Chapter 28. Ten Dumb Error Messages
Hoo, boy, this could be one long chapter! If only computers had just ten dumb error messages. But they don't. They have thousands. Back when I wrote the original DOS For Dummies (in 1991), I asked for and received from Microsoft a list of all possible error messages in DOS version 5 — all 20,000 of them. And, that was only DOS! Over the evolution of Windows, I can imagine that several hundred thousand error messages are possible — so many that I doubt Microsoft has them all listed.
This chapter lists what I consider to be the most popular, annoying, or just frustrating dumb error messages. Obviously, it's not the entire list. That would take too much room to print — and too much booze for me to write them all down.
User Account Controls
Oh, I could go on....
The reason the UACs are "dumb" is that it's too easy to condition yourself to click the Continue button. Or, when you use a Limited account, to type an administrator's password. Taking advantage of your comfort level is something called human engineering, and believe me, the bad guys will take advantage of that.
Figure 28.1. The ubiquitous User Account Control.
The Blue Screen of Death
When it's a big and important error, Windows doesn't mess around with a dialog box or cute graphics and icons. No, it ...
Get Troubleshooting Your PC For Dummies® now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
