Why Do Computers Lockup, Freeze?

Computers are our friends for as long as they work, right?  We all expect them to work when we turn them on, but why do they lockup occasionally or become unstable?  In short, think of a computer a complicated traffic center.  It is directing electrical current all over the place to give you a picture you see on the screen.  When there is a traffic jam, there is a crash (you may know it as the blue screen of death.)   In this article we will discuss some (not all of course) the reasons why a computer freezes or locks up, sometimes causing it to cease from working or functioning normally.

Most Common Reason for Lockups:

•  Bad system software/drivers

•  Spyware/Virus infections

•  Hardware failure or failing

•  Heat

•  Dirty electricity

•  Loose connections

Computers need clean working software and system drivers (software that runs your hardware) to run smoothly.  If a driver is corrupted you could be getting blue screens or automatic restarts.  Like the software, if the computer gets a virus, spyware, or any other kind of infection, then this will bring it to a creeping if not dead halt.  When hardware begins to act up, it will cause all kinds of errors to pop up.  Hard drives, when they begin to fail may delete files without your consent, and/or not allow your system to start.  Power supplies when failing may allow you to use your computer until you play a game or access another device like a DVD drive before the system just turns off or restarts.  Heat is a computer killer.  Be sure all vents and heat sinks are dust free and no clogs.  Most forget that computers are mainly electrical bits of data, if the electricity coming into your computer is “dirty” then so will be the computer.  Power spikes, outages, and bad house wiring will harm a computer in time.  Lastly, loose connections are all too common.  Be sure to check your cables on the back side of your computer as well as on the inside.  If you do this, be sure to do this while your computer is powered off and unplugged from the wall, along with grounding yourself preventing static discharge.

So what do we recommend:

•  Stay up-to date on all patches and updates for your computer from Microsoft and your PC vendor.

•  Keep a periodic backup of your system data easily with BackBlaze Backup.

•  Keep your system software & registry running smooth daily with Registry Booster

•  Never let your computer go unprotected without an Anti-Virus/Firewall.

•  Surge protectors and battery backups keep electrical spikes at bay.

A well built system should last an average of 3 – 5 years depending on environment and maintenance.  If you treat your computer poorly, it will treat you the same right back.  Protect your investment!