Even the name, blue screen, implies something different and strange is going on in your computer.   No one wants to be typing along and suddenly see the monitor turn bright blue, but it happens.  The most important thing is not to lose your head at the sight.

Why a blue screen doesn’t make me blue.

First off, I back up regularly.  I have made this mistake before.  I used to back up about once a year.  Then the worst thing that could happen to a computer did.  Mine decided that it would crash.  The infrequent backups didn’t help much.

I lost everything.  Still I was not smart enough to learn the lesson and when my new computer did the same thing a years later I was sill burnt!  Need I tell you that I back up religiously now?

How to fix your computer with a reboot (if you’ve done a back up).

Sometimes it is a simple as a quick reboot to get back to work.  Whatever caused the error, memory issues, a bit of code that triggered a panic or an incompatible driver, your computer has managed to overcome the problem and after a reboot everything is fine.

Otherwise you may need to reboot in safe mode.  Shut off the computer, restart it and press F8 until you enter the safe mode.  Pick last known good configuration and your system will restart itself at that point, if it can.

If that doesn’t work you can opt to restore by using the built in restore facility.  If for some reason you disabled the restore function or never allowed the computer to create restore points, you won’t be able to do this.

Registry Cleaners
For some all this rebooting and restoring is overwhelming.  I completely understand.  Your best bet to avoid the blue screen is to download and use a registry cleaner regularly.  This programs clean up errors, bits of left over files and much more, creating a stream lined computer that works better and has fewer errors.  Download a registry cleaner now and watch that baby run!

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You may not be aware of it, but your Windows operating system comes with a repair function.  It is possible to conduct a Windows XP repair on your own if you have a copy of the recovery disk, the 25 digit alphanumeric key code, and some time.  The time to conduct this repair is before the error messages deteriorate into a complete system crash.

Back Up Your Computer First
While a repair using the Windows recovery disk is not supposed to erase your partitions or eliminate your data, it is best not to take any chance.  Back up all your data to an external drive, to CDs, DVDs, flash storage, or whatever method you prefer.  Confirm that the back up was successful and then insert your recovery CD into your computer and reboot.

Windows XP Repair Under Way
When your computer reboots, it will tell you to press any key to boot from the CD.  If you don’t press a key, the computer will attempt to boot from the currently installed operating system.

Once the computer has used the CD to install the necessary files and drivers, it will ask you to pick either a system recovery or setup; pick setup.  Recovery is only used if you want to completely reload the operating system.

You will need to approve the Licensing Agreement before proceeding to the Setup.  Next, you will want to tell your computer to repair the existing OS.  If you tell it to install a new copy, you will lose all your data and settings, so press the R key to continue.

Setup will first remove any files that need to be removed and then install all the new files.  During installation you should not need to do anything.

Finish by reactivating your internet security options and then download any upgrades from Microsoft.

Registry Cleaner
Not everyone wants to try to repair their own operating system.  It can seem quite intimidating.  If you feel that the process is too complicated for you, another good choice is downloading a registry cleaner.

These programs download in a few minutes and clean up errors in your operating system without you having to get involved.  Either option should provide you with a faster, cleaner machine.  Learn more about registry maintenance and Windows XP Repair.

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In a bid to entice people to search and retrieve their laptop, a brewer in New Zealand has recently pledged a lifetime of beer to anyone who could bring its portable PC back. Croucher Brewing Co. pleads for the return of its laptop since it contains all of the company’s financial details.

So what does this got to do with the PC?

Hole in One, Twos, Threes…

Well, do you ever remember a time when your PC crashed because Microsoft or some other software maker forgot to plug some holes in their creations? While some crashes are benign, requiring you to just reboot your PC to get rid of the glitch, other meltdowns take your computer and all its contents down the drain.

I’m sure some of you have already experienced the worst case scenario that I’ve just said. You probably spent the night thereafter trying to look for your back up disks or the installation CDs of the applications that used to rent space in your hard drive. However, if you forgot to back up, then you most likely spent the night giving the customer service lady at Microsoft’s hotline a very big piece of your mind.

e-Samsonite

PCs, especially the portable ones, are the modern day bags and briefcases. It contains things that are essential to our work. To some (like the workaholics), the very foundation of their lives are built around their PCs and on the information that are stored therein. Thus, a hard drive crash for them is life-altering, to say the least.

How much, do you think, would those persons offer to anybody who could retrieve their lost data? For big companies, I assume that they would be very willing to give a hefty figure for the retrieval of the 0s and 1s that they’ve lost in their hard drives caused by malware that were able to get into their system through the unlocked gates and weak walls of their operating system.

Warrant of Arrest

In situations like that, shouldn’t it be the software maker which should make reparations for our loss? There is such a thing as a “warranty” in commercial law. However, I don’t see it being applied in defective software, or at least not as much as with the other faulty goods that are offered for sale. Could it be that there’s a separate law or rule governing computer programs?

It’s not unusual for applications to be littered with errors that need patching up. Take Windows, for example. Everybody knows that it competes with Swiss cheese when it comes to having holes and clefts. They don’t stay open for long, though, because Microsoft makes it a point to lock them up through Windows Update. Maybe the authorities are not too quick to jump the gun on software makers as long as they immediately stitch every hole that they encounter.

Your Own Sentinel

I’m not sure if anybody has already filed a suit against software authors for having lost important data or files due to faulty programming. Until such time that we learn of one, and a successful suit at that, we should take matters into our own hands by making sure that nothing could go in and wreak havoc to our PC. Of course, an antivirus would be needed in this endeavor. A registry cleaner would also come in handy in case the malware would want to rewrite the contents of your Windows registry. But don’t rely solely on these security suites and system tools, though. The ultimate protector of your computer and files is still you, the user. Always make sure that the files or programs that you’re using come from legitimate sources.

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