Freezing, weird noises and the blue screen of death Is your PC gasping its last breath?
Imagine spending hours on an important document or presentation, getting towards the end and then watching in horror as the computer seizes, the screen goes blue and the machine resets. With non-autosaving programs that could easily spell disaster, and yet most of us have been there at some point in the past, with our computer seemingly giving us no warning of the impending doom it’s about to bring upon us.
There certainly no mistaking the sickening feeling of frustration when such a catastrophe takes place, but even if the consequences of a computer crash are rather mild – perhaps an error while you’re looking up videos of cats – it’s still rather annoying. So why do our computers crash, and are there any steps you can take to ensure a more trouble-free life in front of the screen? Here we’re going to look at a number of reasons why our machines decide to throw a wobbly.
The Hard Drive’s On Its Last Leg
The hard drive is perhaps the most important component of a computer, at least on a personal level. It’s where we store our precious data whether it’s the word processing files we create or the photos, videos, music, emails, games and ebooks that we’re taken or bought. Even though solid-state storage exists, most of us still use these mechanical hard drives and yet they can pose tremendous problems when they develop faults and splutter on near the end of their lives.
There are typically two main things that will go wrong with your hard drive (there are others, but these pair are the most common). The first is a mechanical failure, whether it’s through simple wear and tear, overheating, a burned out motor or an issue with the drive’s bearings becoming stuck. The second is a head failure, where the read/write head of the hard disk drive makes contact with the rotating platter. That situation is far worse, potentially causing huge damage to the magnetic media and thus your data.
So, are there any signs that this is going to happen? Thankfully there can be. One of the major telltales is a hard drive behaving strangely. If you find that files have begun disappearing for no apparent reason, or if your apps suddenly stop working, then it could well point to hard drive issue. If it takes far longer than usual to open folders or carry out simple tasks then this too is a good indication of a problem.
You should also listen very carefully... As your hard drive may also be trying to tell you something. If the hard drive of your computer is making an almighty racket as it whirrs around manipulating your data, that too should scream ‘error’. In all of these cases, you should waste no time in backing up all of your data onto an external drive or even in the cloud. Then head out to the shops or scour the ads in this magazine for a replacement.
There Are Corrupt Files And Apps
We’ve already mentioned that hard drive failures can account for apps and files not opening or being where they should be but it’s not the only cause. So to rule out a hard drive problem, run a program such as CrystalDiskInfo tinyurl.com/6e4kj3) to check its general health status. If everything seems fine, then the corruption could well be down to malware or a virus so keep your virus scanners up-to-date and perform a full system scan on your machine. With a bit of luck, this should identify the source of the issue.
Encountering A Critical Error
Now, let’s turn our attention to the one screen that makes us all recoil in horror: the ‘blue screen of death’. Seeing one is very much a sign that something has gone wrong and it is caused by one of two things: a hardware failure such as a problem with the hard disk or a problem with low-level software running in the Windows kernel. That’s because Blue Screens of Death are the product of something affecting the operating system. They occur when a “STOP Error” is encountered, prompting a restart.
To take a peek at what may be causing the problem, you need to access a report created by Windows following a crash. It is saved as a DMP file and you can view it by rebooting the PC and navigating to C:\Windows\Minidump, opening it into the Windows Debugging Package or third party software such as WhoCrashed (tinyurl.com/zrzelvq) and BlueScreenView (tinyurl.com/ly4dmg).
How do you fix this problem? Use System Restore to roll back to a previous state to get a good idea if the problem is a software one. Then scan for malware just in case rogue files have found their way into the kernel and caused instability. Make sure your drivers are fully up-to-date and install any updates to Windows too. The last resort option is to reinstall Windows from scratch: if the computer still crashes at this stage, then your hardware is to blame.
Memory Problems
So what about other issues? Well, memory can also prove a problem. When memory overheats or becomes old, it can stop working as effectively as it did when new and this can cause a crash. Similarly, a computer can freeze and need a reset if there is not enough memory: gamers will often report that their games are crashing because of a lack of available memory. The solution is to buy as much as your computer can handle.
Can’t Boot, Won’t Boot?
There are also times when a PC will throw a wobbler during the boot up, telling you that the boot device has not been found or that there needs to be a restart. If you find that the problem clears up later, then you may have a dodgy hard drive on your hands. If it doesn’t, however, then it’s most likely going to be due to Windows having corrupted in which case you will need to re-install it. Try booting it into Safe Mode first, if you can.
There Is Rogue Software Installed
When you’re using your computer, you may spot software that you don’t remember ever installing. Sometimes, installation wizards trick you into downloading something else as well, such as a Yahoo! toolbar. It’s an awful, off-putting practice, and akin a violation of your PC. The problem is that some of this software may be destabilising, causing crashes, especially if there is too much of it or something makes fundamental changes to your PC. Wipe it clean with malware removal software.
You’re Running An Insider Preview Build
Yes, it’s great that you’re getting a glimpse of the future of Windows 10, but if you’re signed up to the Insider Preview then you’re installing new parts of an operating system that Microsoft is not yet confident of unleashing on to the wider public. The idea is that you’re supposed to give feedback on the new features and, of course, on any bugs you find, so the previews will be more likely to crash your computer as a result. To opt out of it, go to Settings > Update & security > Windows Insider Program.
