On this page you will find a few frequently asked computer questions .

FAQ: Explanation of Crashes

What is it that causes your computer to crash? Computer crashes can be caused by a wide variety of things. They are divided into 2 different categories: Application crashes and system crashes. An application crash is when an application hangs or usually causes a Dr. Watson error to appear. A system crash on the other hand, is when the entire operating system stops functioning. This is a more serious type of crash and usually requires you to reboot your computer system. For Windows NT, 2000, XP, and Windows 2003 users, this is the "Blue Screen of Death" - often referred to as a BSOD for short.

When either of these two occur, the system will usually create a special debugging file known as a dump file. Since we have two types of crashes, we have two types of dump files. The application crash creates a user dump file. The system crash creates a system or kernel dump file. In Windows 2000, XP, and Windows 2003, the operating system can create 3 different kinds of kernel or system dump files. The dump file contains a copy of the memory during the crash. Using a special tool, known as a debugger, Atlanta PC Repair can review the contents of this file to determine what caused the problem and fix it.

So what causes a computer to crash? It can be caused by software bugs in the operating system, in software you installed, or by poorly written drivers. Malfunctioning or bad hardware can also cause your computer to crash. If you are experiencing regular crashes, open a support call. A technician will know where to help you look for the dump file and explain how you can send it to us. Once it is reviewed, we can provide you with a solution. This work is done remotely, unless the technician needs to come to you to get the dump file due to large size.

System crashes are some of the most difficult problems to resolve on any computer system. If you are having system crashes, log a call to get them resolved. If you don't it can result in your data getting corrupted beyond recovery.