Windows has been getting better since its introduction. Windows 95/98 were probably the most error prone out there (though Windows ME was certainly up there), with Windows XP and Windows Vista both being a little bit more stable.

Six Common Causes of Windows Errors

But, and you probably already knew this, Windows comes relatively stable out of the box. The user helps make it unstable, and the user does so by:

1. Downloading a bunch of garbage programs that clog up your hard drive

Yes, you can download as many applications as you want (such is the freedom of owning your own computer, right?), but that doesn’t excuse the fact that downloading garbage or poorly written applications is only going to cause you problems.

2. Improper maintenance of your computer

We aren’t talking about the hard drive, or keeping your folders properly segregated. We’re talking physically. If your computer is constantly struggling, it may be a result of a physical affliction. Perhaps one of your hard drives is dying, a case fan has gone out, or the case itself is loaded with dust and debris.

When was the last time that you popped open the case, grabbed a can of compressed air, and got rid of all the dust inside of it? That’s what we thought.

3. Downloading movies and music from untrustworthy sources

BearShare and LimeWire are not trustworthy sources, so don’t download from them. Torrents are also a great way to clog up your computer, and potentially catch the latest and greatest virus to come out of a programmer’s basement. If you’re going to download music, use a service like iTunes or Napster- both are inexpensive, and the music is high quality and virus free.

4. Letting other people use your computer

No matter how much our friends complain (and believe us, they do) we never let them touch our computer. They are password protected and locked down whenever we aren’t around to use them. Why? Because people love to break stuff that isn’t theirs.

5. Trying to fix their mistakes without educating yourself first

If your computer pops up saying you’re missing a system file the last thing you should do is attempt to solve that problem on your own. Do some research, read a bit, and consult a tech person. What usually happens is you thrash it more than it was when you began, and that’s no good for anyone involved.

6. Leaving it on all the time

Do yourself a favor and turn your computer off every now and again. There’s no reason for the hard drive and fans to be spinning if you’re asleep. The wear and tear on those items adds up to performance decreases, and in the case of your hard drive, instability and other issues that pop up over time.

Want to avoid turning your computer into an expensive piece of useless silicon? See our article (aptly titled “5 Ways to Keep Your Computer Happy”).

The problem is that the operating system became more and more complicated. As hardware expanded so did the drivers required to use them. Windows quickly grew from much more than just an operating system- it became a standard that hardware and software alike were jointly developed for.

The More Complex the Machine, the More Errors it Experiences

The kind of computer errors that Microsoft Windows began to experience grew from simple incompatibility errors to complex, multi-layered errors. When Microsoft released Windows 95 it developed a stigma about computer errors: Windows-based personal computers were riddled with them. Mac fans everywhere ridiculed, and Windows users everywhere endured computer error after computer error.

That’s not to say that Windows is a faulty piece of hardware. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Windows is a capable operating system that does many things very well. Unfortunately, since Windows has become the de-facto standard for operating systems, more hardware and software are designed with Windows in mind than any other operating system, making Windows much more intricate.

How to Avoid Experiencing Tons of Computer Errors with Windows

Your average computer user isn’t too knowledgeable about how to properly use their computer. This results in the user literally creating their very own computer errors to enjoy. To avoid computer errors while using Windows, follow these simple steps:

1. Download an anti-virus and anti-spyware suite. This software will prevent viruses and spyware applications from infecting your computer. Both viruses and spyware can do significant damage before you even realize that your computer is infected with them.
2. Create limited-access accounts on your computer for non-primary users. Who are the main users of the computer going to be? If it’s just you, make a secondary “guest” account with limited access so that your friends and family don’t bugger something up when they’re using your computer.
3. Run a virus, spyware, and error scan at least once per week. If you don’t have an error repair suite, such as RegCure, get one. Like an anti-virus scanner, an error repair suite identifies and repairs computer errors easily and quickly.

What is a DLL and What Causes the Windows DLL Error?

Most Windows DLL errors are caused by missing DLL files, corrupt DLL files, or multiple versions of various DLL files (though this has been less of an issue since clean-up methods have been put in place since 2001). Since a DLL file plays an important role in how your computer is run, having an error with one can be a real pain.

A DLL is Microsoft’s implementation of the shared library concept. Not sure what that means? Essentially it means that the information contained with the DLL file can be shared across multiple paths and programs, allowing your computer to multi-task more efficiently and run on a small RAM footprint. DLL files come in a few different extensions: .dll, .ocx (for libraries containing ActiveX controls), and .drv (for legacy system drivers). What’s important to remember is that a DLL file can contain code, data, or resources in any combination.

In older versions of Windows (Windows 3.1 right up to Windows 2000) DLL errors were much more common than in Windows XP/Windows Vista. This is because it was possible to have multiple versions of the same DLL file, causing programs to often reference the wrong one. This resulted in incompatibilities, system crashing, and poor system performance in general. It was aptly nicknamed “DLL hell”, as it could take even an educated person quite a while to determine the source of, and the solution to, the problem.

