Any user of Windows has most likely come across a fatal exception error, which then causes the display of the blue diagnostic screen lovingly referred to as the “Blue Screen of Death” or BSOD. In Windows 7 and Vista, the user is more likely to see the “Close Program” Dialog box. When this box appears it allows the user to close the program or wait for the program to respond. It will also prompt the user to report the error to Microsoft.

The fatal exception error is not generally seen unless new software or hardware has been installed that causes unrecoverable errors for your system. When an unrecoverable error occurs, Windows will display the following message” Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.” This can happen while your system is running or when you re-boot. It will look similar to one of the two screens below. Make sure to note the error code(s) before proceeding.

If you receive one of these screens you can resolve these issues through one of the following procedures:

• Let Windows check for a solution.
  1. Go to Start and click Control Panel or Settings/Control Panel.
  
  
  2. Click on Reports and Solutions or System Maintenance/Reports and Solutions.
  
  
  3. In the Tasks pane you will see a button that says, “Check for new solutions.” Click this button to allow Windows perform a check for known solutions.
  
  
  4. Windows will either come back with a report of “No Solutions” or it will list solutions available to install. It may also return with information about additional problems.
  
  


• You may be missing critical Windows Vista updates that have been found to resolve known issues. Check for and install critical Windows updates here.


• Check for updated drivers for system devices. Updated drivers can be found for any number of devices on the manufacturer support pages. The user should start with any new hardware that has been installed or reported as not working properly.


• Use the Windows Vista Start-up recovery tool in the Control Panel to replace missing or corrupt files. If you can’t access the control panel use your System Recovery Disc or Windows Vista Installation CD. Insert it into your CD drive and re-start your computer. To boot from the CD you will need to change the BIOS settings or press F8 during start-up.


• Perform a system restore. You can find the System Restore function by clicking Start/Program/Accessories/System Tools/System Restore.


• If none of the above solutions have worked, install a new or clean version of Windows Vista.

Being prepared ahead of time by making a back-up CD/DVD and keeping a System Recovery disk where it can be quickly located are always recommended. This will save you time, aggravation and keep you from losing data.