Monday 14 March 2011

Windows XP Black Screen Error - How To Fix The Black Screen Problem Quickly

If your Windows XP computer is suffering from the Windows XP black screen error you can fix this without having to empty your wallet or buy a new computer. There are several causes for this problem and you can fix it yourself.

#1 Display drivers out of date or corrupt.

Since Windows XP is no longer a new operating system many of the drivers are out of date. Other drivers that are not updated start to conflict with updated Windows and system files and can lead to the black screen error.

How can you tell?

If you restart your computer in safe mode and it works OK with no black screen this is a clear indication the display drivers are at fault. This is because in safe mode Windows uses the default VGA drivers from windows.

How can you fix this?

a) Use Windows update to get the latest drivers. Windows update does not contain every driver though.

b) Go to the manufacturers site and download the drivers.

c) Use a system scanner and optimizer to get the right drivers.

To follow any of these steps you will need to remove the drivers first. To do this you must be in safe mode. If the drivers will not uninstall go to system properties, then device manger and uninstall the display adaptor and restart your PC. When your computer restarts and asks for the drivers install the updated display drivers.

#2 Minor file errors or corruption.

If this is the cause of the problem you can try to fix this by rolling back Windows using system restore. To do this you will need to go into safe mode and roll Windows back to a date before this error started. Sometimes you will find system restore will not work in safe mode. In this case follow the first step for removing the display drivers and then when Windows starts instead of installing the drivers run system restore.

#3 Malware or serious file and registry corruption.

If this is the cause of the Windows black screen error the first two steps will not fix the problem and it is likely either malware has altered files or you have serious corruption.

How can you tell?

If you try to do a system restore in safe or normal mode following the above steps it will not run and you may get error messages warning you about registry corruption. These errors may be real or generated by malware.

To fix this you need to start your computer in safe mode with networking and then follow these steps.

#1 Download and run a full system scan with a system optimizer and scanner. This will scan for any malware and file and registry corruption.

#2 Once the scan is complete and the problem is fixed restart your computer in safe mode and run a driver scan. This will only work with a system optimizer and scanner which includes this function. This will scan through all your drivers and update them to the latest versions so there are no further problems. If you find you have the Windows XP black screen error follow these steps and get rid of it now.

Tag : computer,black screen,Windows XP


Wednesday 9 March 2011

Blue Screen Problems

Have you seen it? A bright blue background with stark white lettering that positively jumps out at the viewer. Computer technicians have nicknamed it the Blue Screen of Death, because it looks like the screens in airports that tell you when a plane is late. Blue screen problems have created havoc and headaches for computer users worldwide.

Doom? Does This Spell The End?

With any luck, the answer is no. You will be able to restore your computer to its previous functioning self, and will not have lost any important files, documents, or photos.

Usually a computer will shut itself down if it encounters blue screen problems, and then try to reboot and run diagnostics. Sometimes, this is all it takes. Your PC will fix itself and you will be off and running once again. However, if it keeps happening, know that you have a serious problem that has to be addressed if you want to continue using your computer.

How Critical is This

Very critical. A blue screen problem translates to a system error, and is generated by your computer's operating system. Even Bill Gates received one while he was giving a demonstration of one of his Windows products. Talk about being red-faced!

The less you have altered your computer, the less likely you are to have blue screen. It is the constant adding, deleting, installing, and uninstalling of programs that often leads to this problem in the first place. If you are lucky, it might be the very last program you installed that is causing it. Getting rid of that program might eliminate blue screen problems for good.

What Can I Do To Prevent It From Happening?

First, document it. It does not matter if you are getting it on your home computer, you should still write everything down as clearly as you can. Why should you bother? Let's be honest. You are probably going to get frustrated or nervous if you do not get your system up and running right away. Having clear notes of everything that was on the screen means you don't have to rack your brain to remember exactly what it said.

The information you are copying down is actually extremely useful. Why? Because your computer is telling you what programs loaded and which ones did not, and where the error occurred. With this information, you will also be able to identify whether your blue screen problems have to do with hardware or software.

By rebooting your system into safe mode, you might be able to find the problem yourself. Safe mode is when your computer will run only a bare bones operating system, and only a limited amount of programs will be available. Sometimes you will be able to diagnose your problem right then and there.

With all the codes and information you copied down when it occurred, you can also search online for the meaning of each one. In addition, you might be able to eliminate your problem by reinstalling your OS, or operating system.

Tag : computer,blue screen