Resolving the Windows DLL Error

If you have an error repair suite, resolving a DLL error is usually as simple as booting up the program and running it. Most DLL errors are pretty standard in that it’s typically the same DLL files that are corrupt or missing. If your error repair suite is unable to replace or repair the DLL file in question, however, you have online resources available to you:

• http://www.regcure.com – Free registry scan that detects and repairs missing/corrupt .dll files
• http://www.dll-files.com – A comprehensive directory that has been online since 1998. Chances are good that you’ll find your missing DLL file here.
• http://www.windll.com – Another directory of DLL and SYS files for download.

If you know of any additional sources that you have used or could use to resolve DLL errors, please let us know. We are always working to expand our knowledge base to help other users (and ourselves) about additional fixes for common, annoying errors!

Windows has been getting better since its introduction. Windows 95/98 were probably the most error prone out there (though Windows ME was certainly up there), with Windows XP and Windows Vista both being a little bit more stable.

Common Causes of Windows Errors

But, and you probably already knew this, Windows comes relatively stable out of the box. The user helps make it unstable, and the user does so by:

1. Downloading a bunch of garbage programs that clog up your hard drive – Yes, you can download as many applications as you want (such is the freedom of owning your own computer, right?), but that doesn’t excuse the fact that downloading garbage or poorly written applications is only going to cause you problems.
2. Not maintaining your computer – We aren’t talking about the hard drive, or keeping your folders properly segregated. We’re talking physically. If your computer is constantly struggling, it may be a result of a physical affliction. Perhaps one of your hard drives is dying, a case fan has gone out, or the case itself is loaded with dust and debris.
   When was the last time that you popped open the case, grabbed a can of compressed air, and got rid of all the dust inside of it? That’s what we thought.
3. Downloading movies and music from untrustworthy sources – BearShare and Limewire are not trustworthy sources, so don’t download from them. Torrents are also a great way to clog up your computer, and potentially catch the latest and greatest virus to come out of a programmer’s basement. If you’re going to download music, use a service like iTunes or Napster – both are inexpensive, and the music is high quality and virus free.
4. Letting other people use their computer – No matter how much our friends complain (and believe us, they do) we never let them touch our computer. They are password protected and locked down whenever we aren’t around to use them. Why? Because people love to break stuff that isn’t theirs.
5. Trying to fix their mistakes with educating themselves first – If your computer pops up saying you’re missing a system file the last thing you should do is attempt to solve that problem on your own. Do some research, read a bit, and consult a techie. What usually happens is you thrash it more than it was when you began, and that’s no good for anyone involved.
6. Leaving it on all the time – Hey, do yourself a favor and turn your computer off every now and again. There’s no reason for the hard drive and fans to be spinning if you’re asleep. The wear and tear on those items adds up to performance decreases, and in the case of your hard drive, instability and other issues that pop up over time.

There are plenty of safe, quick, and free ways to prevent your computer from getting errors, or eliminate them if they already exist. You might want to take a look at a free registry scan to protect your computer if you are unsure about the healthy of your machine.

Want to avoid turning your computer into an expensive piece of useless junk? See our article (aptly titled “5 Ways to Keep Your Computer Happy”).

Or, if you’re unlucky, perhaps the computer error message is letting you know that a critical error just occurred and that you’re completely out of luck on this one. Either way, you’ll never know.

At least, you wouldn’t have. Thanks to the miracles of the internet you’ve found this article, and in about eighteen seconds you’re going to know what the most common computer error messages mean.

Error Message Meanings

• Blue Screen of Death – This one is the most obvious. Why? Well, it immediately ends what you were doing and displays a blue screen in front of you with a STOP code (it will look something like 000000×24). Make a note of the stop code, restart the computer, and Google the fix.
• “Windows has Experienced an Error” – This message is the most infuriating, poorly thought out excuse of a “helpful message” that Microsoft could have thought of. Why? Because you already know your computer has experienced an error: it shuts down the program in question to display the computer error message.
• Program has Stopped Responding – Arguably the most common computer error message, you are given two options upon receipt: clicking on “wait” to see if the program fixes itself, or “close” to immediately end the program. Neither seems to work properly 100% of the time.
• Crash to Desktop – Without warning your computer closes all open programs and displays the desktop. No computer error message box is displayed.
• Unrequested System Reboot – This computer error is easy to identify as it stops what you’re doing, regardless of whether or not you’ve saved, and restarts your computer. Chances are good that your data was not saved and hence is not recoverable.

Other errors related to viruses and spyware haven’t been included in this list because they aren’t part of the wonderful world of Microsoft Windows, but rather additions by downloads and careless usage.