The infamous Blue Screen of Death has plagued the Windows Environment since Windows 3.0. It has caused many to shake their heads and raise their hands in anger and horror that their PC was now inoperable. In reality, BSOD is known as a stop error or exception error: while it locks users out of the system, it is typically only shown when the PC encounters driver glitches or when software or hardware has trouble communicating. Apps that crash sometimes cause blue screens of death if they’re broken or flawed.

 

Most often, though, it indicates either faulty hardware or an update gone wrong.

Don’t panic; it’s not as bad as it seems.

As part of the blue screen process, Windows automatically creates a minidump file that contains information regarding the crash and saves it to your PC, so you can deep dive into the issue and find out what exactly caused the crash.

See the picture below for an example:

There may sometimes be additional information, like stop codes such as: VIDEO_TDR_TIMEOUT_DETECTED, PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGE_AREA, CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED, SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION, DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION, or IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL.

These codes might seem like hieroglyphics and not mean much to most users, so it’s generally a good point to retrace your steps to what happened before the crash so you can focus on fixing the issue at hand.

For example, did you perform a Windows Update, Software update, or Driver update? Did you install an incompatible Software or Driver that conflicts with your Operating System, such as 32-bit instead of the needed 64-bit or vice versa? Are the fans on your machine overheating (noisy)?

Usually, when an error occurs, the setup or Windows will attempt to reverse any changes back to the previous installation. You can then try to perform the steps below to resolve the issue. And should this fail, there’s still the option to reinstall Windows. But only as a last resort.

How do I fix the blue screen of death on Windows 10?

First, figure out if you took any actions before the BSOD occurred. Did you install a new program, update a driver, or initiate other software changes? If you did any of these things, that might be what caused the BSOD, and here are ways to fix them:

Uninstall incompatible applications or software

To uninstall an application or software that may be conflicting with the installation of Windows 10, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings by searching for “Settings” or selecting the Gear Icon in the lower left of your screen after selecting the Windows icon in the lower left.
  2. Click on Apps
  3. Click on Apps & features.
  4. Select the application that may be causing issues and click the Uninstall button.
  5. *Click the Uninstall button again.

* If you’re removing a legacy desktop application, you may need to continue with the on-screen directions for complete removal.

Once you complete the steps, you may need to repeat the steps to uninstall additional applications as needed. Then you can try the upgrade one more time. Finally, after the update, you can try and reinstall the applications.

Redownload Updates and Installation Files

If the issue is due to a Windows Update, there are several steps you can take that’ll allow you to re-download the files that were damaged or corrupted.

  1. Open Settings by searching for “Settings” or selecting the Gear Icon in the lower left of your screen after selecting the Windows icon in the lower left.
  2. Click on System.
  3. Click on Storage.
  4. On the drive containing your Windows installation, click on the “Temporary Files” item.
  5. Clear the preselected options.
  6. Check the Temporary Windows installation files option.
  7. Click the Remove files button.
  8. After you complete the steps, open the Windows Update settings and try to upgrade one more time.

If, after this, you’re still having issues, it may be time to look into reinstalling the operating system and performing a clean install. Here at Meeting Tree Computer, we can typically wipe, reinstall, and restore your PC for you, should you require it.

Disconnect Any Peripherals

Another cause of the infamous BSOD can be an incompatible peripheral device. Typically, you would disconnect all connected peripherals and check for any updates to them. Then, after installing the upgrades, reconnect the devices as needed and see if the issue continues. If the problem persists, proceeding with a clean install may be the best option for you.

This is just a brief overview of the Blue Screen of Death, some typical steps in understanding the issue, and some quick resolution options. There’s much more that can be done. But that’s what we’re here for, to make technology simple for you and get you back up and running with a happy and healthy machine whenever an issue occurs.

If you’re a business owner in Hudson Valley, NY, and are overwhelmed by your business technology, call us at (845) 237-2117. You’ll be speaking with an experienced member of our team who will be happy to help you.

Let Meeting Tree Computer take care of your technology so you can focus on your business. We look forward to working with you!