The Blue Screen of Death, officially known as a stop error or bug check, is a critical system error screen displayed on Windows computers when the operating system encounters a problem it cannot recover from without risking data loss or hardware damage. This is often referred to as a ‘blue screen error’. It’s called the “Blue Screen” of Death because of its distinctive blue background, though the exact appearance has changed over different Windows versions.
.jpg) |
| Fix Windows 10 Blue Screen Error (Step-by-Step) |
When a BSOD occurs, Windows automatically creates a “minidump” file containing information about the crash and saves it to the disk. Stop code errors are often displayed on the blue screen, indicating serious issues that caused the system to shut down or restart unexpectedly. The system then restarts to prevent further issues.
1. Shut down the PC that showed the BSOD
Press and hold the power button until the computer powers off. It’s okay to do this because the whole point of shutting down properly is to allow the computer to save all temporary data. It’s too late for that if the system’s already crashed — the only way to proceed is to force a shutdown.
- Hard disk corruption or failing storage media: Damaged sectors or corrupt file systems can trigger BSODs.
- BIOS/UEFI misconfiguration: Incorrect firmware settings can prevent proper hardware-OS interaction.
- Outdated Windows operating system: Running older, unpatched Windows 10 versions exposes the system to known bugs and compatibility problems.
2. Disconnect all USB devices except for the mouse and keyboard
Remove all external devices like hard drives and printers. These peripherals and their drivers might be the cause of the error.
- Remove any new hardware. If you added new hardware to your PC before the error, shut down your PC, remove the hardware, and try restarting.
- Start your PC in safe mode. If you're having trouble restarting, you can start your PC in safe mode. See Start your PC in safe mode in Windows 11 for details. From safe mode, you can try the remaining troubleshooting steps.
- Check the Device Manager. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager. Check to see if any devices are marked with the exclamation point (!). Right-click the device and select Update driver. If updating the driver doesn’t help, try disabling or uninstalling the device.
- Check for sufficient free space on the hard drive. The operating system and some applications require sufficient free space to create swap files and perform other functions. Based on the system configuration, the exact requirement varies, but it's a good idea to have 10% to 15% of free space available.
- Install the latest Windows 11 Updates. To check for updates, select Start > Settings > Windows Update , then select Check for updates.
- Restore Windows 11. If none of these steps help, try restoring Windows 11 using a system restore point, or one of the other options listed at Recovery options in Windows 11. Choose the recovery option that most closely matches your scenario.
Tips to Help You Fix the Windows 10 Blue Screen Error
- Note Your Windows Blue Screen Stop Code.
- Try Specific Troubleshooting for Your Error Code.
- Check for Windows and Driver Updates.
- Run a System Restore.
- Scan for Malware.
- Test Your Computer Hardware.
System restore
Access troubleshooting tools
- Open Windows Settings
- Navigate to Update & Security
- Select Troubleshoot, then Additional troubleshooters
- Locate “Blue Screen” from the available tools list
- Launch with administrator privileges • Right-click the troubleshooter • Select “Run as administrator”
- Verify system requirements • Check available disk space for dump files • Verify that Windows is fully updated • Document any recent system changes