Program Crashes

• Occasional?
• Persistent?
• Update programs?

Program Crashes

All computers are subject to crashing at one time or another. It will happen, it cannot be helped. Please sit back and breath slowly ten timesäthen try some simple steps and take some precautions.

Computer Crashes

Computer crashes do occur a lot. especially in Windows 98 and there are reasons why crashes do happen. Some computers can operate virtually all the time and hardly ever experience a computer crash. A computer crash can be defined as a catastrophic failure of the operating system or a software application. Yes, a software application on your computer can cause a computer to crash. A computer crash will normally have a blue screen background with a message on the screen that some kind of failure has happened giving you some instructions on how to resolve the problem. Usually, you have only one choice to solve the problem, which is to turn off the power to the computer and turn it on again. If you have a file open in a software application and your computer crashes, that file can be lost or damaged.

Take precautions! Save soon and often! Here's how to save most of, or, all of your files. As you add data to your file or document, click save on the tool bar every five to ten minutes. This will save your latest data entries, or set your software application to automatically save your file every ten minutes. The only data you will loose during a crash is the data not saved in the last five to ten minutes. Many applications have an AutoSave function ‚ make sure you enable it.
Here's what can happen when you open a new file, don't name it immediately, and begin data entry, and don't save the file, -- all of a sudden you experience a computer crash. Consider that file and its data are lost. Explained in another way, if you have created a new file and entered data for two hours and the computer crashes, the file and all of its data are lost. This means you must start at the beginning ‚ the file won't be recoverable. Don't let this happen to you! Get in the habit of beginning a new document by saving it and giving it a file name. This is like computer insuranceäthe computer has something to keep track of not some un-named work in progress. Crashes can also happen in XP, NT, W2000 -- they are more stable than W95/98 but still follow the precautions by saving soon and often!

What are the possible causes of a computer crash?

Some of the most common ones are listed here:

• Windows 98 files have become corrupted. Hint! Running Windows Scan Disk can correct some of these problems.
• Windows 98 Registry files become corrupted. Hint! If you backup the Registry shortly after a good Windows 98 installation, you can install the Registry backup files. This will correct the corrupted files.
• Windows 98 ActiveX controls become corrupted.
• Software drivers for you computer hardware ( modem, sound card, or video card) become corrupted.
• A new installation of the Windows 98 operating system did not properly install, causing corrupted files.
• The installation of a new software application did not properly install, causing corrupted files. Each time you add software applications to your computer you add the risk of an improper installation. Test each software application extensively to be sure it's operating properly. Hint! If your computer has been working properly and you install a new software application, and then begin experiencing computer crashes, chances are the new software application is causing the problem.
• Improperly uninstalling a software application. Some software applications have their own uninstall program, which usually can be found in the Program Menu. All other software applications should be uninstalled from the Add/Remove Programs located in the Control Panel.
• Computer games can corrupt Windows files. Make sure the games are for the correct version of Windows.
• Installing a new software application with the Anti-Virus program enabled. Always disable the Anti-Virus application prior to a new software application installation. You can enable it after the installation.
• Installing an older version of Norton Utilities on a Windows 98 operating system. Older versions will corrupt operating system files. Only install Norton Utilities 2000.
• A virus will corrupt Windows operating systems.

When you encounter a persistent software crash this usually happens right after you have installed new software or a new program. This will not stop happening until you remove the newly installed software, start the computer in the safe mode, (press F8 when starting) and go to the control panel and use the add and remove programs icon. Remove the software you have just installed and restart your system, it should start up normally and your computer should run properly.

Updating programs

Sometimes you will have an older version of Windows and you try to install and run newer software, this could cause your system to crash. Try to keep updated with your computers operating system software as well as your applications. To stay updated with Windows go to the start menu, settings, and windows update. This will connect you with Microsoft's Update web site. - http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/