Q. What is a PC crash?

A. A PC crash is usually slang for what happens when your computer just stops working. It may hang up while you’re trying to do something, or your computer may just suddenly stop for no apparent reason. They are actually quite common and can be caused by a variety of different issues.

Q. What causes a PC crash?

A. There are four main reasons that your PC will crash, and they include a power failure, virus, software malfunction or even overheating. It can be hard to tell what the cause is at times and in some cases, you may never actually know unless the problem keeps occurring.

Q. How do I fix this?

A. First, let’s deal with crashes caused by viruses. These commonly occur because a virus has corrupted necessary files or has affected your computer to the point where it becomes nearly impossible to keep using it. Try running a virus scan while your computer is in safe mode to see if there are any present on your system. Make sure that your virus definitions are up to date before you do this. If you find anything, quarantine the files and restart your computer.

In the case of power failures, it’s always a good idea to use a power strip and if necessary a BackUPS system. From time to time though, if you suddenly lose power, a crash can occur and there really isn’t much you can do about it if you aren’t using a secondary power source as a back up.

If your computer has software that is malfunctioning, you can try restarting your computer and then run the program again. If the error occurs, then you may need to uninstall and reinstall the application. If it doesn’t than it may have just been a glitch that occurred for no apparent reason.

Overheating is very serious for a computer and is quite common. The inside of your computer is actually quite hot and there are times when the built in fan simply cannot keep things cool enough. If you are operating your computer in a hot room, the risk is even higher for it to overheat.

Always put an exterior fan near your computer to keep the air around it cooler, especially during summer. This can really help your computer avoid overheating. If the problem has already occurred though, you will need to unplug the computer and then press the power button to discharge any remaining electricity. Open it up and see if anything has melted within or appears damaged. You may need to replace the components or take the computer to a shop to have this done for you.

Q. How do I keep this from happening again?

A. Always use antivirus software on your computer to protect it from outside influences. It’s also a good idea to keep in mind that your computer needs to be kept as cool as possible. If you are using a laptop, you may want to consider purchasing a special USB cooling pad to help it stay cool.