Entries Tagged ‘blue-screen-of-death’

5 Mar
2010

How to Fix Blue Screen Errors before It’s too Late

Posted by Kat

It happens at seemingly random times. The blue screen error causes you to have to hard boot to get anything done. I’m here to give you causes of the blue screen error and how to fix blue screen errors.

Causes of the Blue Screen of Death

At the root blue screen error is a registry error. Usually caused by corrupt or missing files in the core programming code of your windows operating system. The causes of registry errors vary. Things like virus infections, improperly installed/uninstalled programs, even regular use of your computer can cause registry errors.

Fixing Blue Screen

First things first, let us make sure you are not infected by any viruses. You want to start your anti-virus program and update it. You may have to do this multiple times if you are not updating the program regularly. Then you want to run a full scan on all of your hard drives.

Next, we are going to do a system restore. Basically a system restore is like taking your computer back in time to a date before you started getting the blue screen errors. To reduce the risk of getting a blue screen error while taking the needed steps we are going to go into Safe Mode.

In Windows Vista:

  • Restart your computer, pressing F8 as it boots up. If you go into Windows you will have to try again.
  • You will find yourself at a black and white list with Safe Mode listed. Use your arrow keys to select Safe Mode, then press Enter.
  • Go to Start
  • In the search box type in “restore”
  • You will see System Restore as an option. Select that option.
  • Of the choices, you want to choose another restore point
  • Look over the available restore points and pick a restore point before you started getting the blue screen error.
  • Click the Next button
  • Click the Finish button

Any programs you installed between the date selected and today’s date you will have to reinstall.

Preventative Measures

These days you can prevent registry errors by regular use of a registry cleaner. Registry cleaners are programs designed to go into the registry, find, then fix registry errors. All in a matter of minutes. With regular use, registry errors can be a thing of the past.

For more information on registry cleaners and how they can fix blue screen errors visit our site today.


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10 Nov
2009

How to Respond to Common PC Error Codes

Posted by Kat

Most PC error codes mean nothing to the untrained eye, but some are more common than others.  Here’s a handy guide to some of the most common PC error codes and what you can do to fix them.

“This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down….”

This error often refers to the software you were using.  For whatever reason, the computer couldn’t process the request being made and chose to shut down the program.

It may be that this is protecting the computer from some type of potential error.  In the case of a program error, searching for program and operating system updates, reinstalling the program, or obtaining the latest version of the program are all ways of repairing the error.  A registry cleaner may also be able to fix corrupted files.

“Invalid system disk.  (OR: Non-system disk error.)  Replace the disk then press any key.”

This occurs when you try to start your computer with a disk already in the drive.  At one time, all computers booted from floppy disks, and they are currently able to do that in the event of a system failure.  When you leave a non-system disk in the drive and attempt to boot up the computer, the PC doesn’t like it.  Remove the disk.

“System has recovered from a serious error.”

After encountering that dreaded “Blue Screen of Death,” the computer writes a minidump file to help a technician address and fix the error.  This code indicates that a minidump file has been created and is available for analysis.  It would be a good idea to run this by a professional.  However, registry maintenance fixes most Blue Screen errors.

Any error containing a DLL or EXE file.

The above is not a precise error code, but is a category of the one of the most common types of error messages.  DLL and EXE errors are registry errors and indicate that your machine is in need of registry maintenance.  These files become corrupted through normal daily computer operations (such as deleting or installing programs) or are simply difficult to get to because old data is taking up space in the registry.

Registry cleaners are the simplest form of registry maintenance and will address many of the errors listed above.  It is possible to repair individual DLL or EXE file errors using the regedit function on your computer.

However, seeing one or two error codes of this nature is usually indicative of a massive amount of registry errors on the system.  Use a registry cleaner to rid your computer of the most common PC error codes all at once to save time and frustration.

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8 Nov
2009

3 Tips to Help You Get a Clean PC Registry

Posted by Kat

We say a lot about registries, and achieving and maintaining a clean PC registry is at the top of our priority list.  Actually obtaining that clean PC registry can be a bit mystifying, so we’re offering some suggestions that will smooth out the process and leave your registry squeaky clean in no time.

Tip 1: Don’t Ignore the Registry

The Windows registry system is used every time you turn on your PC and multiple times during each computer session.  New entries are constantly being made and are seldom deleted.  Often if they are deleted, their removal is incomplete.

Even with all this activity, the registry has no self-cleaning setting and your computer does not come with a tool to declutter the registry manually.  However, this doesn’t indicate that maintenance should be forgotten.

On the contrary, a bloated registry full of old and corrupted entries from no-longer-existent programs and old settings creates computer errors like the blue screen of death, DLL errors, program crashes, and general processing slowness.  Registry cleaning should be on your list of regular monthly computer maintenance, along with defragging, and using the Check Disk tool.

Tip 2: Leave the Manual Edits to a Professional

You may be thinking of attempting to manually clean your computer’s registry in the interest of saving money (and possibly time, if you were considering leaving your machine with a technician).  Unless you are an out-of-work and bored computer tech, don’t attempt this.

The occasional edit using the proper precautions and the right step-by-step instructions can turn out fine.  A major housecleaning session?  Not only would it be time-consuming, the registry is extremely hard to navigate and one wrong move may make it so that your computer can’t even boot up.  Even a registry back up won’t help you at that point.

Tip 3:  Use a Trusted Registry Cleaner

If we’re nixing the manual method, then we have to give you another option–the registry cleaner.  These programs scan your registry and find all of the errors at once.  Once they uncover all of the errors, you will be able to review the errors and then repair them.

