1) OPERATING SYSTEM
Do you have an old operating system – one that is more than 8 years old? Do you still get updates for your operating systems, such as Windows of OS X? If your computer’s operating system is getting older and not getting current updates, the more likely you are to run into issues with crashing. On the other hand, do you install all the updates as soon as they come out? As with any software, there can be bugs with the latest updates that need to be worked out or addressed. It is often a good idea to wait a week or two after an operating system update is released before installing it on your computer – unless there is a security advisory or critical warning from the developer.
2) HARDWARE
Hard Drive
Its crucial that you don’t hear any unusually loud sounds or jerks and clicks in your computer. If you are hearing these sounds, it is possible that your hard drive is about to fail. This is why it is important to have regular backups running either locally, to an external hard drive, online to the cloud, or both. We will be focusing on cloud backups, which will be featured in our next Newsbytes edition.
Memory Failure
Sometimes a computer may randomly crash into a blue screen, a beach ball or simply shut down with an error code. One common cause of this is memory/RAM (random access memory) failure. Computer memory is needed for programs to run and for data to be processed within a computer. When those memory sticks are faulty, it means that your computer could crash at any second. If your computer is crashing randomly and there is no clear association as to when or how it crashes while being used, the memory is a great place to look.
Fan
Be sensitive about your hardware: Is the fan louder than you can recall, and then it may be necessary to check to see if the computer is overheating. These are signs that your system could crash in the future. Remember to clean your computer regularly. Is your computer safe from dust? Any machine exposed to dust will experience problem in due time. Turning off your computer and vacuuming it for dust can be very helpful.
Hardware Age
Is your computer making unusual beeping sounds when you turn it on or during use? It could indicated that there is an issue with hardware and that the system could fail! As with anything – a car for example, the longer you have it and use it, the more prone it is to failures. It’s the same thing with computers, there are moving parts and components that wear down over time. The standard recommended period of time before replacing a computer with a new system is 3-5 years.
3) SOFTWARE
If your computer is running much slower than usual, this is an alert that you may be having a software problem that can cause your computer to crash.
Software Conflicts
Two different types of software are trying to use the same hardware at the same time creating hardware conflict. This will cause your computer to become unstable. One of the most common software conflicts that can cause a crash, is installing and running two antivirus programs at the same time.
Overutilization
Another issue that can arise is that the computer is trying to do too much at the same time or more than the system can handle. If you are trying to run a lot of programs at the same time, your computer may run low on resources (CPU/processor or memory) and this can cause your system to crash. Have you had your computer on for long periods of time without restarting it (days/weeks)? This can also lead to performance issues and crashing.
Bugs in Code
With any piece of software, including operating systems, there is the risk that there is a bug in the code or that the software encounters events that it was designed for which in turn may cause the computer to crash.
4) APPLICATION & FILES
Have you ever tried to open a file and it just would not open? Your computer may have an infected file or file corruption. Application crashes can result from invalid instructions, lack of permission or access, invalid arguments to system calls, instructions with bad inputs and much more. The bottom line is that it is time to run your antivirus software and check your hardware.
5) WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP
- You can contact the software providers or operating system manufacturer for solutions to specific errors you received
- You can check out a You Tube video related to your specific problem
- You can use the tools online (if you are confident and have some experience using them)
- Consult a computer professional for advice if the issue seems to require expert support
