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38 views9 pages

BSOD

Uploaded by

girmachewkurat
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is the Windows BSoD?

The blue screen of death is what you see on your computer screen when the Windows
operating system crashes because of a fatal system error that causes it to malfunction and
shut down. Usually, the Windows blue screen is the result of hardware failure, the
corruption of system files, or the termination of a critical process.

This article contains:

This article contains:

What is the Windows BSoD?

What causes the blue screen of death?

Common Windows stop codes

How to fix the blue screen of death on Windows

Stop your computer from crashing

The BSoD has become notorious and is commonly believed to indicate an unfixable error
with a device. But while it’s always frustrating to see the blue screen, the “fatal” system
error that caused Windows to crash can usually be fixed.

In Windows 10, the blue screen comes with a Windows 10 stop code, which refers to the
exact error that caused the blue screen. To find out what caused the blue screen of death —
and learn how to fix it and stop it from happening again — your first step should be looking
up what the Windows stop code means.

In the example below, the stop code is DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL — we’ll take a


closer look at this and other common Windows stop codes further down.

An example of a Blue screen of death in Windows 10

As disconcerting as BSoD may be, a totally blank screen is far more troubling. Without an
error code to help you, it's difficult to know where to start to fix a black screen in Windows.

or the operating system, has probably been corrupted.


NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM

This error code means there’s almost certainly a problem with your hard drive. You may be
able to fix and also prevent this from leading to a BSoD by running a chkdsk scan on your
disk.

DATA_BUS_ERROR

This means that a piece of hardware isn’t communicating properly with your computer. This
could be because it wasn’t installed properly or because the component itself may be
broken or faulty.

How to fix the blue screen of death on Windows


Now that you know the likely cause of the problem thanks to the Windows stop code, you
can try to fix the blue screen of death by going through the following steps:

1. Shut down your computer


Use the Power button to turn off your computer.

2. Disconnect all devices


Since USB devices might be the culprit, remove all peripherals from your computer (besides
the keyboard and mouse).

3. Restart your computer in Safe Mode


If your computer boots normally after a restart, you can enter Safe Mode from within
Windows itself. Here’s how:

1.Press the Windows key, then type msconfig and hit enter.
2. Select the Boot tab.

3. Under Boot options, check Safe boot and choose the “Minimal” setting.
If the BSoD reappears, making it impossible for you to proceed, you’ll need to power down
again and restart Windows in Safe Mode. Immediately as your PC boots up, press and hold
the F8 key and then follow the on-screen instructions to switch to Safe Mode.

4. Uninstall recently installed programs


Now that Windows is in Safe Mode and only running essential processes, the problematic
program, device driver, or system file has probably been deactivated, making it easier to
uninstall. Start by removing the most recently installed programs, since these are the most
likely culprits.

Here’s how to uninstall programs in Windows:

1. Press the Windows key. Type “add or remove programs” and hit enter.

2. Find the application you want to remove and select Uninstall.

If you find any strange or unfamiliar programs within your list of apps and features, you
might want to uninstall them too. But make sure to Google the name first to find out what it
is so that you don’t unintentionally uninstall any essential Microsoft software.

5. Rollback or disable drivers


Using the latest drivers improves the speed and security of your device. But sometimes bugs
or glitches in updates can cause problems. If the blue screen error code referred to a specific
driver causing the issue, simply disabling it or rolling back a recent update should fix the
problem.

It can be cumbersome to check every driver and roll each of them back separately, but you
may need to if nothing else works. Here’s how to disable drivers

1. Press the Windows Key and type “Device manager.” Then hit Enter.

2. Right-click on the relevant hardware component and choose Properties from the pop-up
menu

3. Click the Driver tab and select Roll Back Driver

.
6. Scan your computer for malware
It’s possible that malware is responsible for the corrupt files or critical process disruption
that has caused your system to crash. In that case, you’ll need to repair and secure your
computer with a dedicated malware and virus removal tool that will let you scan and get rid
of the malware immediately.

Install AVG AntiVirus FREE to identify and remove malicious threats to your system. AVG’s
advanced threat-detection technology will quickly wipe away threats and help keep your
computer from crashing.

7. Run an SFC Scan


To ensure all your system files are properly configured for Windows to operate normally,
you should run a System File Checker (SFC) scan. Here’s how to run an SFC scan:

1. Press the Windows key and type “cmd.” Right-click Command Prompt and select “Run as
Administrator.” Click yes to confirm if prompted.

2. Type “sfc /scannow” into Command Prompt and hit enter to start the scan
8. Scan your hard drive
Running a CHKDSK scan will let you examine every bit of your hard drive, flag any errors, and
correct them or index them to prevent those errors from causing performance issues or
crashes such as the dreaded BSoD.

Here’s how to run a CHKDSK scan.

1. Press the Windows key and type “cmd.” Then, right-click Command Prompt and select
“Run as Administrator.” Click yes to confirm if prompted.

2. Type “chkdsk” into Command Prompt and hit enter to run the scan.

9. Check your computer's RAM


If a problem with your RAM is causing blue screen errors or other performance issues, check
the status of your RAM using the Windows Memory Diagnostic. Memory hardware is
particularly susceptible to degradation over time, and while this diagnostic tool can’t repair
it, it can prevent your computer from trying to reference the damaged memory.

Here’s how to use Windows Memory Diagnostic to check the state of your RAM:
1. Press the Windows key, type “Windows Memory Diagnostic,” and select it when the
option pops up.

2. Click Restart now and check for problems (recommended).

You’ll see the diagnostic results as soon as you boot up again. You can also go back and
review them at any time in Windows Event Viewer. If you think you need more RAM, check
out our guide to upgrading your RAM.

10. Restart your PC to see if the BSoD reappears


Now it’s time to exit Safe Mode and resume the activity that prompted the blue screen. If
the BSoD doesn’t reappear, you’ve probably successfully isolated and resolved the problem.
Now you can start carefully reinstalling external devices, programs, and drivers that you
previously removed.

As well as fixing the crash, your computer should now run more smoothly, having now run
all the diagnostics and maintenance tasks listed above. Make sure you keep your computer
running smoothly by keeping your operating system, programs, drivers, and other software
updated.

11. Last resort: reinstall Windows


If you’ve tried all the steps above and you can’t fix the blue screen, try reinstalling Windows
onto a formatted hard drive. This is a big step, but it will resolve the cause of any blue screen
of death, unless your hardware is defective.

Beware that unless you have a backup, reinstalling Windows will result in the loss of all your
files and user data. If you didn’t back up recently, there are third-party software tools that
will help you copy your drive to an external HDD or SSD.

To reinstall Windows, you’ll need to have your Windows 10 product key — thankfully,
Microsoft has made that easier with the latest Windows releases.

Stop your computer from crashing


The best way to prevent blue screen errors and other performance issues is with the help of
an automated optimization tool that works quietly in the background to keep your system
humming.

AVG TuneUp will help you free up storage space by removing junk and bloatware, and it will
perform regular maintenance tasks to keep your system clean. Plus, AVG TuneUp will let you
easily hibernate background processes to ensure your system isn’t overcooked, and it will
even help you update your software and drivers automatically. Start your free AVG trial
today.

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