You’re Using Windows 10 Anniversary Update
Within hours of revealing the Windows 10 Anniversary update, scores of people took to Twitter and forums to say it was crashing their system just 20 seconds after booting. It led to the mouse freezing over the taskbar and a message stating: “Windows is not responding”. Booting into safe mode seems to sort the problem while some say installing an ISO of Windows 10 build 1607 also fixes it. If you haven’t already upgraded, then maybe the best thing to do is hang fire until the teething issues are ironed out but if you do:
• Don’t plug a Kindle into a PC running Windows 10 Anniversary update. Users of the Paperwhite and Voyage versions looking to charge their devices are seeing their computers lock up.
• Don’t have the OS on a solid-state drive and your apps and data on a secondary drive. You may like this set-up, but it seems to cause Windows 10 to crash, or at least it did back in August when lots of people began to complain.
• Run the System Maintenance Troubleshooter. Third party software is said to be interfering with the startup process for many people and this should correct the minor bugs. Look in Control Panel under System and Security.
There Has Been A Hacking Attempt
If someone has managed to infiltrate your system, then there’s no telling what they may be getting up to. They could overload your machine by taking it under their control or they may be deleting or adding files that you don’t want removing or nestling on your computer. Hackers will destabilise your system and that could lead it to crash or freeze. Good firewalls and being careful when you’re online are two good deterrents.
There Are Fatal OE Exceptions
It’s not nice to see Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors. In general, these are caused by problems with your video card and you can fix them by going to the Control Panel and delving into the Display Settings to look at the colour settings. You may also find that the video card is conflicting with other hardware so look to fix that in the Device Manager as we explained earlier, or you may not have an up-to-date driver.
Identifying Hardware Conflicts
Your computer will only have finite resources, so there will inevitably be problems if you have any competing hardware. That’s because hardware communication takes place with the assistance of the Interrupt Request Channel, or IRQ and each device is assigned its own, unique number. Problems emerge when two pieces of hardware end up sharing the same number. When they are both used at the same time, it causes a hardware conflict because they are trying to perform the same task or eat up the same resources. A crash will usually ensue.
To rectify this, you will need to go to Windows Device Manager via Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Device Manager. This app makes it easy to identify where the problems lie because there will be yellow exclamation marks next to any device that is throwing up an issue. You can either disable one of the problematic devices or look to re-install the drivers for them both. If this doesn’t work, then consider physically removing the device that is causing you a problem, perhaps trying it in a different slot on the motherboard if you want to continue using it.
Windows Registry Issues
Problems with the Registry can make your system more prone to crashing, so scanning it for useless and corrupted files can be worth your while. You’ll want to eliminate invalid or obsolete entries at the heart of Windows, removing Active X Controls, installers, fonts, help files, icons, invalid shortcuts, application paths and unused file extensions. Apps such as Registry First Aid will clean the Registry, looking for are obsolete files that result from uninstalling applications, which have used the registry to store configuration data.
A greater problem comes when you have an issue with missing files in the Registry. A good Registry cleaner will fix them for you and ensure everything is in order. That should help to minimise Registry-related crashes in the future.
Using A Printer
Printers are pains in the backside; they swallow up paper, become jammed, tell you there is insufficient ink when there’s plenty, and bar you from using third-party inks in some cases. Noisy, inefficient and expensive, we do wonder why we still bother with them. When you consider that they can also slow down the performance of your computer, and even cause it to crash in the most extreme circumstances, you could be one step away from the bin. That’s because printing takes up CPU power, and printers also contain small amounts of memory called a buffer that doesn’t like being overloaded.
Bad Plug-ins And Extensions
Browsers can crash if you install certain plug-ins and extensions. This can be the case if you are using an old plug-in on a more recent and incompatible browser build. It’s an easy one to fix. Go down the list of extensions and disable them one at a time. You should eventually discover which of them is causing the problem. Alternatively, just keep the ones you really want and pray they are not the extensions at fault.
Bad Motherboards
A Fatal Exception Error can also occur when there is a problem with a system’s motherboard or memory. It points to the computer being unable to retrieve certain data that should be retained in the memory.
You will need to test which of these components is at fault. To do this, download, install and run an app such as Memtest86 (www.memtest.org), or check with the manufacturer of your motherboard for any first party apps. If there is a problem, the motherboard could be at fault. Swap out the memory and check again: if the issue persists, then it almost certainly points to a motherboard.
Check The Power
While you may be concentrating on the computer itself, there are other external factors that can affect the performance of your PC and it’s tendency to crash. One of these is the stability of your system’s power supply.
Power from a wall socket, you see, is never 100% consistent in its delivery, it constantly fluctuates either up or down – with each change in voltage attracting different kinds of problems. A huge surge of energy can cause major problems, sending a massive increase in volts running through your machine, your processor, motherboard, hard drive, modem, graphics card and virtually anything else. A surge protector or an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) will solve these issues.
