How to fix Windows blue screen error?

What is a blue screen in Windows? How to fix blue screen errors? Here we explain how to fix this common Windows problem in this article. Windows blue screen error, or in other words blue screen of death (BSOD) error, is something every Windows user has encountered at least once. It's frustrating because the problem is often difficult to troubleshoot and can appear out of nowhere.

Let's now examine what may cause the Windows blue screen error and the solutions.

How to troubleshoot and fix Windows blue screen errors?

Table of Contents

Blue Screen of Death (BSoD), also known as “blue screen”, “stop error” or “system crash”, occurs after a critical error occurs that Windows cannot automatically process and resolve.

For example, during the Windows upgrade process, you will randomly encounter a blue screen error when the computer starts or when you are actively using the device. The most frustrating part is when you only see a plain blue background and error codes you don't know the meaning of, without enough information to determine the real cause of the problem.

Fortunately, as of Windows 10, BSOD has specific messages describing the problem, as well as a more comprehensive description of the error. Windows It comes with a Windows “stop code” (text or hex) that you can look up in Support. The blue screen in Windows 10 or 11 may also display a QR code that you can scan to learn more about the crash.

While there is no definitive answer to the stopping error, it is almost always related to a quality or feature update to Windows, a recently installed driver, an incompatible program, or a hardware-related issue.

We'll explain some basic tips on how to fix a Windows blue screen and provide information for specific blue screen error codes.

Blue screens can occur for many reasons, which we will cover below. Common BSOD causes include faulty drivers, hardware problems, and operating system errors.

Newer Windows versions like Windows 10 and 11 are more stable than previous versions, so hopefully you won't encounter blue screens too often. You should also know that a blue screen occurring once is not necessarily a problem. Sometimes Windows stalls with a BSOD and after rebooting it works just fine.

Note Your Windows Blue Screen Stop Code

Since there are so many types, it's hard to talk about how to fix blue screen errors without knowing the specific error you're encountering. Therefore, the best way to start fixing blue screens is to identify the real problem.

A BSOD in Windows 10 and 11 includes a sad facial expression along with a simple error message. Below that is a link to Microsoft's blue screen troubleshooting page, a QR code that leads to that page, and a Stop Code You will see the area. The most important part is to note the stop code listed on the page, which will help narrow down your troubleshooting. Now that you know what your specific problem is, you can move on to the appropriate blue screen fixes.

There are more than 500 error codes in the Windows operating system. In the rest of the article, some methods that will work for almost all of these error codes are explained. Therefore, the methods we have explained will most likely work regardless of the error code you encounter.

The most common blue screen error codes

There are more than 500 BSOD error codes, but Critical Process Dead Stop Code (Critical Process Died) is one of the most common errors. And also Critical Process Died stop code, System Service Exception blue screen, Memory Management BSOD Unexpected Store Exception stop error in Windows, Inaccessible Boot Device errors, Bad System Config Info error, blue screen error 0x0000003BWindows 10 Error Code 0xc00000e, HYPERVISOR_ERROR blue screen error and SYSTEM THREAD EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED Errors such as error are among the most common errors.

Now let's discuss how to fix fatal blue screen errors.

Restart your computer

It's a cliché at this point, but a simple reboot can fix a surprising number of problems with your computer. In fact, this is true for almost all technological devices, including your smartphones.

Restarting clears your memory or resources, resets your system settings, and clears your caches and other temporary files. A reboot can come in handy since the “critical process died” error occurs because something went wrong with the process.

So restart your computer and see if it fixes the error.

Review Recent Computer Changes

Most of the time, you start seeing blue screen errors after making changes to your system. Such changes can make an otherwise stable system problematic. Determining what you changed will help you troubleshoot.

For example, if you installed a new printer, try unplugging the printer cable from your computer to see if the blue screen persists. If you recently ran a Windows update Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View Update History. go (In Windows 11 this is Settings > Windows Update > Update history below).

On the next page of the list Tap Uninstall updates. Click and uninstall the latest update to see if this fixes the problem.

The same goes for software. If you started noticing blue screens after installing a new program, try uninstalling the app from Windows and see if that fixes your problems.

Check for Windows and Driver Updates

While bad updates can sometimes cause problems, most of the time Microsoft and third-party companies release updates to fix such problems. Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update (on Windows 11 Settings > Windows Update ) and apply any pending updates in case a fix is available.

It is also important to check your drivers as they can often be the source of Windows 10 blue screens. To do this, click to open the power user menu. Win + X (or right-click the Start button). Then to open this utility Device Manager Select.

Here, check for yellow triangle icons on any entry, which indicate a problem with the driver. You should double check any devices that appear with this as you may need to reinstall the driver or uninstall the device.

Run System Restore

The System Restore feature in Windows allows you to return your system to its previous state. It's a useful troubleshooting tool because it's simple to use and allows you to see if your problem is software-based.

to the start menu recovery type and appear Open the Recovery Control Panel entry. Here, to start the tool Click Open System Restore. Forward Once you click it you will see a list of restore points you can revert to. Select one and if you want to see which software will change Press Scan for affected programs.

