What do i do if laptop crashes?
i use the m-audio fast track pro sound card, and whilst practising my computer froze which it does do occasionally. it made me realise that i cant plug an ipod into the fast track pro with out computer power so what should i do if computer crashes while performing?? will an external power supply for sound card help??
Why can’t you plug the ipod into the clubs external mixer if you’re performing?
I always have my ipod on standby whenever I play out even though my mac has never crashed.
sorry i meant like doing house parties. clubs aren’t an issue cos you can chuck in a cd if worst comes to worst.
Without trying to be sarcastic…get a Mac.
No crash…well…it hasn’t crashed on my yet…and I have had 2.
I use a PC, and mine never crashed in any clubs…yet. Look for the blogpost streamline your PC. Some of it is very useful although I even tend not to to all those things. I just turn of my wireless internet, put my computer on high performance, exit all unused programs, turn off antivirus, turn off screensaver, and then I run my traktor through boomes and loop BE1(check forum posts for this). Seems to do the job. I don’t bring my I pod but there is always usually a cdj laying around with CD’s in them. maybe I should start brinigng my Ipod for reassurance…
And I myself am not using the most expensive laptop around.
nice article on this one:
keep it safe!
Always have a Plan B
have fun standing there with no backup when your mac fails. all hardware fails, i haven’t see any proof that mac hardware fails less then pc hardware…
you need to benchmark the hell out of your system. i spent like 3 weeks making sure my setup was rock solid. ive never had a crash and never had any latency issues (since benchmarking)
just to be sure to face all possibilities, there are countless reasons a computer might stop working aside from OS optimization and stability.
for example keeping the computer dust free, and the fans unobstructed will reduce the chance of an overheat.
other things you can’t really do much about. hardware fails eventually, and some computers are lemons from the get go.
i’m with lethal: always have a plan B.
This was one of my first concerns when i started Djing. Like the others said KEEP AND MP3 player around. Prep a track with a big into to make it sound like the crash wasnt a mistake.
Depending on how cheap you wana get you can always buy a portable cd player and a few mix cds with you on handy. I know someone from my old dj company that had to do this for an entire party.
@djalexlaine
Benchmarking is only a simulated program that will test the overall stability of your system (this is useful when Overclocking) However in a real-world environment with usb plugins and multiple programs running on your computer a benchmark program will be of little use to guarantee stability.
For house parties: MP3 player with headphone output to RCA splitter cable. Should do the trick in most situations. Or a set of bongos or a didgeridoo.
Would never rely 100% on my Mac despite it seeming solid. Always have a plan B
Always bring a ukelele and a cowboy hat in case of emergencies.
OK i actually just got back from a local bar that has a pretty big crowd and guess what…the DJ’s laptop crashed. I’ve seen him other places and he rocks an HP. Well here’s the advice I gave him when I saw the Oh Sh*t red face and the sweat forming. INSTALL AND RUN GAME BOOSTER BEFORE YOU DJ. What this program does is stops unwanted programs and services from running giving your DJ software more resources to work with.
Best advice I ever got.
BTW: I rock an HP probook with a celeron [yes i said celeron] and after using game booster I have NEVER had a crash. Knock on whatever material this is that my desk is made out of.
PLAN B: Learn to play the harmonica. Of course I’m joking but always have a plan b no mater what…well only if you care
gamebooster is awesome! i use it in combo with tuneup utils and haven’t had a spike or issue since.
I run an HP, don’t have any problems but may try gamebooster to see if it improves my DPC latency, thanks
I always have a mix cd cued, and ready to go on one channel, in case of computer crash!
like EMERGENCY button 
I always take an Ipod and have a mix ready, even if its at a house party with no mixer its still better to quickly re-jig the cables whilst your laptop re-boots…
I also recommend to any Laptop DJ getting SMC fan control and always using a laptop stand, even if its something as simple as these…
http://www.bluelounge.com/coolfeet.php?gclid=CKGaxYjp26ACFUgB4wodo1jMCQ
That way it shouldn’t over-heat, lowering your chances of a crash.
just got an hp laptop a week ago. turion x2, it hasnt crashed yet with ableton but its only been a week - definitly going to have to try that. the tutorial on djtechtools on streamlining your computer left out a few very usefull details - namely that an additional system profile will do nothing for disabling activities in the registry. the advice it gave DID dramatically improve that computers performance, BUT it was such a pain in the ass re enabling network services everytime i wanted to use the internet that for 4 months i just only accessed the internet from my phone…
this seems far more practical for my laptop.