A Few Common Computer Errors |
A Few Common Computer Errors (And What They Mean)
Computer errors can pop up when least expected, they can cause the entire system to suddenly shut down, and they can inadvertently corrupt data to the point where it can't be deciphered. Although they can't always be avoided, it's important to remember that computer errors can be corrected. The key is to understand what computer errors are, understand what they mean when they show up, and understand how to minimize their occurrence in the first place.
Basically, computer errors are the result of a number of things that may or may not have anything to do with the way the computer is used. They "operate" whenever there's a conflict among commands. Remember that computers essentially run off of a series of commands and it's usually a smooth process. But when one command conflicts with another command - or when one command asks for a process or information that isn't available, the computer returns results that aren't useable. That's an error.
A prime example of this kind of error is when users attempt to use software that isn't applicable for their system. Almost all software accompanies a list of system requirements which dictates what a computer needs to have in order for the software to work properly. To minimize errors of this sort, always verify that your computer has the required components. A project management program that you're interested in may require a specific operating system, like Windows XP for example. And although this program may install just fine on a Windows 98 machine, it will generate a multitude of errors once its started.
Insufficient memory will cause errors as well. That's why software programs include minimum memory requirements. A program that needs 14MB of memory will generate errors on a computer that only has 4MB of memory if it runs at all. The same goes for disk space, monitor color depth and resolution. In these situations, problems occur the moment that a piece of software attempts to access the things (hardware, memory, space, resolution, etc.) that it cannot find.
Because some programs share common files, errors can also occur when these shared files are not up to date. For instance, let's say that Program A is already installed on a computer and it's working just fine. Then let's say that the user of that computer downloads and installs Program B. Program B uses a file that Program A installed much earlier, but when Program B is run, errors popup. Those errors are the result of Program B attempting to use an outdated (shared) file that was installed by Program A. In order to fix that problem, the user would have to download an updated version of the shared file (which to say the least - is not an easy thing to find or do).
Sometimes, errors occur because a system doesn't have the required drivers or the drivers that are on the system are the incorrect version. Both errors in these cases can be resolved by updating the computer on a regular basis. Microsoft provides a section on its website that can automatically update a computer online and it does this at no cost in an effort to reduce errors like this. Always try to keep your computer updated so that should a program share a file, it will share a file that has been updated on hundreds of thousands of computers, like yours.
This article doesn't even begin to cover the entire gamut of computer errors - but additional information regarding how to get help with a computer issue (including computer errors) can be found in our article titled, "Computer Help" no matter what the problem is.
Word count 614
|
Accessorizing Computers What Comes Out of the Box is a Really Just a Starter Kit Yesterday, we spent about three ... read more
Automating Things with Batch Files They Work on Today's Computers Too! If you're familiar with MS-DOS at all, you'll recall ... read more
Basic GUI Terminology Knowing What You're Working With Helps Technicians Getting help with your computer software can be easier when ... read more
Buying a Computer What To Do And Why It isn't fair, but buying a computer is just plain easier for ... read more
Cheap and Fast Software An Introduction to Shareware Visit any computer store today and you'll find what seems like miles ... read more
A Few Common Computer Errors (And What They Mean) Computer errors can pop up when least expected, they can cause ... read more
Computer Help Where and How to Get It Well there's no denying it - No matter how new or how ... read more
Computer Security In Today's Society, Protecting Your Computer Is A Requirement Advances in computer technology is a double-edged sword. On ... read more
Customizing Your Computer with Preferences Making Your Computer Work with You - Not Against You Although you did not design ... read more
Dust Kills Cleaning the Unit Fan is Essential Computer Care Between taking care of the household, the kids, the pets, ... read more
Programs Included With a New Computer Are they good enough to stand on their own? The Windows operating systems already ... read more
Introduction to Programming Controlling Your Computer with a Programming Language In a previous article, we introduced automating some tasks with ... read more
Networking Home Computers Increasing Productivity With the Whole Family Have you ever thought about networking your computers at home? If ... read more
Open Source Software If you've spent any lengthy amount of time on the Internet, you've probably heard of open source ... read more
Protecting Children Online Steps Toward Making Your Computer "Weirdo-Proof" It's an unfortunate fact of reality, but children are the most ... read more
Selling Your Computer Looking At Alternatives At some point, your needs are going to outgrow the capabilities of your computer. ... read more
Smartphones What's the craze all about? If you haven't heard of smartphones, we'd like to learn where you've been hiding ... read more
Software Piracy It's Best To Avoid It At All Costs Like electronic identity theft, computer viruses, and the spread of ... read more
Understanding Compression What It Is and What's Involved Downloading files from the Internet has always been one of the most ... read more
Understanding Operating Systems Every new computer that's brought home from the store has an operating system installed onto it. But ... read more
Using Computers It's Not Rocket Science These days it's strange to hear people say, "I'm just not computer literate," as ... read more
Viruses What They Are And One Reason Why People Make Them Over recent years, computers have become synonymous with viruses ... read more
What's That File? An Introduction to File Extensions In an effort to be "user-friendly," Windows (and perhaps some other operating ... read more
When Less Is More Clean Your Disk Drive of Unnecessary Files and Your Computer's Performance Will Improve When it comes ... read more
Working With Computers In Today's Society, There's No Escape Well, we've been warned that this time would come - probably ... read more
|
|
|
Disclaimer:
The Publisher has strived to be as accurate and complete as possible in
the creation of this website, notwithstanding the fact that he does not
warrant or represent at any time that the contents within are accurate
due to the rapidly changing nature of the Internet.
This site
is a common sense guide to A Few Common Computer Errors. In practical advice websites,
like anything else in life, there are no guarantees of income made.
Readers are cautioned to reply on their own judgment about their
individual circumstances to act accordingly.
This site
is not intended for use as a source of legal, business, accounting or
financial advice. All readers are advised to seek services of competent
professionals in legal, business, accounting, and finance field.
Any
perceived slights of specific people or organizations are unintentional.
|