“The Knowledge Library”

Knowledge for All, without Barriers…

An Initiative by: Kausik Chakraborty.

“The Knowledge Library”

Knowledge for All, without Barriers……….
An Initiative by: Kausik Chakraborty.

The Knowledge Library

What Is a Computer Glitch?

Computer glitches are often only temporary disruptions. They can have a wide variety of causes, although the most common causes are errors within the operating system, defects in a piece of software, or problems created by computer bugs or viruses.

Computer glitches can sometimes be very easy to fix. For example, restarting your computer is often sufficient to fix many simple glitches. Restarting your system clears your memory, shuts down running programs, and often gets rid of whatever combination of factors that may have created the glitch in the first place.

Of course, some glitches can’t be fixed just by restarting your computer. For example, if a glitch is caused by a computer virus, removing the virus may be the only way to fix the glitch. More serious glitches like these may also cause severe problems, including total system failure if they are not caught and fixed quickly.

Practically, glitches can take many forms. Your keyboard or mouse might not work properly. Your screen may suddenly turn sideways or upside-down. A program may freeze or suddenly shut down. Your entire system might stop functioning, requiring a complete restart.

Computer and software manufacturers go to great lengths to make sure that glitches happen as infrequently as possible. Depending upon the type of hardware or software being manufactured, workers may spend from several months to several years testing products to eliminate glitches before a product is released.

Unfortunately, it’s virtually impossible to eliminate the possibility of glitches completely. When you consider the interaction of hardware components with an operating system and dozens of software applications, there are billions of variables that could result in a glitch. Testing every possible combination of factors would require hundreds of years and would mean we’d never see new products!

If you encounter a computer glitch, try restarting whatever program you were using when you encountered the problem. If that doesn’t work, you can then try restarting your computer. If you still run into a glitch, you may need to seek help from someone more experienced with computers.

Even though most computer glitches tend to be minor and temporary, they can be costly in certain situations. For example, computer glitches have been responsible for disruptions in water filtration plants, emergency service dispatch systems, and even satellites and spacecraft. In 2015, a bank encountered a computer glitch that cost it more than a million dollars per day when the bank was unable to raise interest rates on loans! Also, in 2016, a computer glitch resulted in 3,500 flights grounded or delayed for thousands of United Airlines passengers!

 

Sign up to Receive Awesome Content in your Inbox, Frequently.

We don’t Spam!
Thank You for your Valuable Time

Share this post