ITDE - Frequently Asked Questions
- Why did my
computer crash?!!!!!
One of the most common questions
we get is why did a normally passive computer get so aggressive and lock up or
freeze or throw me out of windows. Although there are a number of theoretical
reasons why this can occur, many only known to the Microsoft programmers, the
most common reason is having to many programs opened up at once or trying to do
too many things at the same time.
Your computer is like an iceberg when
it comes to running programs. You may have only opened one or two programs but
the computer may have opened 10 to 20 that you do not see. Windows needs to run
a number of programs in the background so that it can keep track of where you
are and what you are doing. These are needed for Windows to operate
effectively. But there may be a number of programs running that are not needed.
Some of the most common are screen savers, both Windows and those downloaded
from the web, listening to web radio and instant messenger. They all need to
run constantly and use your computers memory. It is a only a matter of time
when there is a conflict between the various programs and you get the infamous
"BLUE SCREEN" and it freezes up. Sometimes the
computer cannot be rebooted by normal methods and you have to resort to
unplugging the life support on it. The best way to combat this inconvenience is
by not running unnecessary programs. Modern computers do not need screen savers
to preserve the monitors health.
Most times when you call the hot line
with a problem of this type we will have you reboot the machine. This will
clean out the memory and eliminate the offending problem. In fact a recent
study (I am making this up to see if you are paying attention) estimated that
50% of all computer problems could be addressed by rebooting the computer. If
you have any questions or suspect that you have a big iceberg and need help
melting it call the ITDE office.
