Ugh! If you’re anything like we are, you absolutely hate it when your computer unexpectedly shuts down right in the middle of editing an important document, chatting with a client, or downloading/uploading a software program. Why does this happen? Here are a few clues.

1.    Software updates. If you’re a Vista user, your computer will download software updates (without your knowledge, mind you) while you’re doing other things. After an update is downloaded, the computer restarts and installs new functions or features.

Some of these updates are issued from Microsoft and based on Vista’s user agreement, you must accept them. Other updates are issued from non-Microsoft software. We can’t know the conditions in every software agreement out there, but we can bet that they’re probably similar to Microsoft’s in that they require users to accept them. In only the rarest of cases, updates can be turned off. But in doing so, we put usability at risk.

Some software companies will simply disable programs that aren’t regularly updated.

2.    Another cause for a PC shut down is a programming error and incompatibility. Let’s say that you’ve worked with a particular program without flaw for years. All of a sudden, your computer shuts down as soon as this program is loaded. What the heck happened? Chances are, an update made this program incompatible with your entire operating system or with a single DLL. To correct the problem, the program’s manufacture has to release a software version that’s compatible with the update you received just so it will run. And this can be a problem if the software’s manufacturer went out of business.

3.    Running out of memory? Space? A lack of sufficient memory and/or space will cause your computer to shut down as well. Today’s programs seem to require more and more resources which can drain an older computer to a point of inoperability. Right now, we’re running Windows Explorer, Vista’s Sidebar, and Microsoft’s Word programs. Together, they consume over 40 MB of memory! Had we attempted to load the same on an older computer of ours, we probably wouldn’t be able to use Word without having to restart the computer after typing a single paragraph.

If your computer is connected to a shared network, an increased number of users will drain your resources as well, and cause the network’s host to crash. Fortunately, this problem has an easy fix. Simply install more memory and another hard drive (or two or three).