Here’s an extra tip: don’t play with your computer during the repair process.  You don’t want to be creating new entries while the registry cleaner is working on your registry.  This can slow or stop the process.

And it will only take two minutes anyway.  If you regularly use a registry cleaner to obtain a clean PC registry, you will be amazed at how much speed your PC gains and how much more smoothly it runs.

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22 Aug
2008

Cartoon of the Week

Posted by Ruel

How many times have Windows crashed on you? I bet it’s twice the digits of your favorite basketball player’s jersey number. While Microsoft futilely denies it, their operating systems are prone to seizures, leaving the user helpless and dumbfounded during attacks or glitches.

However, to its credit, Redmond is continuously trying to avoid painting your screen blue whenever its OS stumbles upon something that makes it cough. Patches are regularly issued, while malicious software removal tools are being shipped with the updates.

What Microsoft isn’t directly addressing, though, is its operating system’s inability to flush out the remains of outdated or deleted programs in the registry. The program’s ineptness to deal with the problem has caused it to sometimes carry bricks when the actual load should only be pebbles.

This is the reason why RegCure is essential. It fills in the holes left open by Microsoft. The fact that the registry is a very vital organ in your system makes a registry cleaner indispensable. With RegCure installed, you could ensure that the featured cartoon in this post remains funny.

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14 May
2008

What to Do When Error Messages Pop Up

Posted by Ruel

What do you do when you encounter an error message?

I bet many of you just click “ok” after reading the first 4 words that are written in the notice or warning. I don’t blame you for having that kind of attitude towards Windows’ occasional ranting. I myself am guilty of that sometimes. The words in the warning or message box seem either gibberish or too technical to comprehend. In the fatalistic hope that things would turn out just fine by clicking ok (after all, ok means ok, right?), many users blindly click the first button that they see, especially if it’s selected or highlighted by default.

It’s Actually Telling You Something

The authors of Windows didn’t just randomly copy a page of the operating system’s manual and paste it on the error or warning boxes, though. You can bet your mouse’s left button that the designers carefully thought out all the error messages that Windows could utter in case it hiccups. I would even dare say that around 50 cents of the operating system’s price tag accounts for the time that the programmers have spent in writing those error messages.

It’s not wise to ignore error messages. Warning or error boxes that pop up on your screen are Windows’ way of telling you that it’s not feeling well and that it probably needs some tweaking. The fact that you know nothing technical other than Ctrl+Alt+Del doesn’t mean that you don’t have to exert any effort to try to address those messages. The most prudent thing to do when you see Windows coughing is to take note of the thing’s that it’s telling you and try to Google on it for clarifications and solutions.

The Blue Screen of Death

If you’re too lazy to open Google, then just continue reading this post. I’ll just spoon-feed you as to the possible causes.

One of the well known (and dreadful) error messages that you could get is the blue screen of death (BSoD). This curse is usually caused by faulty hardware, such as the motherboard and SIMM modules. Overheating on the CPU can also cause your monitor to spray blue paint all over its screen.

Solving BSoD problems caused by faulty hardware can easily be solved. However, the solution could be a bit of a burden on your pocket. Sputtering peripherals usually need to be changed. Although you could have it examined and dissected by a technician, chances are is that the numbers on the repair costs are almost the same as the price tag for a brand new part. I recommend that you just buy a brand new component rather than having your old peripheral undergo e-surgery.

Soft Solution for a Hard Problem

Before you buy a new component, though, make sure that it is really the problem. There are times when the peripheral is actually ok but appears to be not working due to a defective or incompatible device driver. Make sure that all the supporting applications or drivers that are necessary in order for the component to function are already installed. Update them regularly by visiting its manufacturer’s Web site for new releases or by checking driver repositories on the Internet, such as Driver Detective.

BSoDs are also caused by faulty Registry. If this is the cause of your operating system’s problem, you can solve it by running System Restore. If you failed to create a restore point, then seek the help of a Registry cleaner, such as RegCure. This program could rid your operating system’s registry of unwanted lines and instructions.

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22 Mar
2007

A Fresh Start…

Posted by Ruel

There are times when patching up problems may not be the best solution anymore. While it should be the first option that every person encountering a dilemma should resort to, there are situations where he should just call it quits and just start over again. So when can we really say that it’s time to move on?

Wait. Before I go any further, let me just clarify this – my blog site is still about broken-PCs and not about broken hearts. I just want to set things straight since my introductory paragraph sounds like I’m talking about a troubled couple instead of a troubled computer.

I’m sure you’ve already experienced a number of problems with your operating system. Maybe you’ve even encountered the dreaded “blue screen of death”. There are many reasons why your OS goes on strike every now and then. It’s not that they’re getting fed up of running the same old games or playing the same old songs that you usually click on whenever you turn on the PC. More often than not, such quirks are caused by file corruption or malware.

The usual fix for a corrupted file is simply to just replace it. You could either get it from your backup CD or drive, or you could go online and download one. If it’s a registry or viral problem, then all you need to do is run your registry cleaner or your anti-virus.

These problem-fixers are not cure-alls, though. There are times when cleaning your registry just won’t do anymore since the dilemma already lies beyond the registry. The same thing is true with your anti-virus. You may be able to remove the viruses, but the pernicious effects caused by them cannot be reversed anymore.

If your trouble-fixers can’t solve your PC problems anymore, then you should seriously consider taking the final solution – reformat!

I know it’s drastic, but it’s the only way by which you can have a fresh start. Before you do this though, make sure that you’ve backed up all the files that you need. Take note that no file would be spared in this solution. You may encounter headaches in trying to get things back the way they used to be, but hey, I assure you that the results will be well worth it.

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