About Crash-Protection

Windows PCs crash for a variety of reasons, including viruses, overheating, and, most commonly, software conflicts among file types such as DLL's (Dynamic Link Library), EXE (Executable Programs), or device driver.

Stop Crashes Before They Start

Relying solely on a crash-protection utility to prevent all crashes is like investing all of your money in one stock: very risky. Take these simple steps to keep your system healthy.

Defrag Your Hard Drive

When you first get a PC, Windows and all of the applications on the hard disk are stored in apple-pie order, each in its own contiguous block of disk space. But as time goes by--after you've installed patches, added new programs, created and added to data files--things start getting chopped up. That customer database is no longer stored in one neat block. As it's grown, Windows has had to store pieces of it around the disk. Although being able to store pieces of a file anywhere on the drive is part of the idea, too much fragmentation is not a good thing. When your hard drive has to work feverishly to pull together the 50 different chunks of your OS or Excel files, problems can arise. If nothing else, performance suffers. That's why you should regularly run a disk defragger (such as Windows' own Disk Defragmenter) to pull all the disparate pieces back together into neat, contiguous blocks.

Get a Diagnosis

Don't wait for problems to find you. Seek them out by running a diagnostic utility on your system. Products such as Norton WinDoctor and Disk Doctor (part of Norton SystemWorks), PC bug-doctor, or even Windows' own ScanDisk and Defragmenter can check for lost shortcuts, invalid Registry entries, broken applications, missing DLLs, and other problems.

Stamp Out the Bugs

Don't let viruses clobber your computer. Install an antivirus utility and update its virus definitions frequently to stop these evil intruders. Again, a full utilities suite such as Norton –Internet Sercurity, free programs like Avast & AVG, often provides both crash and virus protection.

Play It Cool

Stuff a bunch of extremely fast computer parts into a small metal box, and whaddya get? Heat--a lot of it. Sometimes an overheated computer locks up in an attempt to cool off. Make sure your system and CPU fans are unobstructed, dust-free, and otherwise working properly. If they're not, and your PC is still under warranty, get them replaced. Or, you can pick up a variety of CPU, drive, and card fans from companies such as PC Power and Cooling. Still boiling over? Slide off the PC's system case and leave it off for a while during use.

Power to the PC

Although it's usually safe to simply plug your PC into a wall outlet, various power gremlins can unsettle your PC. Spikes, surges, line sags, and the stray power outage can trash your data and maybe even fry your PC. The solution is a UPS, or uninterruptible power supply. A UPS can sacrifice itself before a power spike (say, from a nearby lightning strike) can toast your PC. Just as important, it can condition the AC power flowing into your PC and actually run your machine off its batteries should a blackout hit. You can find UPSs at just about any electronics store.

Keep It Clean

Dust bunnies love to crawl into the darkest corners and crevices, and computer cases and peripherals provide them with the perfect hideout. When you're vacuuming, take a second to carefully run the hose over your computer case (including the air vents), monitor, keyboard, and even your mouse. (In fact, dirt built up inside your mouse could make its ball stick, making it seem like your PC has crashed.) Excess dust can contribute to overheating and related problems. And yes, you can vacuum the inside of your system. Open up the case, properly ground yourself, and as you vacuum, make sure the vacuum doesn't touch anything inside your system. And, of course, do not use liquid cleaning solutions such as water or Windex to clean any part of your computer. The last thing you need is liquid seeping into your system. If this seems like too delicate an operation, take your PC to a computer shop for a professional cleaning.

After a Crash

Despite everything you've done, your computer still freaks out. Your trusty crash utility leaps to the fore and saves you from a crash, but you're not out of the woods yet. To escape with your data intact, do the following:

• Don't move the mouse unless you have to. Toolbars are especially sensitive after a crash and may trigger another fatal disaster if the mouse pointer moves over them.
• Don't try to keep working, even if things look OK. Press Alt-F4 to close the program; you'll immediately be prompted to save your data.
• Save to the same filename. Invoking the Save As command entails additional processing that can stress an already-impaired program. We found that a program either saved data perfectly or else failed to record any changes (leaving the old file undamaged). We found many situations in which the program couldn't withstand the additional work of displaying a Save As dialog box.