Another Day With My PC

Do you involuntarily utter expletives whenever you encounter an error message by XP and Vista?

People’s reactions toward OS warnings vary, ranging from subliminal mental shocks to near out-of-the-body experiences reported by first time Windows users. While the reactions may seem a little bit exaggerated, you would definitely experience one or both when your computer holds precious files or data that could spell the difference between reading the morning paper for the headline and reading the dailies for job vacancies.

Do not mistake the panic button for the “ok” button plastered on the error message. Windows isn’t trying to scare the wits out of you whenever it coughs up messages that tell you that it isn’t feeling well. It’s not a notice or forecast that’s in the same category as that of Nostradamus’.

The proper attitude in dealing with Windows error messages is to calmly read (yes, error messages are meant to be read) the contents of the pop up. Note them down, especially the error message number, and go through your operating system’s manual for an explanation as to what it is and how it could be remedied.

No matter how many antivirus and anti-spyware programs you install in your system, there will definitely come a time when your OS would greet you with a not so pleasant message. Whether or not your system would recover from the problem that Windows just informed or warned you about would depend on how you initially react to it. A system crash might be inevitable if you panic. There’s no reason to call 911 in many of these cases. Answers and solutions abound. Browse your manuals for answers or type the error message and/or number in Google.