Running System Restore won't affect your files, but it will remove any drivers or software you installed after the restore point was created. It also reinstalls anything you've removed since then.

Once you confirm your system restore, you can start the process. This will take a few minutes, after which you will be back to your system as it was then. If you don't get a blue screen after this, your problem is most likely software related.

Test Your Computer's Hardware

If you don't understand why you are encountering the blue screen of death, you should next check the physical components of your computer. Sometimes a faulty RAM stick or other bad component can cause a blue screen.

Malware Scan

Malware can damage your Windows system files and cause a blue screen. To rule out something like this, you should scan for viruses.

We recommend that you use a suitable antivirus program to scan. This will look for any rogue software and remove it for you. If it finds anything, reboot after cleaning and see if your blue screen errors are gone.

Boot into Safe Mode

Depending on the severity of your problem, you can perform all of the above troubleshooting steps while running Windows as usual. However, if you have a serious problem, blue screen errors may prevent you from working normally. In this case, you need to boot in safe mode.

Safe mode allows you to load a basic Windows configuration that includes only the essential elements that need to work. Windows versions have “Safe mode”, an environment that loads essential drivers and services needed to access the desktop to fix any problems, including system crashes. This prevents third-party applications from interfering with normal operations. If you can run in safe mode without encountering a blue screen, the problem is most likely caused by an installed application or service.

While in safe mode, you can run a malware scan, use System Restore and fix the problem as we discussed earlier.

Update System Drivers

Windows Update keeps your system drivers up to date. Automating the process means your system drivers are less likely to fall behind recommended versions.

To check for your latest automatic driver updates:

Update & Security > Windows Update > View update history Go to . The latest driver updates appear here.
Now click on the Start menu search bar. Type device manager and select Best match.
Scroll down the list and check for an error symbol. If nothing happens, your driver status is probably not the cause of the problem.
If there is a yellow “warning” symbol, open the partition using the drop-down arrow, then right-click on the problematic drive and Update driver Select .
Letting Windows automate the update process for you Select Search automatically for updated driver software. Select.

Run the Windows 10 Memory Diagnostic Tool

You can use the integrated Windows Memory Diagnostics utility to check if your system RAM is working properly. The Memory Diagnostic tool runs after the system reboots. It checks your system memory for errors and saves the scan in a text file for analysis.

In your Start menu search bar Windows Memory Diagnostics type and choose the best match.

You have two options: reboot immediately and run the utility, or set the utility to run after your next reboot. While trying to fix your memory management BSODs, save important documents and reboot your system immediately. Windows Memory Diagnostics runs immediately after reboot.

Disable Your Antivirus

Your antivirus software may be interfering with your system and causing the error. Try disabling your antivirus temporarily and check if the error persists. How to disable this will vary depending on your software, but it will most likely be somewhere in the program's settings.

If you're using Windows Defender, disable it as follows:

Windows key + I to open settings Press the keys.
Update and Security (Windows 10) or Privacy and security Go to (Windows 11).
Windows Security > Virus and threat protection Select.
Virus and threat protection settings under Manage settings Click.
Turn real-time protection off Slide to .

Alternatively, if you are using any third-party antivirus software, you can try uninstalling it completely. Open Settings and Applications > To go to Apps & features Press Windows Key + I Press . Find your antivirus software in the list, click it, and then Remove Click .

Of course, leaving your system unprotected is not best practice. If this doesn't resolve the Unexpected Store Exception error, re-enable your antivirus software to help keep your computer safe.

Turn off Fast Startup

Fast startup is a feature that is enabled by default in current Windows 10/11 systems. With this, your computer uses a type of hibernation to provide faster boot speeds, especially on hard disk drives.

While it's great, it can cause some drivers to not load properly, leading to an Unexpected Store Exception error. Therefore, it is worth disabling fast startup to see if it gets rid of the error.

Re-download the installation files

Sometimes, if you use the Windows Update option to upgrade a device, you may see a Blue Screen of Death when the installation files get damaged during the download process. In this case, you can make the system re-download the upgrade bits by using the Settings app to clear the previous files.

To redownload the upgrade files through Windows Update, use these steps:

settings hungry.
to the system Click.
to Storage Click.
Under the main drive partition temporary files Click .
Clear the options that are already selected.
“Temporary Windows installation files” tick the option.
remove files Click the button .
After completing the steps, open Windows Update settings and proceed with the steps to upgrade the computer once again.

If you continue to experience the same issue, you should consider using the Update Assistant utility to perform an in-place upgrade. If the utility is not working, try using the Media Creation Tool to create an installation media to install the new version of Windows 10.

Disconnect non-essential peripherals

Windows may also crash due to a hardware-related problem. As a result, it is always recommended to disconnect all non-essential peripherals, including external hard drives, printers, secondary monitors, phones, and other USB or Bluetooth devices, before proceeding with the installation to minimize the possibility of errors.

Once the issue is resolved, you can reconnect the peripherals at any time. If the problem persists, there may be a compatibility issue. You can usually fix this problem by downloading and installing a newer driver version from your manufacturer's support website.

Check for damage

Two scans are important to check for damage: SFC scan and hard drive scan.

