the keyboard drain out and use a hairdryer to clean up the spill with no harm done. Sugarly drinks like sodas can be more problematic, causing lasting damage and causing sticking keys. Sugary drinks and food can also attract ants to your home office.

Filed Under: Computers, General Tagged With: Drink, Eating, Home computer, Keyboard instrument, Original equipment manufacturer,