Fix the blue screen of death

General

If your system crashes and shows a blue screen (geeks call it a “blue screen of death”) it could be caused by any number of issues, however here’s a few ideas that might help stop the problem.

Symptom: PC crashes and reboots. A blue screen error is displayed.

A blue screen error appears and displays a cryptic message when the operating system on a computer encounters and unrecoverable error. Then the system restarts.

Cause: Blue screens are caused by poorly written programs, malfunctioning drivers or corrupt or untidy registries.

There are lots of reasons why a blue screen error occurs on a system. They include:

  1. A bad driver that malfunctions. Drivers are piece of programming that help Windows work with a piece of hardware such as a video card, printer or webcam.
  2. Bad physical memory. Faulty RAM will cause blue screens.
  3. Corrupt DLLs (dynamic linked libraries). These are libraries of tools that programs call on to achieve tasks. A system error scanner may help. See Error Doctor in the tools below.
  4. Faulty registry. A registry is a filing cabinet where Windows keeps all kinds of settings. When a registry is full of junk or bad settings, this can cause a blue screen error. See registry scanner in the tools below.
What can I do to fix it?

Diagnosing a blue screen can be difficult. But let’s deal with the causes one at a time:

  • Look for update drivers for your video card and other key components. Often, the blue screen message gives a strong hint about the driver that needs updating. Read it carefully. Also scan your whole system for driver updates with on of the driver scanners below.
  • Scan your registry with a registry cleaner. See Registry Booster below.
  • Check your physical memory with a RAM tester and replace it if needed. See below.
  • Use a diagnostic tool. See Error Doctor below.
What tools can I use?