Fatal Error

As scary as the term sounds, fatal errors don’t necessarily mean your PC is near death. Your Windows computer generates error messages when it encounters a problem it can’t resolve. Messages can range from a simple notification that an error occurred to a full on system shutdown.

Fatal error messages trouble numerous users for two reasons. One, anytime an error with Windows occurs, it’s troubling. Two, the word “fatal” itself sends shivers down the spine. But rest assured, they’re not as bad as you think. Let’s take a look at what these messages really mean.

Fatal errors are also known as fatal exception errors. These happen when the PC’s processor encounters a command or operation that it cannot process. This means an exception to the normal operations of the system has occurred and Windows cannot proceed. Think of it this way, for some reason, Windows was given an instruction that doesn’t make sense. Because it makes no sense, Windows stops where it is and tells you “Hey, I can’t do it.”

Unfortunately, Windows doesn’t speak in plain English. Instead, you’ll likely see a blue screen with information and codes such as: A fatal exception ___ has occurred at ____:______. The first blank usually contains the type of processor exception. This piece of information is more valuable than the second set of blanks because it gives you better clues to work with rather than the location in memory of where it happened. You can go to Microsoft’s website and look up the code for a definition and possible solution. This link http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=150314 will take you to a list of fatal exceptions.

Fatal errors can occur for a variety of reasons, poorly written code with incorrect mathematical formulas are often a culprit. Faulty RAM can also generate these fatal exceptions such as when data is being written to bad areas. This type of problem usually happens after a major upgrade such as switching to a newer version of Windows. The new OS may use other portions of the memory that the older one didn’t use and by doing so is exposing faulty physical memory.

In addition, hardware problems can generate errors too. For example, a hardware driver may instruct Windows to expect a piece of hardware that doesn’t actually exist. When Windows searches for the device and can’t find it, errors occur.

Now that you know these supposedly deadly errors are simply messages telling you that Windows found an illogical instruction, solving them is the next step. First, write down the error code and reboot your PC. Most fatal error problems require a reboot before you can even consider functioning again. Once your PC is up and running again, retrace your steps and try to recreate the error. For example, if the error occurred while trying to print something in MS Word, open MS Word and try to print something again.

If you are able to use your detective skills to narrow the cause to a particular device, operation, or function, you’ll know what may be causing the problem. In the example above, your printer driver may be corrupt. You could try reinstalling your printer driver and see if that solves the problem.

You can also refer to Microsoft’s knowledge base for help. Search the knowledge base using the error code you received and see if any documented solutions already exist.

Another way to solve thousands of computer errors, including fatal ones, is to use a registry cleaning tool such as RegCure from ParetoLogic Software. Instead of all the detective work and removing and reinstalling of various devices which may or may not solve your problems, let an inexpensive utility program repair your errors automatically.

RegCure scans your registry for the invalid instructions and compares its findings to its huge database. When it finds the errors, it automatically repairs them. This tool is an effective means of resolving fatal errors. Try a free scan to see what RegCure comes up with before you spend a great deal of time and frustration trying to figure it out on your own.