May 11, 2012. Paul Hixon
credit: e-magicMicrosoft provides several utilities with their operating system that can prove very handy when a computer keeps crashing. In particular, these applications and log files can help pinpoint where the problem lies since you rarely get to see an exception on screen.
The essential starting point is really your event viewer log (start, run, enter eventvwr). This is especially useful when errors are not shown on screen since they may well still be tracked in the event log. When you crash PC systems, check the log entries around the time it occurred and research these online to focus in on what application is causing the fault and (more importantly) what solutions exist.
It is also essential to check your hardware for faults. The primary tool for doing this is the Device Manager tool. It shows the status of all peripheral components and hardware on your computer. Common problems you may experience or conflicts between different electronic components as well as issues with your device drivers. The program provides a good utility for suggesting different solutions to try.
Your hard drive may also lead to PC crashes if there is corruption to different sectors on the drive. This can be checked using the error checking tool (Windows Explorer, choose your internal drive, properties, tools). Run a full scan of all the sectors on your disk drive for signs of faults relating to both hardware and software problems.
One of the more difficult issues is when the computer keeps crashing before you’re even able to login and start up Windows. In this case, open the BIOS menu instead. Check that your CPU temperatures are not getting too high, that your fan speeds are consistent and that hardware components are all being detected properly. If these all seem to be in good condition then try using the last known good configuration in the advanced startup menu to rollback any damage that may of the course to your Windows registry file.
Updated May 11, 2012. Published May 3, 2011. Paul Hixon
