Section D: Troubleshooting Intermittent Blue Screens or Crashes
Nothing is more maddening than
a random crashing problem on your PC. Most of all because almost any type of
hardware or software error could cause this behaviour.
The first step you can take to
narrow the field down is booting in safe mode and trying to use the system
normally (or as normally as you can in safe mode.) If the errors do not occur,
it is likely to be software or drivers that are causing the problem. Refer to
Section A in this Guide for advice on treating these issues.
If the errors occur randomly,
even in safe mode, hardware issues are likely to blame. Consult Section B of
this Guide for a list of steps to take. Also you should check that the processor
heatsink fan is working correctly, and that your PC is not overheating.
The above procedures should
help you troubleshoot and cure just about any PC bluescreen/crash problem. The
range of possible issues is vast though, and there are almost certainly errors
and solutions that aren't covered here. If you know of a common BSOD or crash
related issue that isn't in this guide, please let PCstats.com know and we'll add it in.
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