 Prevent
Crashes
"This program has
performed an illegal operation....."
Sick and tired of
computer crashes? Losing that document you worked so hard for
just because your computer decided to perform an "illegal
operation". Here are some tips (brought to you by Cnet) to
prevent any illegal operations from the start and what to do after
you've encountered one.
-
Defragment -
Although nobody does this, it's very crucial that you do.
Defragmenting your hard disk reorganizes your whole hard drive and
makes it more stable. Meaning more performance and less errors.
Defragmenter can be found in START > PROGRAMS > ACCESSORIES > SYSTEM
TOOLS. Do not run any other program (including screen savers)
while your defragmenting. Defragmentation takes hours, you may
have to defragment over night.
-
Free Up Your Start
Up - Go to Start > Programs > Startup. And see what's there.
Delete everything you don't need. The more stuff you have in
there, the more your computer is likely to crash.
-
Bit Conflict -
Don't try to install an old 16-bit program into 32-bit Windows.
Try to buy the latest upgrade version of the old program you have.
Your Quickbook 2.0 is likely to crash under Windows 98 or higher.
-
Delete Un-used
Programs - Go to Start > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs.
You'll see a list of programs on your computer. Delete the ones
you don't need. This will less complicate things.
-
Disk-Clean Up -
Go to Start > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup. This
will delete any useless files that load up on your computer.
-
Delete TMP files
- Go to Start > Search > Files and Folders. Look you " *.tmp "
file (asterisk, period, tmp). Search all your hard disks.
DELETE EVERY TMP FILES IT FINDS! Then go to recycle bin and
empty bin.
-
Diagnosis - Get
Norton Utilities or other diagnosis softwares to check your Windows
for possible errors. Although they cost money, they certainly
get the job done.
-
Coolers - Your
computer does not like heat. Install more than enough fans and
keep your computer in a cool well-ventilated area.
-
Clean - Believe
it or not, dusts can affect your computers performance. Go ahead
and vacuum all the little dust bunnies in your fan, around the case,
in your comp, etc. Clean your mouse too while your at it.
-
Power Supplies -
Sometimes, a simple brownout from your power outlet affects your
computer tremendously. Get a UPS power back up to keep the power
flowing regularly to your computer. Also to protect your
computer from blackouts or lightning strikes.
-
Streaming Media
- Streaming video uses up a lot of memories in your computer. If
you are going to watch or listen to a streaming media, close all other
programs.
-
Multi-Tasking -
Unless you have enough memory (at minimum 128 MB of RAM), don't run
multiple programs at the same time. Just open a number of
programs you need to use.
Doing these steps should keep your computer
running smoothly. But if it still doesn't help and you do
encounter an illegal operation error while you were typing your sales
notes, then there still is a way! Do the following easy steps to
prevent data loss from an Illegal Operation error:
-
First and foremost, don't move your mouse!
Unless you really really have to. Your toolbar is known to
be unusually sensitive during a crash and may trigger another error when
your mouse moves over it.
-
Don't keep working if the program still
operates. Press Alt+F4 to close the program. Then it will
ask you if you wish to save it.
-
Save it under a filename you can remember
and is temporary. Shut down the computer and leave it off for good
10 seconds. Turn your computer on, open the file, and save it.
Delete the temporary file.
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