RESOLVING STOP ERRORS IN WINDOWS 7 PART 2

Hi TechnologyToday readers, this is the continuation of RESOLVING STOP ERRORS IN WINDOWS 7 PART 1. Your comments are welcome……….

Stop errors (also sometimes called blue screen or black screen errors) can occur if a serious problem causes Windows 7 to shut down or restart unexpectedly. You might see a message that says, "Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer."

These errors can be caused by both hardware and software issues, and it can be difficult to troubleshoot the problem. The following tools and methods can often help get Windows up and running again.

IF YOU CAN START WINDOWS

Undo recent changes using System Restore;

System Restore is the easiest thing to try first. It can undo recent changes to your computer's system files that might have caused the problem. System Restore doesn't affect your personal files, such as e‑mail, documents, or photos.

1. Open System Restore by clicking the Start button, in the search box, type System Restore, and then, in the list of results, click System Restore.‌ If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
2. Follow the instructions on your screen.

   

    Use Action Center to check for solutions to problems;

1.     Open Action Center by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, and then, under  System and Security, clicking Review your computer's status. 
2.     Click Maintenance. 
3.     Under Check for solutions to problem reports, click Check for solutions. Windows will notify you if there are any solutions to problems available for your computer.

Check Windows Update for software updates;

1.       Open Windows Update by clicking the Start button, in the search box, type Update, and then, in the list of results, click Windows Update.
2.       In the left pane, click Check for updates, and then wait while Windows looks for the latest updates for your computer.
3.       If you see a message telling you that updates are available, or telling you to review updates, click the message to view and select the updates.
4.       In the list, click an update for more information. Select the check boxes for any updates that you want to install, and then click OK.
5.       Click Install updates.

Search for drivers on the manufacturer's website;

If you recently installed a hardware device, such as a video card or sound card, an incorrect or improperly installed device driver might be causing the problem.

1.       Open Device Manager by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Security, and then, under System, clicking Device Manager. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.‌
2.       In the list of hardware categories, find the device that you want to update, and then double-click the device name.
3.       Click the Driver tab, click Update Driver, and then follow the instructions. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

Use safe mode to troubleshoot problems;

Safe mode starts Windows in a limited state. Only the basic files and drivers necessary to run Windows are started, which can help you troubleshoot software problems.

1.       Remove all floppy disks, CDs, and DVDs from your computer, and then restart your computer. Click the Start button, click the arrow next to the Shut Down button, and then click Restart.
2.       Do one of the following:

i)        If your computer has a single operating system installed, press and hold the F8 key as your computer restarts. You need to press F8 before the Windows logo appears. If the Windows logo appears, you'll need to try again by waiting until the Windows logon prompt appears, and then shutting down and restarting your computer.

ii)      If your computer has more than one operating system, use the arrow keys to highlight the operating system you want to start in safe mode, and then press F8.

       3.      On the Advanced Boot Options screen, use the arrow keys to highlight the safe mode option you want, and then press Enter. 
      4.      Log on to your computer with a user account that has administrator rights.

When your computer is in safe mode, you'll see the words Safe Mode in the corners of your screen. To exit safe mode, restart your computer and let Windows start normally.

Check your computer for hard disk and memory errors;

Some errors can be caused by problems with your computer's memory (RAM) or hard disk, rather than problems with Windows or other software running on your computer.

To check for hard disk errors

1.       Open Computer by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Computer.
2.       Right-click the drive that you want to check, and then click Properties.
3.       Click the Tools tab, and then, under Error-checking, click Check now. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
4.       Do one of the following:

i)        To automatically repair problems with files and folders that the scan detects, select Automatically fix file system errors. Otherwise, the disk check will report problems but not fix them.

ii)      To perform a thorough check, select Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors. This scan attempts to find and repair physical errors on the drive itself, and it can take much longer to complete.

iii)    To check for both file errors and physical errors, select both Automatically fix file system errors and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.

                         5.  Click Start.

To check for memory problems

1.       Open Memory Diagnostics Tool by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Control Panel. In the search box, type Memory, and then click Diagnose your computer's memory problems. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
2.       Choose when to run the tool. If you choose to restart your computer and run the tool immediately, make sure that you save your work and close all of your running programs. The Memory Diagnostics Tool will run automatically when you restart Windows.