Simple question I would just like to know what causes motherboard failures or hardware crashes?

Can a virus do this or the installation of a program on the operating system? (ie: I install a program that I downloaded off the net or bought at the store, etc)

simple question...difficult answer
anything can cause a hardware failure (well...almost anything)..could be environmental issues (heat, humidity, dust), could be something like droppage or kicking or some other physical damage, could be electrical issues (static discharge, poor line quality, brownouts)...just about anything physical


this can be marginally debateable...but the full answer is no...software cannot damage hardware...ever...software CAN damage drivers which control how the hardware works thereby "breaking" it...but you can always repair such damage.

the debate can be posed that if software were to cause a harddrive to run erratically for LONG periods of time that it could cause the drive to fail...but...it's unlikely that you'd let this situation continue without turning the pc off before damage occured

Thank You for your answers

power serges from lightning is a common cause, also like a rotten apple one faulty device can take out another, also time is a factor becasue all devices wth moving part have a lifespan like normal lifeforms do, so one has to expect that sooner or later the device will wear through, which is why backup and maintainance are so important with computers

Your so right... I should buy an external usb drive just in case something bad ever happens to me. That way I can back up my drive. What should I look for in an external drive? You can read my signature and see the pc I own.


Thank You