# crash diagnosis software for windows (7)?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crash-diagnosis-software-for-windows-7/523236>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 31, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crash-diagnosis-software-for-windows-7/523236 "2009-12-31T23:22:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crash-diagnosis-software-for-windows-7/523236/1 "2009-12-31T23:22:19Z")

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Does there exist a piece of software I can leave running on my PC that will tell me what causes/caused a bluescreen when it happens? More specifically which bit of hardware caused it?

My computer tends to crash after about 6-10 hours of being switched on and I’d like to find out why.

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**Author:** ![Terry\_Kennedy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@Terry\_Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terry_Kennedy)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crash-diagnosis-software-for-windows-7/523236/2 "2010-01-01T02:00:13Z")

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> [@Lobsang](#):
>
> Does there exist a piece of software I can leave running on my PC that will tell me what causes/caused a bluescreen when it happens? More specifically which bit of hardware caused it?

Try [WhoCrashed](http://www.resplendence.com/whocrashed).

Windows 7 also has some built-in functions which you can find in Control Panel / Administrative Tools / Performance monitor.

> [@](#):
>
> My computer tends to crash after about 6-10 hours of being switched on and I’d like to find out why.

If your system has hardware diagnostics, you might want to let them run overnight to make sure it isn’t a hardware problem.

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**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crash-diagnosis-software-for-windows-7/523236/3 "2010-01-01T03:26:58Z")

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You can also find system logs for Windows 7 (and Vista, and XP) in Control Panel -\> Administrative Tools -\> Event Viewer -\> Windows Logs -\> Application, which will give you normal logs, warnings and errors for applications. Action Center also contains rather terse information on crashes, but I’ve found it to be largely useless.