Troubleshooting Stop Errors

When Windows XP stops responding to your commands, you will notice a stop error that appears on your screen behind a black or blue background. The most common reasons for stop errors are malfunctions in your hardware or your software. The following list of instructions will cover how to fix and prevent stop errors from occurring on your machine.

How to manually troubleshoot Stop Errors:

1. Restart the computer.
2. Double check all recently installed software or hardware. If a particular application is not installed properly, it will result in a stop error. If you are having a hardware problem that is resulting in a stop error, you may need to update your drivers. To inspect your hardware, disconnect each new hardware device, one at a time, to see if this fixes the problem. If not, proceed to step 3.
3. Click on Start and then click on the Help and Support tap. Click on Get support, and then click on the Get help from Microsoft option.
4. Click on Start, and then click Help and Support. This will take you to the Fixing Problems section where you will be given a list of troubleshooting options.
5. Make sure you look at the Microsoft Hardware Compatibility List to confirm that all your hardware and drivers are compatible with your operating system.
6. Disconnect any recently installed hardware, drivers, or software.
7. Scan your computer for any viruses, Trojan horses, worms or other malicious programs that may be infected on your computer.

In addition to these tips, there are also a great deal of preventative measures you can take to make sure that you do not get stop errors. Keeping your antivirus software, security patches, and hardware drivers up to date can prevent many of the malfunctions that result in stop errors. It also will extend the life of your computer and maximize its performance.