A Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is an error encountered on Windows systems which causes the system to crash and display a blue screen with a particular error message. These errors can be difficult to diagnose, but there are a few steps you can take to try to resolve the issue.
First and foremost, determine what type of blue screen error you are receiving. BSODs come in all shapes and sizes, from general errors like “IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL” or “MEMORY_MANAGEMENT” to more specific ones such as “DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL”. Note down the exact error that appears on the blue screen, as this will help you to identify potential solutions.
If the BSOD only appears when you run certain programs or when you use certain hardware (e.g. if you always experience a blue screen when playing a game on your PC), do some research to determine what the cause may be. This could be a problem with a specific driver or piece of hardware, or it could be a software incompatibility.
Once you have identified what may be causing the blue screen, the next step is to attempt to fix the problem. If the blue screen is caused by a driver conflict, and other software has recently been installed, you may need to uninstall or update those programs or drivers in order to remove the conflict. Alternatively, if you have identified a problem with a device or piece of hardware, you may need to replace it.
If you are unable to resolve the issue on your own, it may be a good idea to contact a professional for help. A qualified technician or computer repair person will be able to look at your system and diagnose the cause of the blue screen error, as well as provide advice on how to resolve the issue.
If the issue persists even after attempting to fix it, it may be a good idea to run diagnostics on your system. Diagnostic tools can check for Corrupted System Files, Hardware Errors, Software Conflicts and other issues that could be causing the BSOD. Windows 10 comes with two built-in diagnostic tools – the Memory Diagnostics Tool and the System File Checker. Use these to try to fix any potential issues causing your blue screen error.
If the error still occurs after running diagnostics, you may need to reinstall the operating system. To do this, use a Windows installation disc to wipe your hard drive and reinstall the OS. This should reset any settings that were misconfigured or corrupted, and may resolve the blue screen error. It is important to back up any important data before you start this process, as reinstalling the OS will erase any data stored on the hard drive.
The blue screen of death can be a frustrating problem to diagnose and rectify. However, with a bit of patience, research and troubleshooting, you should be able to find out what is causing the issue and how to resolve it.