What is BSOD “Blue Screen of Death” and how to fix?

Blue Screen of Death: What is it and How Can You Fix it?

A Blue Screen of Death may sound horrifying to most Windows users but it’s not the end of the world. Typically, a Blue Screen of Death or BSOD appears when your Windows system faces a crash. It’s not threatening but might induce future crashes on your laptop.

Hence, you must have a concise idea of what a BSOD is and how to prevent upcoming Windows PC crashes. Let’s learn how you can restrict BSOD from gracing your PC screen again, according to Laptop Repair Dubai professionals.

Introduction to Blue Screen of Death

The Blue Screen of Death is a blue-coloured screen that pops up whenever your Windows operating system encounters a crash or error. As per the laptop repair near me team, it’s a fatal system error and your Windows operating system is believed not to be running safely in such a condition.

On Windows 10 or the later version, you can identify the error code either in text or in hexadecimal code. You can also scan the QR code to get more details about the error or stop code. However, the following instances can trigger a BSOD screen:

• A bad device driver
• Overheating
• Malware or spyware infection
• A hard drive that requires formatting
• Bug in BIOS or firmware
• Ageing or damaged hardware

So, both software and hardware incompatibilities can trigger the BSOD error. 

Examples of Blue Screen of Death Error

Let’s decode some common BSOD errors and underlying causes for more clarity:

• NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM: This particular BSOD error takes place due to data integrity failure whenever the drive tries to read or write data.
• PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA: This error happens if a swap file failure appears during the software or file system operation. The RAM can be at stake.
• CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED: When an essential system operation stops working, this error may occur.
• VIDEO_TDR_tIMEOUT_DETECTED: It’s a GPU processing error induced by a broken driver or something else.
• DATA_BUS_ERROR: Now, this is a catch code for hardware problems such as incompatible, broken, or improperly set hardware pieces. You might have to get rid of those faulty hardware components to resolve the error.
• SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION: When a system file is flagged, you may expect the error to take place. According to laptop repair services Dubai, the error lists the system process or driver responsible for the system failure.
• DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION: Your laptop’s incompatible or outdated driver can trigger this BSOD error. Besides this, system files might be corrupted as well.

It’s time to check how you can fix BSOD errors and prevent them from occurring on your machine.

11 Ways to Fix Blue Screen of Death Errors

Depending on the cause of the Blue Screen of Death, solutions may vary for your Windows laptop. Here are some proven and convenient fixes to get rid of the BSOD error and solve the underlying problem.

1. Shut Down Your Laptop

As per technicians of laptop repair in Dubai, the easiest way to get out of the BSOD loop is to shut down the machine. A quick shutdown can help the laptop restore its efficiency and handle the crash. So, press and hold the Power button of your laptop and force the shutdown.

2. Detach All Peripherals

Connected accessories to your laptop can cause issues or even trigger Blue Screen of Death errors. Especially, if they are broken or incompatible. So, you can try disconnecting all the printers, keyboards, external monitors, USB drives, etc. from the Windows machine.

Then, check if it saves your laptop from system crashes or BSOD errors.

3. Reboot Your PC in Safe Mode

As confirmed by technicians from the laptop repair service near me, software issues are more likely to induce BSOD errors. Indeed, you can check whether a particular software is responsible for a Blue Screen of Death by rebooting the device in Safe Mode. 

Here’s how you can restart your PC in Safe Mode:

• Hit the Windows icon from the Taskbar and then type ‘msconfig’.
• Next, press Enter and you should be in the System Configuration app.
• Navigate to the tab called Boot and check the box right next to Safe Boot.
• Now, check the circle next to Minimal under the Safe Mode column.
• Furthermore, click the OK button.

Restart your laptop and check if the BSOD error appears again. Boot your PC and immediately hold the F8 key. Next, follow the on-screen instructions to restart your laptop in Safe Mode.

4. Scan for Malware

Since file corruption is a potential cause for a BSOD error on your computer, you can check whether your system is infected by malware or anything equivalent. Scan your machine to detect viruses, malware, spyware, and other threats. 

Indeed, you can use the built-in Windows Defender tool to find malware and viruses and eliminate them from the laptop. Otherwise, you can install a competent antivirus solution. Such software keeps your system safe from viruses, malware, hackers, and ransomware.

Additionally, your device gets checked regularly for potentially malicious files and software. So, scan your Windows PC and examine if any viruses or malware are causing the BSOD error over and over again.

5. Uninstall the Recently-Downloaded Software

Start by entering Safe Mode for this particular hack. According to Laptop Repair Dubai technicians, recently installed applications can trigger BSOD errors. Hence, you should remove such programs from your system and here’s how:

• Press the Windows key from the keyboard.
• Next, type ‘add or remove programs’ and hit Enter.
• By now, you should have landed on the Installed Apps page.
• Scroll down to locate the program you want to delete from your system.
• Click on the particular program and choose the Uninstall option beside the program.

