What are Error Codes?

In computers, error codes are detailed messages that are used to inform users about faults in system hardware or software applications. On your Windows system, error codes help in identifying malfunctioning hardware, corrupt software files, and incorrect user inputs.

Many times, when a system error occurs on your system, a blue screen containing an error code identifying the cause of the system error is displayed on the screen. This blue screen, popularly referred to as the blue screen of death (BSOD), is usually displayed when an illegal operation or some other error in an application installed on your PC occurs, resulting in a program error that prevents the programs from working normally. For instance, messages with error code 39, error code 37, or error code 10 may be displayed due to some kind of problems with a particular hardware.

Whenever you receive a message with an error code, you will need to fix the error based on the error message. For example, if a code 39 error is displayed on your screen when you are trying to access your CD-drive, it implies that the driver for your CD-drive is missing or corrupt. To fix this error, you will have to update the current driver of your CD-driver. You can do this by using the options available in the Device Manager Utility.

How to Prevent Code Errors

You encounter frequent code errors when you fail to take proper care of your PC. But did you know that with just a little preventive and regular PC maintenance you can easily keep your computer free from errors?

First and foremost, you must be careful about the websites you browse, and the email attachments you open. You must avoid accessing websites you are not sure about. And, you must NEVER open attachments that come with unsolicited e-mail. This is important because email attachments are the most commonly used method to send infected malware files to user computers.

As a vigilant computer user, you must always keep yourself updated about the latest malware lurking around on the web and take appropriate precautions to keep your PC safe from these malware programs. For instance, you must always make sure your antivirus and antispyware tools, operating system, device drivers, and installed applications are updated with the latest hotfixes, service packs and security releases. This will help you patch up any security holes in the software on your computer and prevent malicious programs from infiltrating your system.

To prevent code errors, it is important that you keep your hard disk well-maintained and free of unwanted files. Your Windows XP operating system includes a Disk Cleanup—to detect and remove unwanted files, and a Disk Defragmenter—to restore file contiguity on the disk. You should use both tools regularly to maintain a healthy and error-free hard disk.

Lastly, you must perform regular registry repair to ensure that your registry is free from errors and unwanted files. It is recommended that you use a reliable and efficient registry cleaner to perform the task. Registry cleaner tools not only help you detect and remove registry errors, but also enable you to defrag it to enable you to maintain a healthy and compact registry. A healthy and compact registry helps in preventing several code errors and also boosts the performance of your PC.