Here's how to run a System File Checker (SFC) scan, which identifies and repairs damaged or missing system files:

on your keyboard Windows logo key Press .
System settings in the search bar Command Prompt Type ” (or cmd).
Right click on the result and Run as Administrator select . If desired yes or a OK Click .
Command Prompt to the dialog window sfc / scannow in summer . Enter Once you press the scan will run on its own and complete the repairs.

Here's how to run a scan for hard drive damage:

on your keyboard Windows logo key Press .
System settings in the search bar Command Prompt Type ” (or cmd).
Right click on the result and Run as Administrator select . If desired yes or a OK Click .
Command Prompt to the dialog window chkdsk / r in summer . Enter Once you press the scan will run on its own and complete the repairs.

Check your RAM

A computer's RAM can degrade over time, causing performance issues such as BSOD. You can run routine checks with Windows Memory Diagnostics to verify that your RAM is working as it should. Windows Memory Diagnostics cannot perform a repair, but scanning can detect problems and help avoid future attempts to reference damaged memory.

Here's how to run the Windows Memory Diagnostic scan:

on your keyboard Windows logo key Press.
System settings in the search bar Windows Memory Diagnostics " in summer . Click the result.
When the Windows Memory Diagnostics pop-up appears Click on Restart now and check for problems. Click. It will take about 10 minutes for the tool to run tests and check for memory issues.
If error is found Extended testing You may want to run . To do this, start by following steps one through three again.
When your computer restarts, Advanced options to go to the screen F1 Press and hold the key.
Test Mix Go to . Extended Use your arrow keys to go to the test option. F10 to select Press the key. This test will take approximately 30 minutes.
Event Viewer event levels by visiting and reviewing unresolved error log details. Hata ve Warning You can examine the errors in more detail by filtering them to include.

Last resort: Reinstall Windows

If you've tried all of the steps above and can't fix the blue screen, try reinstalling Windows on a formatted hard drive. This is a big step but it will fix the blue error screen issue unless your hardware is faulty.

Unless you have a backup Note that reinstalling Windows will result in the loss of all your files and user data. Don't forget. If you haven't made a backup recently, there are third-party software tools that can help you clone your drive to an external HDD or SSD. You can try using these to back up your private files.

Common Windows stop codes

The blue screen error in Windows often comes with a string of text called a Windows stop code that catalogs the problem. The stop code can help you fix the problem and prevent it from happening again.

Here is a list of some stop codes you are likely to find on a blue screen in Windows 10 or 11:

CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED Error

“CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED” error is a serious type of error encountered in the Windows operating system. This error indicates that a process terminated or crashed unexpectedly. The causes of this error are usually caused by hardware or software problems. Additionally, this code indicates that one of the important system files for Windows (svchost.exe) is not working properly. This error may have occurred because you turned off this function in Task Manager. Before ending an unknown task, Google the name of the process.

SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED Error

This can often happen when an update to a component doesn't interact properly with the rest of Windows. Rolling back a recently installed driver update will likely fix the problem. The “SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED” error is usually caused by driver issues or software incompatibilities. Causes of this error may include faulty drivers, corruption in system files, hardware incompatibilities, or a malfunctioning system service.

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL Error

A system file or device driver requests more memory than is available. Getting good driver update software or running a scan to repair corrupted system files can help with this.

VIDEO_TDR_TIMEOUT_DETECTED Error

This means your GPU has reached its breaking point and cannot handle the volume of data given to it. Either you are overloading it or there is a problem with your graphics drivers.

PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA Error

Your computer is requesting a portion of your memory that doesn't exist because some of the RAM stopped working or there was an error in the system process in question. PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA” error is a serious type of error encountered in the Windows operating system and usually indicates a problem with memory management. Causes of this error include hardware problems, software incompatibilities, memory errors, or driver problems.

SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION Error

This blue screen will show the exact file causing the error, but if it is a system file and not a device driver, you may not be able to fix the problem without reinstalling Windows. The “SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION” error is usually caused by software or driver problems. Common causes of this error include faulty drivers, faulty software, or a malfunctioning system service.

DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION Error

This Windows error message means that an important file with your device or operating system has probably been corrupted. The DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION error is a specific type of Windows Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) that indicates a problem with Delayed Procedure Call (DPC). DPCs are actually tasks scheduled by device drivers to run at a later time. This error occurs when a DPC takes too long to complete, causing Windows to time out and crash.

NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM Error

This error code means there is almost certainly a problem with your hard drive. You can fix the problem and prevent it from causing an error by running a chkdsk scan on your disk. NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM error may occur due to bad sectors on the hard disk or SSD or problems with the file system. You can use Windows' built-in tools to check for disk errors. You can use the “CHKDSK” command or “Disk Processor” for this.

DATA_BUS_ERROR Error

This means that a piece of hardware is not communicating properly with your computer. This may be because it is not installed properly or the component itself is broken or defective. “DATA_BUS_ERROR” is a type of Windows blue screen error and is usually caused by hardware or memory-related problems. The most common causes of this error include bad memory module, memory incompatibility, driver issues, or hardware incompatibilities.