Crash Tips

1. Install as little software as possible. You'll have fewer software conflicts, an easier-to-manage system, and more disk space available for your own stuff. Unfortunately, this advice clashes with the reason why computers were invented in the first place: to run software.

2. Install more RAM. Yeah, everybody says it, but it's true. If you can't stop buggy programs from leaking memory, you can at least give them more memory to leak. How much RAM do you need? According to a scientific survey of experts, you always need n + 16 MB, where n equals the amount of RAM you have now.

3. Periodically flush your system. One of the surprising things BYTE learned while researching this article is that an apparently large number of users reformat their hard drives and reinstall all their software on a fairly regular basis. Even some companies do it. Some do this as often as twice a year. It seems drastic, but they claim it significantly improves reliability and performance.

4. Run as little software as possible. Do you really need to have five different applications open at onc e? Sure, it's convenient, but they'll squabble like naughty children over resources, and they'll increase the frequency of page faults (i.e., memory accesses that force the system to retrieve virtual pages from disk instead of from RAM).

5. Don't be a beta booby. Public beta releases are all the rage, but remember: "Beta" means "buggy." If you have a compelling reason to test some beta software, install it on a system you don't need for productivity. To do otherwise is like pasting a "Crash Me" sticker on your back.

6. Buy good hardware. A brand-name motherboard, no matter where it's made, is more reliable than a cheap generic one, and the cost difference isn't huge. Spend a few dollars more on things like cooling fans and power supplies. Buy the kinds of SIMMs your motherboard supplier recommends. Buy good cables. Little things matter.

7. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Stable systems are st able because they don't change much. (Duh.) Don't upset a system by endlessly tinkering with it -- unless tinkering is your hobby or you get paid to write about your adventures, as Jerry Pournelle does.

8. Run diagnostic programs. This is especially important if you've been suffering from system-stopping crashes, because each calamity is sure to leave broken files and other debris on your disk. You can use the diagnostics that came with your system (the disk tools included with Windows and the Mac aren't bad) or a third-party utility.

9. If it's broke, fix it. When a system keeps crashing, don't shrug it off. If a particular program seems to be the problem, look for patches on the publisher's Web site. If there aren't any patches, consider upgrading to a newer version of the software or reverting to an older version. You might even consider switching products. If your system crashes for no apparent reason, try a diagnostic and repai r utility, such as First Aid Deluxe, Norton Utilities, or RealHelp. If you're desperate, try tip #3.