If Your PC Can’t Stand The Heat...
Heat is the most common reason why computers crash. When they get too hot, the components fail to function improperly.
Keep The Temperature Down
Where you place your computer can have an effect on how well it works. If a room becomes too hot, or if a computer is being used in a particularly hot climate, then it will automatically look to work slower so that the heat buildup is kept to a minimum. If it becomes too hot, it will save itself by shutting down.
Become A Fan Of Fans
Look after your fans because they’re important to the cool running of your system. If you feel your computer is getting too warm, then a quick check of the fans to make sure they are properly spinning is always a good idea. Check the connections and replace the fan if it’s not working to its optimum best.
Location, Location, Location
Where you physically place your PC will have an effect on how well it works. You want the heat to properly disperse, and that means not blocking any vents. This is easily done with laptops placed on a soft surface such as your lap. You’ll accidentally prevent the heat from escaping properly, causing the machine to heat up.
Watch The Time
You’ll know if the computer is not being kept cool enough the longer you use the machine. If you find that after many hours of use during the day that the machine crashes, there’s a problem with the cooling system. Keep an eye on the CPU as well – if it’s maxing out and crashing, that again points to an issue with heat. Use a CPU temperature monitoring tool to check it.
Check The BIOS Settings
If you’re an overclocker, then you may have tinkered with the voltage settings in the BIOS. Raise them too high and the component will receive a higher voltage, making it hotter as a result. Try turning this down and see if that makes a difference. If your computer crashes after being overclocked, then this could be the culprit.
Looking After A Mac
Although Apple would have you believe that its computers ‘just work’ every single time you turn them on, that’s not always the case. Mac users can often see an appearance of the dreaded spinning ball, but is that because of a rogue app or the system itself?
Apps that unexpectedly quit point to a single software issue, as does a spinning ball that appears within one app and not another. In the latter case, you can force quit the offending app, but if the entire computer has frozen you’ll need to restart the machine. Do this from the Apple menu, select Command-Control-Eject or manually turn it off using the power button and then turn it back on again.
What could be causing it, though? Sometimes it’s as simple as not having the most updated software and operating system. Other times, it’s due to a lack of disk space. Peripherals can also cause an issue, just as with Windows, and so can too little RAM.
To check out any Apple computer made after 2013, use Apple Diagnostics (tinyurl.com/hfwndup). It will help identify potential sources for hardware issues and help you to resolve them.
Keep It Clean
It stands to reason that the more you use Windows, the more clutter you will accumulate on your hard drive. All those cached web pages, the temporary files, the items sitting in your recycling bin waiting to be emptied. Spending just a small amount of time giving Windows a thorough clean will help to speed up your machine and free up some hard drive space.
Microsoft understands how important it is to keep on top of your system to ensure the data you don’t want can be easily removed. It has a built-in tool called Disk Cleanup that enables you to find and delete data that’s no longer be needed and by using it regularly, you will be able to improve your PC’s performance. To find it, simply search for Disk Cleanup from the taskbar and, under Files to delete, select the file types you want to remove.
Should you defrag your hard drive, though? Techies used to advise you did this to avoid the problems of empty spaces that deleting data causes because defragmenting your data organises your drive into contiguous sections. Windows 10 (as well as Windows 7 and 8), though, automatically defrags files for you once a week by default. This should prevent apps from running more slowly – so if there is a slowdown, then it will most likely point to another problem.
Clean Your PC
This time, we don’t mean with software. Dirt and dust are major problems, particularly in restricting the free flow of air around a machine’s components. Find the computer’s ventilation spots at the back of the machine and rub the holes and vents with a damp cloth. Grab a vacuum cleaner and suck away any excess dirt on the outside vents but don’t use the Dyson on the inside of the computer. If you do venture inside to clean the motherboard (dust can corrode the circuitry), Earth yourself and grab an air duster, positioning the can of compressed air so that it blows any cobwebs away from the casing rather than on to other components. While you’ve got the computer casing open, wipe over the fans and heat sinks with a damp cloth.
Why Games Are Crashing Your PC
Games are supposed to be relaxing, right? So when they cause your computer to crash, that’s kind of defeating the object. Why are they doing it, though?
• The video card may have corrupted. Reboot it and make sure you have the latest driver for it. If that fails, remove it and put it back in
• You may not have downloaded and installed the latest patch. Yes, it would be great it games were sold without any problems but these things happen
• The game may be running on the bare minimum spec PC. Any problems with your computer will affect the performance and lead the game to crash
• Your hard drive may be full – a clean should free up any necessary space in order to allow the game to run properly
• The game is bugged – some players of No Man’s Sky, for instance, reported crashes on the loading screen
• You don’t have a specific file installed on your machine and the computer can’t handle not being able to find it
• There’s an incompatible driver for a certain piece of hardware
• You haven’t updated the software to the latest version (this can be an issue with Mac games bought from the App Store)
• The settings in the game are set too high – tone down the resolution, for instance, to minimise the strain on your computer
• It didn’t install properly. Uninstall the game and try it again but look to see if you can salvage the save data