Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors are an indication that something has gone wrong with your Windows computer system. These errors can be caused by a variety of factors, including hardware and software incompatibility, device driver issues, malware infections, and other more serious issues. While the BSOD error message itself may provide some clues as to what went wrong, diagnosing the underlying issue is often difficult and requires some work. Fortunately, there are several methods you can use to try and fix BSOD errors on Windows.
1. Revert Recent Changes
If you recently installed new software or hardware, it’s possible that this could be causing the BSOD error. To fix this, try reverting the recent changes by uninstalling the newly-installed programs or devices, or restoring the computer to an earlier time using System Restore.
2. Check for Driver Updates
A common cause of BSOD errors is a corrupt or outdated device driver. To see if this is the cause, check for updates to the drivers installed on your system and install any available updates. You can do this manually through Device Manager, or use automatic driver updater software such as Driver Booster or Driver Talent.
3. Run a System File Checker
Sometimes, BSOD errors can be caused by corrupted or missing system files. To fix this, you can run the System File Checker (SFC) tool, which will scan your system, detect any problems, and attempt to repair them. To do this, open a command prompt window, enter “sfc /scannow” (without quotes) and press Enter.
4. Perform a Clean Boot
If the previous steps don’t resolve the issue, it’s possible that a third-party software application is interfering with the normal functioning of Windows. To check for this, try performing a clean boot, which will start Windows with only essential services and programs. To do this, open ‘System Configuration’ via the Start menu, go to the ‘Services’ tab, check the box next to ‘Hide all Microsoft services’, and click ‘Disable all’. Then, go to the ‘Startup’ tab and click ‘Open Task Manager’. Disable all the startup items listed, reboot your system, and test it for the BSOD error.
5. Run a Virus/Malware Scan
A BSOD error can also be caused by malware or virus infections. To check for this, run a full system scan using an antivirus program such as Avast, AVG, or Kaspersky. If you don’t have any installed, you can use Windows Defender, which is included in all versions of Windows since Windows 8.
6. Check Your RAM
Finally, if the previous steps didn’t help, it’s possible that your RAM is faulty or incompatible. To check this, use a memory testing tool like Memtest86+ to scan your system’s RAM and look for any errors. If the scan finds any problems, consider replacing the RAM.