If you’ve run Windows for some amount of time, then it’s very likely you’ve encountered the Windows XP blue screen error. There are a lot of likely causes, considering how prone Windows can be to force itself into a Blue Screen of Death.

Every time Windows encounters a critical error that it can’t recover from, it’ll post a blue screen. Often, a simple reboot can solve the problem. However, if a reboot doesn’t fix it, it can be a more serious error.

Blue Screen Error Causes

Blue screen errors are usually caused by these 4 problems:

• Missing or outdated drivers. Device driver errors are the common cause for blue screens.
• Temperature / overheating problems.
• Damaged or faulty hardware.
• Viruses and other malicious programs.

In order to more efficiently troubleshoot the error, you’ll want to download the code that the blue screen message gives to you.

If you’re having trouble writing down the code before the system restarts, you can disable the reboot by doing the following:

• Go to your Control Panel (Start > Setting > Control Panel)
• Select System and Maintenance > System
• Choose Advanced System Settings
• Under Startup and Recovery, select Settings
• Disable the Automatic Restart under System Failure setting

Fixes for Blue Screen Causes

• Drivers: Update your drivers and make sure you have all necessary drivers for any new hardware. It’s also a good idea to download any Windows updates, if there are any.
• Temperature: Your system temp should be about 33 degrees Celsius when idle. You can check your temp in the BIOS. If you are having temperature problems, make sure all your equipment is clean and that there is a decent current flowing through your tower.
• Damaged hardware: You’ll need to troubleshoot each device to see which one is causing the error. If possible, switch them in and out to a known working machine.
• Viruses: Boot into Windows under Safe Mode and run a trusty antivirus (do a deep scan, including archived files).

Regular Computer Maintenance

For regular maintenance, I recommend that you defrag your computer and run a registry cleaner. Defragging your computer will free up any space taken up by file fragments in your hard drive.

In a similar way, regularly running a registry cleaner will keep your computer free from system errors by repairing any corrupt or fragmented files contained in your registry. Since your registry tends to collect “dead” files bits and other useless information, you’ll want to keep it clean so that important programs can access the necessary system files that they need.

You can find a registry cleaner here to fix Windows XP blue screen errors and get your computer running fast, organized, and optimized.

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A kernel32.dll error message can be very frustrating, causing “hang,” system freezes, and even complete failure and shutdown.

The error happens when a file or program accesses “restricted” memory. Essentially, when the program attempts to communicate with your system, it accesses the wrong area for memory (the system memory), forcing the program to shut down.

The most likely error message is an “Invalid Page Fault”, which has a few different causes.

Invalid Page Fault Error Message

This is usually caused by a corrupted password list file (extension .pwl). If this is the case, you’ll want to delete all files with this extension.

• Go to Start > Search > Files or Folders
• In the Open box, type *.pwl and click Find
• Right click on each of these files and select Delete
• Reboot your computer
• Your .pwl files should be reinstalled by Windows
• Download and run mspwlupd.exe from Microsoft website

This will repair your .pwl extension files and hopefully put an end to your IPF error message.

Overheating Hardware

If your hardware gets too hot, especially your video card, then you are likely to run into this problem. Overheating can be caused by bad air circulation, dust, over clocked system specs, and even bad BIOS configurations.

The first two problems can be fixes by cleaning your PC fans and vents regularly. Open up your box to spray can air on your parts once a month. Too much dust can dramatically decrease performance and keep your system from cooling off properly.

As far as the last two, they can be more complex. I suggest setting all your BIOS options back to default and seeing if that helps.

If you are running on a used computer, there is a chance that the previous user over clocked the system. Over-clocking is basically tweaking the hardware specs past factory default settings. Obviously, this can be dangerous for your hardware.

How to Fix Registry Errors

Registry errors (such as .dll bugs) can be fixed in several ways.

If you have any virus or malware attacking your registry, it can overload your system resources and attempt to access forbidden memory in an attempt to shut down your computer. Run an antivirus program regularly and maintain a firewall to assure safe browsing.

Run a scan disk process. Go to My Computer and right click on C: icon. Select Properties and then the Tools tab. Select Check Now under the Error Checking header.

You can download a high quality registry cleaner to repair kernel32.dll error messages, as well. Remember, during your troubleshooting process, that maintenance and security are the best methods of prevention for a clean and optimized system.

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Computer freezes occur for numerous reasons.  Sometimes a glitch in the software will trigger one.  Other times it is an incompatibility between the particular software pack you have and the driver required by some of your hardware.

Overheating is another common cause for a computer to freeze. Some of these issues can be addressed easily at home, others require some professional help.

Overheating PCs and laptops.

Perhaps the most common and easiest problem to fix is that of an overheating computer.  Over time the vent situated above the fan can get blocked with dust, hair and debris.  The fan, which works constantly, gets worn and it just doesn’t work as well.

The result is a computer that gets too warm.  When that happens, the machine will shut down automatically to prevent damage to the internal components.

This is a fairly straightforward repair.  First open up your computer and find the fan and watch it run.  If you see it struggling or moving erratically it is time to replace it.

It should be simple to remove.  Clean the vents around fan and dust out the entire unit, gently.  Take the fan to a store and get a replacement and install it.  Close the box.  The overheating issue should be resolved.

Incompatibility
When you have run through virus scans, system checks and scanned your disc and still come up with nothing specific you are likely dealing with an incompatibility between some installed hardware and the OS.

Even if you feel up to switching out boards on your own, the difficulty usually lies in figuring out which part needs to be replaced.  For this I recommend finding a good computer technician and asking them to figure out where the difficulty lies.  You can still opt to do the switch yourself once you know what to swap out.

Registry Cleaners
Sometimes the problem is deep within the operating system.  Files that have been corrupted or deleted cause your computer consternation and it can’t seem to move beyond its current position.  If this is the case a good registry cleaner should be able to end computer freezes and get your PC back to normal.  Designed to clean up most errors in the OS a registry cleaner is a quick, efficient way to get your computer running error free.

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