Crash Troubleshooter

To help solve your problem, first consult the resources and links we've listed below. If you still can't resolve your problem, see the bottom of the page for a link to create/send a tech support request.

1. If your PC crashes or freezes during startup or shutdown specifically, see our Startup and Shutdown troubleshooters.

2. Many crashes and freeze-ups are caused by problems with the video graphics driver. To see if this is the problem in your case, try turning off video acceleration: Click Start | Settings | Control Panel | System | Performance | Graphics and set the hardware accleration to off by sliding the control all the way to the left.

3. For other crashes, try tapping Dr. Watson, a built-in Windows feature. Click Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Information; then select Dr. Watson from the Tools menu). Dr. Watson takes a snapshot of your system when a program error occurs. You can then use this snapshot to hopefully pinpoint and diagnose the root of the problem. For details on using Dr. Watson, see How to Troubleshoot Program Faults with Dr. Watson