See if it helps you get out of the BSOD loophole and the error doesn’t come back.

6. Disable or Rollback Drivers

Outdated or improperly installed device drivers can be the culprit behind the BSOD error. Hence, you can undo the latest driver updates. For better results, you may start with display adapters. Let’s check out how you can handle drivers and correct the issue:

• Enter the Device Management window by searching for it through Windows search.
• Now, scroll down the list of components and right-click on a suspected device adapter.
• Then, select Properties from the pop-up menu.
• After that, go to the Device tab and hit the option that says, ‘Roll Back Driver’.

Make sure that you repeat the same process for the drivers that have received new updates lately. 

7. Execute a System File Checker Scan

Corrupted file systems are often behind a BSOD malfunction. So, technicians from a laptop repair near me suggest that you should try running an SFC (System File Checker) scan to manage the file system. This will uproot the BSOD trigger from within.

Follow the guidelines below to proceed with an SFC scan:

• Hit the Windows logo from the Taskbar and type ‘cmd’.
• Next, right-click the Command Prompt option and choose ‘Run as administrator’.
• Click the Yes option once prompted.
• When the Command Prompt window opens, type the following command: ‘sfc/scannow’.
• Now, hit the Enter key to initiate the command.

Wait for the scan to be completed.

8. Perform a CHKDSK Scan to Inspect the Hard Drive

Problems with your computer’s hard drive can lead to a BSOD error. However, you can try running a CHKDSK scan to examine each bit of the drive, identify errors, and rectify them. Additionally, the CHKDSK scan can index those errors so that they don’t induce any BSOD tantrums soon.

According to laptop repair services Dubai, you should follow the instructions below for a successful CHKDSK scan:

• Hit the Windows logo key and type ‘cmd’.
• Make sure you run the Command Prompt window with admin privileges.
• Now, type in the ‘chkdsk’ command and press the Enter key.

This should initiate a scan and you need to wait for the process to be over. Don’t interrupt the process as this may harm your hard disk.

9. Perform a System Restore

Professionals from laptop repair in Dubai are quite optimistic that recent changes made on your computer can cause a BSOD error. So, you should undo those changes. The shortcut way to undo them is to perform a System Restore on your Windows computer.

System Restore is a built-in utility to undo recent changes on the laptop and restore all its previous configurations, applications, etc. while discarding new installations. Here’s how you can proceed with a System Restore on your Windows 10 machine:

• Open the Start menu by hitting the Windows key from your keyboard.
• Next, hit the grey gear icon or Settings.
• Click the Update & Security column.
• After that, choose the Recovery option from the left pane.
• You will get the following options to proceed with. Choose any of them depending on your scenario:
  • Reset This PC: This particular selection will reinstall Windows but keep your files. You should select this only in extreme situations.
  • Advanced Startup: You can restart your device into recovery mode and engage in advanced troubleshooting.
  • Go back to an earlier build: you can take your Windows operating system to a previous build.
• Hit the button of Restart Now. 
• Next, click on Troubleshoot followed by ‘Advanced options’.
• After that, choose an option from the following choices:
  • System Restore: Use this to reload older files that are automatically created every week.
  • System Image Recovery: You can restore an entire copy of the computer system with this option.
  • Startup Repair: Opt for this option to automatically look for issues and fix them.
  • Command Prompt: Well, you can load command lines and conduct specific fixes.
  • Startup Settings: Use this option to boot Windows in Safe Mode.

Select System Restore and choose a preferred Restore Point. Check if the BSOD error returns, afterwards.

10. Examine the RAM

Reportedly, issues with the computer RAM can cause a BSOD error. Fortunately, you can use the built-in Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to identify the problem. As per Laptop Repair Service Near Me, you need to go through the following instructions:

• Press the Windows logo key.
• Next, look for ‘Windows memory diagnostic’ and hit Enter.
• Opt for ‘Restart now and check for problems (recommended)’.

Wait for a while and the memory diagnostics results will appear soon. However, you can view them whenever you want from the Event Viewer window.

11. Restart Your Computer Again

While checking on your computer’s RAM, you need to restart the device. So, this is the right time to reboot your laptop and check if the BSOD error has stopped popping up on your system. If the BSOD error doesn’t appear then you have succeeded in the mission.

However, professionals from a laptop repair near me suggest carefully installing software and drivers this time. Ensure that you download them from legitimate sources. Update Windows drivers and start with the audio ones followed by the graphics ones.

Don’t forget to keep your PC clean from inside out and install antivirus software.

Reinstall Windows and Look for Hardware Damage

Isn’t anything working in your favour? Reinstall Windows and prepare yourself as all your data is going to be wiped out. However, you can try booting your Windows machine in Safe Mode and cloning the hard drive. 

Additionally, damaged hard drives, improperly seated cards, cables, and other components, etc. can cause the system to encounter a BSOD error. So, you can check them yourself or hire a professional for sureshot results.