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Blue screen of death: Here are all the reasons why Windows 10 could have crashed

Windows 10 users are often frustrated with the blue screen of death, but there are ways to fix it (Image: GETTY MICROSOFT)

Microsoft dropped a bomb on Windows users last month. The infamous blue screen of death, which usually displays a sad emoji and the message “Your PC has encountered a problem and needs to restart. We’re just collecting some error information, and then we’ll reboot for you” will look like dramatically different. Yes, the iconic blue screen goes black!

As different as it looks, the blue/black screen of death won’t go away anytime soon. PC users will know whichever high specification laptop you are using or however careful you are you will surely come across this fatal error message every once in a while.

While Windows 11 upgrades can help fix some of these issues, we’re confident they won’t fix them all. So there’s no better time to wrap up the reasons why you might be starting at Microsoft’s most terrifying error screen right now.

What is the blue screen of death?

First, what does the blue… or black screen of death mean? Essentially, BSOD means that your computer encountered a fatal error. It appears when your PC is shut down right away to prevent the problem from damaging the entire operating system.

Everything from apps and programs to networks will be shut down and all your unsaved data will be deleted. In short, it is an emergency brake that brings everything to a halt.

Why am I seeing it?

The BSOD should display an error code, which can give you clues as to what went wrong. Once you’ve figured out what caused your PC to shut down and crash catastrophically, you should be able to fix it. However, these error codes are not always easy to decipher. For example, you will see: BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO, PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGE_AREA, or CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED.

To help non-techies understand these jumbled codes, we’ve rounded up some common reasons why you’re staring at a blue screen.

  1. Not enough space on your system drive. Running out of memory can cause your computer to crash if it can’t complete the action it was doing.
  2. Faulty device drivers. If you just added or updated a driver for a mouse, keyboard, or other piece of hardware, this is likely the cause. A new device may not be compatible with Windows 10 at all, which means you will have to replace it.
  3. Buggy new program. New programs can trigger the BSOD in the same way as device drivers. They may not run on Windows 10 or may have caused a bug in the system.
  4. Hard drive is damaged. This can happen when your system is halfway through a process, such as saving a file, or loses access to the file altogether. It can often lead to data loss and is more common on older, heavily used computers.
  5. Antivirus software. Sometimes PCs come with several pre-installed, but this can cause collisions. For most personal use, you really only need one – Windows’ own Defender tool may suffice.

  6. Outdated firmware. Mit Patel, Director of IT Company netstar, explained, “Firmware is essentially a bridge between your software and hardware. Your operating system is constantly being upgraded through patches, and what happens is that the hardware can become obsolete relative to that software. , you may need to update your firmware every three to six months.” Depending on your PC, this may mean agreeing to automatic prompts or checking for updates yourself.
  7. BIOS misconfiguration. BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System, which your PC uses to start up the computer. An outdated or poorly configured BIOS version can trigger the BSOD when you turn on your PC.
  8. Outdated Windows operating system or a problem with a Windows update. New Windows updates may cause problems with existing programs on your PC, while older versions may no longer be supported by Microsoft.

Ultimately, prevention is the best cure. Patel said laptop users today are used to just closing the lid instead of restarting their machines. This can cause serious problems in the long run.

“One of the problems with closing the lid is that the operating system doesn’t actually refresh,” Patel says. “You should turn it off and then turn it back on…at a minimum, maybe every few days or once a week, you should reboot your device.

“Yes, it can take 10 seconds to boot at the start of the day,” he added. “But trust me, you’ll save 10 seconds in multiple amounts by just not being slow, or never having that blue screen to begin with.”

READ MORE: Windows 11 Brings Controversial Change to 30-Year-Old Design… And People Are Not Happy

How can I fix the blue screen of death?

As you can see from the list above, the error screen is most likely caused by a recent change to your PC. So it makes sense that the simplest solutions are all about undoing the state your computer is in.

Unplug all your devices

“Sometimes the error can be caused by devices you have connected to your laptop or PC, such as a USB stick, mouse or webcam,” Patel said. “The first thing I would do is take all those things out of your laptop and turn it off by holding the power button for 10 seconds. Then turn it on and see if it actually turns on – this will probably solve 25% of the problems.”

Delete unnecessary files.

This step should work if BSOD is running out of space on your hard drive. Microsoft recommends keeping a minimum of 100 MB free, but even more is better: up to 10% of your total disk space should be empty for everything to run smoothly.

Open Windows in Safe Mode

Safe Mode is a way to help you troubleshoot your apps and programs by turning off parts of your PC. It is useful when you need to uninstall device drivers and Windows 10 updates without reactivating the BSOD.

You can enter Safe Mode by holding down the power button while turning on your computer. Repeat three times to activate the advanced boot environment.

Then go to “Startup Settings” and click “Restart”. Once the reboot begins, press “F4” or “4” depending on your keyboard. Once you are in safe mode, you can safely uninstall the troublesome program or driver.

Check your updates, drivers and third-party apps

Both downloading new updates and never updating programs and drivers can cause problems with your PC.

Go to your computer’s settings to check for new Windows updates. Click “Update & Security” and then “Windows Update”. Select ‘windows update’ and follow the prompts.

If you just updated an existing program, follow these steps instead. Open the Control Panel and go to the “Programs” section and then click on “Uninstall a program”. Select “Installed updates” and choose the most recent one. Or you can click “Uninstall” to remove the app completely.

For unreliable drivers, go to “Device Manager” and click on the device causing the problem. Right click to uninstall or select “Properties” to revert the driver to an older version. Be careful though – Patel warns that it can be difficult for users to make sure they don’t delete something important.

Use System Restore to undo changes

If you’ve added something to the software that made it falter, everything will be returned to its original state – new drivers, updates, and apps will be removed.

You can access System Restore in the same way as System Restore – by restarting the computer three times. In the menu that appears, you will find Advanced options. Select this, then click “System Restore” and choose a restore point just before the blue screen appeared. But be warned – it will delete EVERYTHING on your PC. Make a full backup before following this step.

Reinstall Windows 10

Something of a nuclear option, but a clean install should fix most errors – in fact it’s almost an Elixir of Youth for your PC, which could make it run even faster. You can do this before upgrading to Windows 11 to ensure no errors are caused during the upgrade. Like System Restore, this WILL delete any data that has not been backed up. It can be a long process, so check out the steps in This article start.

Finally, when in doubt, call in the experts. Making a wrong step can make the problem worse or delete your data accidentally. Patel recommends looking for local repair technicians with a brick and mortar store and good Google reviews, as you’ll likely need to drop off the laptop in person. When should you ask for help? “It depends on how frustrated you get,” Patel said.

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