A fatal error will cause the system to become unstable or busy. Your Windows PC will often display the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). Do you experience it often?
A computer that often crashes is quite annoying for all users, especially when you are doing important work or are busy playing games. When the computer crashes, for the most part, the computer displays the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), the system cannot be started, the screen freezes without response, the mouse and keyboard cannot enter input, and the software operation is abnormally interrupted.
If you often experience this, read the following full article. In this article, Bardimin will explain the causes of Windows PC crashing in detail. By knowing the cause, you will be easy to fix it.
1] Hardware conflicts
The number one cause of Windows crashing is a hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates with other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These channels should be unique for each device.
For example, printers are usually connected internally on IRQ 7 and keyboards usually use IRQ 1. Each device will try to monopolize one IRQ for itself.
If there are many devices, or if they are not installed properly, the devices may use the same IRQ number. When a user tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash may occur.
The way to check if your computer has a hardware conflict is through the “Device Manager”.
- Open the “Device Manager”. You can open it by using the (WIN + R) button. Then in the “Run” dialog box that opens, type “devmgmt.msc” and press the Enter key.
- Select the “View > Resources by connection” menu.
- Double-click on “Interrupt request (IRQ)” to expand and view the detailed information.
For example, the IRQ number is indicated by the text “0x00000001(01)” which indicates the IRQ number 01 for the keyboard. If the IRQ number appears twice, two devices are using the same number.
Sometimes devices may share an IRQ with something described as an “IRQ holder for PCI steering”. This can be ignored. The best way to fix this problem is to remove the problematic device and plug it back in.
Some devices can be fixed by moving them to different slots on the motherboard.
2] Poor RAM
RAM (Random Access Memory) problems can cause a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes this means that a component is damaged and needs to be replaced.
But this fatal error can be caused by chip incompatibility. For example, mixing 70 nanoseconds (70ns) of RAM with 60ns of RAM will usually force the computer to run all of the RAM at a slower speed. This will often damage the machine if the RAM is overworked.
One way to solve this problem is to go into BIOS settings and increase the waiting status of RAM. This can make it more stable. Another way to solve RAM problems is to only use RAM with the same chip (not using RAM with different chips).
The parity error message also refers to RAM. Modern Ram chips can be either parity (ECC) or non-parity (non-ECC). It’s best not to mix the two types, as they can cause problems.
3] BIOS Setup
A common BIOS error is related to CAS latency. This refers to RAM. DDR4 RAM has a CAS latency of 15 and DDR3 has a CAS latency of 10. Setting the wrong number can cause RAM to lock up and freeze the computer’s display. It’s a good idea to read the RAM specifications you’re using before changing them.
Windows can manage IRQ number allocation better than BIOS. If possible, set the IRQ number to Auto in BIOS. This will allow Windows to allocate IRQ numbers (make sure the BIOS settings for Plug and Play OS are switched to ‘yes’ to allow Windows to do this.)
4] Hard disk drive
The hard disk will slow down and not be optimal if it is too full. Clean your drive every few months and free up space on it. Open the Windows folder on drive C and locate the Temporary Files folder. Deleting its contents (not the folder) can free up a lot of space.
Empty the Recycle Bin weekly to get more space. Hard disk drives should be scanned weekly for errors or bad sectors.
You can use Task Scheduler or a third-party tool to perform these operations at night when the computer is not in use.
5] Fatal OE exception and VXD error
Fatal OE exception errors and VXD errors are often caused by video card problems. This can often be overcome easily by reducing the display resolution of the video. For most desktops, the 16-bit color depth is sufficient.
As always, the most common cause of graphics card-related issues is outdated or corrupted drivers. Search for the manufacturer of your video card on the internet and look for the latest drivers for the card.
6] Virus
Often the first sign of a viral infection is instability. Some viruses remove the boot sector on the hard drive, making it impossible to start.
Virus scanners require a list of virus signatures to identify viruses. This signature is stored in a DAT file. DAT files should be updated weekly from your antivirus software manufacturer’s website.
7] Printer
Printing a document on a printer will produce a large file, which is often called a postscript file. Whereas the screen has only a small amount of memory, called a buffer. It can be easily overloaded. Printing documents also use considerable CPU power. It will also slow down computer performance.
If the printer tries to print unusual characters, those characters may not be recognized and may damage the computer. Sometimes the printer cannot recover from damage due to clutter in the buffer.
A good way to clear the buffer is to unplug the printer for ten seconds. Booting up from a powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the printer’s default settings and you may be able to continue.
8] Software
A common cause of computer damage is faulty or poorly installed software. Often this problem can be resolved by uninstalling the software, then reinstalling it.
The System Registry can be corrupted because references still refer to software that has already been removed. Use a registry cleaner like CCleaner or something else to remove it. Don’t delete the registry manually if you don’t understand it. If the Registry is damaged, you must reinstall the operating system.
Often Windows problems can be solved by entering Safe Mode. This can be done at start-up. Safe Mode loads minimum drivers. This mode allows you to find and fix problems that prevent Windows from loading correctly.
Sometimes installing Windows fails due to inappropriate BIOS settings. If you keep getting the SUWIN (Windows setup) error message during Windows installation, try entering BIOS and disabling the CPU’s internal cache. Try disabling Level 2 (L2) caching if that doesn’t work. Restore all BIOS settings to their previous settings after installation.
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9] Overheating
The central processing unit (CPU) is usually equipped with a fan to keep it cool. If the fan is not working or if the CPU is old, then the CPU will overheat and cause a certain error called kernel error. This is a common problem with chips that have been overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they should.
One solution is to buy a bigger and better fan and install it on top of the CPU.
10] Power supply problems
Power surges can damage a computer just like in a power outage. If this happens frequently, consider purchasing an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). This will give you a clean power supply when there is power and will give you time to turn off the computer in case of a power outage.
This is a good investment if your data is critical, as a power outage will cause unsaved data to be lost.