# A hearty 'frick you' to my ever-crashing computer **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 10, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hearty-frick-you-to-my-ever-crashing-computer/599132 "2011-10-10T01:24:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hearty-frick-you-to-my-ever-crashing-computer/599132/21 "2011-10-10T16:57:33Z")
I want to see the steam. Get a Mac. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hearty-frick-you-to-my-ever-crashing-computer/599132/22 "2011-10-10T17:18:55Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I want to see the steam. > Get a Mac. Because Macs don’t crash? OP: Download and install “Whocrashed” and see if that helps you pinpoint the problem. Which is likely either a hardware issue or a driver problem. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hearty-frick-you-to-my-ever-crashing-computer/599132/23 "2011-10-10T17:33:21Z")
> [@by-tor](#): > > I had a similar problem recently. My computer would randomly reboot. I replaced the power supply (with a slightly more powerful one) and now it works great. Ditto on the power supply. I was having constant problems with a computer refusing to boot. I replaced the motherboard, and I replaced the CPU. Both things seemed to fix it for a while, then it went right back to it’s old ways. A new power supply _seems_ to have fixed the problem. I think the old one was frying the other components. Also, have you asked father for help? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hearty-frick-you-to-my-ever-crashing-computer/599132/24 "2011-10-10T19:15:10Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > My dad is pretty good with electronics. I mean, he’s an engineering major, he teaches robotics, he’s pretty much been into computers since they invented computers. > > Also I’m not in the mood to be reasonable tonight I’m in the mood to scream death threats at my monitor tonight. I’ve been in computers that long, and I’ve been involved with computer design for 30 years. Knowing my way around a PDP-11 back in grad school helps not at all with problems today. Dell loads software onto all the PCs it makes and runs an extensive system test, since they build millions of configurations and there is no way anyone can certify all of them. This is an expensive thing to do, and you know they’d stop it if they could. They also certify their components, which is something I bet your father didn’t do. Macs have a lot fewer configurations, so are more stable. And more expensive. The reason I have no interest in building my own PC is that I know quite a bit about how things fail, and, not having lots of test equipment in my garage, prefer to leave that part of the assembly process to those who do have test equipment. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hearty-frick-you-to-my-ever-crashing-computer/599132/25 "2011-10-10T20:32:46Z")
Hey OP- can you tone down the language a little? I mean, sheesh. As for the homemade computer, I can see if you’re a real power user or gamer or something that it might be worth it, but what was your motivation for having your dad build one over buying one from a company with some accountability and warranties and such? What did you save, maybe $100? ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hearty-frick-you-to-my-ever-crashing-computer/599132/26 "2011-10-10T20:55:15Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > Hey OP- can you tone down the language a little? I mean, sheesh. I nearly got the vapors when I read the word (can I say it?) “frick” _faints_ ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hearty-frick-you-to-my-ever-crashing-computer/599132/27 "2011-10-10T22:59:10Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > My old computer that has gone to The Great Bitbucket In The Sky did that (actually, usually it would refuse to do anything for a while after the black screen, but sometimes it would black screen and immediately restart). In my case I am assuming the power supply is FUBAR (could be wrong, but I bought a new computer anyway and I am not about to fight with the old one any more to be certain). Definitely just black screen without an intervening blue one in my case. So, maybe try replacing the power supply? > [@by-tor](#): > > I had a similar problem recently. My computer would randomly reboot. I replaced the power supply (with a slightly more powerful one) and now it works great. > [@davidm](#): > > Ditto on the power supply. I was having constant problems with a computer refusing to boot. I replaced the motherboard, and I replaced the CPU. Both things seemed to fix it for a while, then it went right back to it’s old ways. > > A new power supply _seems_ to have fixed the problem. I think the old one was frying the other components. Thirding the suggestion of checking the power supply. Last time mine was recovering from crashes like that, the exhaust fan in the power supply had died. ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hearty-frick-you-to-my-ever-crashing-computer/599132/28 "2011-10-10T23:09:54Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY MUST YOU CRASH ALL THE TIME?!?!?!?!? > It’s supposed to be a good computer not one of those cruddy plan obsolescense ones!!! My father built it himself!!! It’s not supposed to die every time I click funny!!! > > !!! !!! > > Idiot MS Error Report helpfully informs me after the fact that I had a “blue screen error.” ALL RIGHT IT’S A BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH HOW IS THAT SUPPOSED HELP ME??? > > !!! > > &^% Miscrosoft, #%^ computers in general, ^%#@ the guy who discovered electricty, and while I’m at it, %$^& the whole world. Including kittens and puppies. > > PS. Don’t tell me to get a Mac. Microsoft messes my blood pressure when it crashes; Apple causes steam to come out of my ears just by looking at the screen display. You know what is causing these crashes? Excessive exclamation point usage. Seriously. The CPU, when confronted with too many !! or ? in a row, blows a floating exclamation point exception error. Additionally those blue screen error messages, that so many people only look at long enough to get pissed instead of actually reading, have valuable information. If you actually read the damned thing it will give you info on the cause of the problem. My bet is a ‘driver\_IRQL\_Not\_Less\_Or\_Equal’ error. Slee ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hearty-frick-you-to-my-ever-crashing-computer/599132/29 "2011-10-11T01:56:49Z")
You know, maybe I shouldn’t go posting things in the Pit. I find my angry posts tend to look a bit histronic the day after, not to mention excessive in exclamation marks and other upper-keyboard symbols. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-hearty-frick-you-to-my-ever-crashing-computer/599132.md?page=1)