Computer Error Prevention
Anyone who has used Windows long enough will be familiar with various computer errors, such as [1] DLL errors, runtime errors and stop errors. At times, computer errors are generated due to certain tasks you have performed on your PC and usually go away once you reboot the system. However, there are some errors that require specific attention and troubleshooting to find out the cause and resolve them.
Usually when errors are displayed on a Windows PC they comprise [1] error codes. These error codes are the first indicators of the cause of the error. So when you start troubleshooting your problem, the first thing you need to do is to research the Internet, especially the Microsoft Support Web site and Support Forums to see if you can find the cause and possible solution of the error. If you are lucky, you may find a solution right away and you would have your PC up and running error-free in no time. However, at times, the situation might be more severe and you may need to seek the help of a technical expert.
The question that arises is if there is anything that can be done to prevent computer errors from occurring in first place. And the answer is yes, you can. Let’s have a look at a few pointers that can help you maintain a healthy PC and help you prevent several computer errors.
Hints and Tips
1. First and foremost is for you to be a vigilant and aware user.
- Avoid installing software that you are not sure to be from an authentic and reliable source—they can be spyware or adware.
- Always ensure that your system meets the minimum system requirement of the software you are trying to install.
- Before adding any hardware to the PC, ensure that the hardware is compatible with your operating system and other hardware components on your PC.
- Ensure that the device drivers you install are compatible with your operating system and your hardware device.
- Keep your system BIOS, operating system, device drivers and software programs updated with the latest releases by their manufacturers.
- Keep good security anti-virus/spyware software installed and keep the virus signatures or "definitions" updated. New anti-virus/spyware definitions are updated at least weekly, sometimes more often. At the very minimum, perform monthly scans of the entire file system. Preferably, each computer system should be scanned weekly by automatic scheduling at convenient times
- Your computer should always be plugged into a power-surge protector. Any cables used to connect your system to the Internet should also run through a surge protector. DSL and dial-up users should ensure their phone cord runs through a standard RJ-11 phone jack that is part of the surge protector, and cable users should purchase surge protectors that include coax connectors on them
- If you live in an area where power surges and low-voltages are frequent or a business that highly depends on information systems , consider using an UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) rather than just a surge protector.
- Make sure your computer can "breathe". The computer needs adequate air space, especially at the rear, to allow proper cooling of the internal components. Air conditioning is ideal for areas where there are four or more PC workstations
- Never attempt to free-up space on your computer’s hard drive by just deleting files from Windows Explorer or My Computer unless you know exactly what you are deleting. Use the disk cleanup utility mentioned in item #4 that was installed with your version of Microsoft Windows.
- Never attempt to un-install a program by deleting its folder in Windows Explorer or My Computer. Go into the Windows Control Panel, open Add/Remove Programs, locate the application you wish to remove from the computer, and un-install it from there.
Scanning & Security
2. You must regularly perform full system scans using reliable antispyware and antivirus tools to ensure that your system is free from any malicious information.
- Always keep your security programs, such as antispyware, antivirus, antispam, and firewall updated to ensure that you are protected against the latest malicious programs.
- Turn on the real-time protection feature of the security programs to ensure that your PC is protected from malicious programs at all times.
- Schedule regular full system scans.
Clean Hard Drive
3. You must regularly clean the hard disk of your system to remove unwanted clutter from it and defrag it regularly to consolidate broken files on the disk.
- Use Add or Remove Programs or a third-party program uninstaller tool to get rid of unwanted programs from the system.
- Use Disk Cleanup to clear undesired Temporary Internet files, obsolete program setup files, and Recycle Bin.
Registry Cleaners (RegClean)
4. Many computer errors are generated due to problems in the Windows registry. This is the reason why you must regularly [1] repair the Windows registry with the help of a reliable and efficient registry cleaner tool. An alternative and completely free and recommended software that can be used is Eusing which is dedicated to cleaning your registry only. There is also CCleaner which cleans your registry and also computer temp files that accumulate on your computer coursing it to slow down, which is also widely used however is not as efficient in cleaning the registry as Eusing.
Related Articles
Essential Security
PC Maintenance
References
1. ^ Instant-Registry-Fixes.org - 14 May 2008
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
Privacy Policy | About Wikitec | Disclaimer | Copyright
