The Six Most Common Causes of Windows Errors
Posted by FixErrors on June 8th, 2009Today’s topic is Windows errors. To be more specific, it’s about what the most common causes of them are. Everyone will experience their fair share of errors, crashes, and lockups if their computer has “Windows” anywhere near it. Windows errors are a certainty; they are more stable than the economy and are more annoying than that nagging voice inside of us (often called a conscience).
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”).
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