Using your computer often means venturing online to find various programs and support. Gone are the days of loading software to your computer using a disc. Today computing is highly connected through web-based programs. In fact, when you buy a new computer today there are very few programs installed on the machine for you. You’ll find almost no discs in the box with the new machine – everything you need is located online.

Cloud computing, or storing files and programs out in cyberspace instead of your hard drive, and online resources have changed the way we think about programs and using a computer. If you need a new program or one program isn’t working right and you need to fix it, you’re not heading to the store for a new box of software. Instead you’re downloading the program from the company’s website. Of course to make your computer work well, you absolutely must have any number of critical programs that websites and other programs depend on.

Software

Picking the right software for your computer is often a game of catch-up. You only find out that you’re missing critical software after you try to visit a website that is no longer working or you find yourself facing errors and problems. Other times you realize that you need a particular sort of software to continue with a work situation or simply to enjoy the games and videos you watch online on a daily basis.

Software Types and Updates: The Rundown

The fact of the matter is software is computing. Word Processing, SpreadSheets, Gaming Platforms, PDF Readers, Music and Video Players: they’re all programs that can come from different sources, and they all can become outdated. The rundown for what types of programs you use can be characterized this way:

· Licensed Apps – things you buy once, (download), and install. These have license keys and include major work programs like Microsoft Word or large video games. Most licensed apps can be updated: this is the process where the version you have can get new features and bug-fixes from the Internet. The only time when you have to pay for it again is when you get a new version (a process called an upgrade), not an update. Updates are free. A good example of buying a new version is paying for MS Office 2007 to replace MS Office 2003.

· Subscription Apps – things you buy for a certain length of time. These have license keys that enable you to use a product for an interval of time, usually ranging from six months to several years. The licenses entitles you to all feature upgrades (of that version) in the time-frame. A good example of this is anti-virus software that you can activate on a yearly basis.

· Shareware – it’s an older term, but it’s still used, often in reference to so-called “limited-feature” software. These are licensed apps for which you can trial for free. The free version may have all the features as the paid one, but deactivate after a certain time limit. Or the free version could have no time-limit, but only include some of the features of the paid one.

· Freeware – just free software. This term freeware used to be associated with lower-quality programs, but not anymore. Now, many of the tools you use everyday can be found with a free version out there. Big names have even established reputations for providing free products; these include Google (Docs, Chrome, Blogger), Adobe (Reader), and Apple (Itunes). What’s more, the open-source movement has supplied the web with hundreds of programs that are by principal not only free, but open to user modifications. These include the popular web browser Firefox and the VLC media player.

Every type of software listed above can have an integral role in the way your computer behaves, including the amount of memory it takes up and the amount of resources it takes to run. That’s why, when it comes to software, you have to do two things:

1. Decide if you want it (If you don’t, why keep it? It just takes up space and resources.)

2. Keep it updated (If you don’t bugs and outdated functions can eat up resources.)

So you’ve got an error. It could be lots of things: a specific error message that pops out of no where, a glitch in a program that makes the application hard to use, a slowed-down PC that just seems to be dragging, or even a so-called “fatal error” with a complete freeze up or the dreaded Blue Screen of Death.

Frustrating, infuriating and frightening: when you get an error, the first instinct is usually either panic or unadulterated rage. That’s where we come in. This article is the first in a series designed to teach you how to cope with errors. It walks you through the process, providing the essentials you need in plain language to meet the general requirements of information (what’s needed to find out what the problem is) and execution (what’s needed to fix it).

Not an IT tech? That’s fine. Computers are complex things, and lots of problems are only solvable by people that really know the core of how they work – but that doesn’t mean that anybody, regardless of their knowledge or skill, can’t be equipped to tackle essential errors when they crop up.

Error Types

Bad things happen to good people, and what better example than those seemingly random error message that pop up when you’re trying to work online or finish up your taxes? Error messages are frustrating, but they aren’t actually as random as they initially appear. While the numbers don’t make much sense to you right away, with a bit of digging you can find out exactly what sort of error you’re experiencing through Microsoft’s website.

What are the Main Causes of the Blue Screen of Death

Odds are that if you have used PCs for any length of time, you’ve seen the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). It’s what happens when it all goes wrong in one universally recognized sign: your screen turns solid blue, and it shows you nothing but error information. Whether the reaction is shock, fear or disgust, it’s not a pretty picture.

What we want to give you here is the crib-sheet for what to do when your PC suffers a critical error.  Get the steps needed to let you quickly and calmly troubleshoot problems and sniff out the major glitches that cause freeze-ups, lock-ups and blue screens.

First Step: Don't Panic

First off, write down all relevant information when you see a BSOD flash on to the screen. This includes the error number and name of the stop error, and any file names specified in the driver information section. Want a sense of what's happening?  Check out Microsoft's dedicated list of system errors to get a better grasp on what's going on with your computer.

If you don’t have time to do that, don’t feel bad. Try to restart Windows normally. If the BSOD occurred while your system was booting Windows, you may be taken to a troubleshooting menu and will have to select “Attempt to Start Windows Normally.”

If your system starts normally, and seems to be operating normally, thank your lucky stars and continue using it. Sometimes it is just a transient errors and you won’t see it again. If it happens again within a few days or a week, it’s time to do a little more error code writing down and digging.

Nobody likes to be faced with computer problems, but – sadly – problems happen from time to time and it’s often up to you to resolve the problems with your machine. Windows Vista was preinstalled on the majority of computers and laptops sold for years and the computer manufacturers opted to not send along the installation disk with the computer. This means that when Vista has trouble, you’re going to have to do something besides run the program from the disk. Fortunately there’s a lot you can do for Windows Vista recovery.

Why Recover?

When you’re locked out of your computer, your Vista operating system won’t start or you keep crashing, your first instinct may be to remove the software and start again. Normally you’d do this through a reformat, but you’re probably lacking the disk you’d need to do a standard reformat. Even if you could just throw in a disk and start fresh, you probably don’t want to jump right to this extreme step. Why? Because you’d lose everything personal on your computer if you wiped out your current operating system.

It’s better to work within the Vista system to try and recover rather than reinstalling the software.