Does your PC restart after the Blue Screen of Death (also called BSOD)? If you notice that the blue screen flashed and that your system automatically rebooted before you had time to read anything, we have taken an in-depth look into this problem and ways to fix it.
A Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) also known as STOP Error appears when an issue is so severe that Windows has to stop, completely.
BSOD is usually hardware-or driver-related. Most cases involving the Blue Screen of Death show a STOP code that can be helpful in finding the root cause of the issue.
Ways to Fix a Blue Screen of Death
This guide will apply to any Windows version, including Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.
Think through your recent actions on the computer
Did you install a piece of software or new programs, plug in a new piece of hardware, update drivers, or change the settings? If so, there are chances that the changes you made are probably the reason for the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD).
Undo those changes you affected. Then, test again to see if the STOP error crops up. Depending on what it was that you changed, some solutions might include:
Undo recent changes you made to the registry and driver by starting up with Good Configuration.
- System Restore to undo recent system changes.
- Install updates: Sharing some similarities with Windows Vista, doing the installation of the latest system updates from Microsoft could take care of the errors you encounter in your Windows 7 system.
If Windows Update is not enabled to install the updates by itself, follow these steps to do so yourself:
- Click Start
- In the search box, type “Update”
- From the list of results, pick Windows Update
- Click Check for updates, on the left
- Review any pending updates
- Click on Install updates
Install the most recent device drivers
- Ensure that the latest drivers are installed on your laptop. Head to your computer’s manufacturer and check the driver’s latest version. Most errors involving blue screens can be a result of a driver that is not compatible. You can try to get rid of any recently installed device driver and restart your computer.
- Check for hard disk errors: There are several utility tools on Windows 7 for identifying and handling some errors. You can utilize such utility tools for checking for hard disk or memory issues.
- Check for hard disk issues:
- Hit the Start option
- Head to the Computer section
- The next step is, right-clicking on your main drive, in which Windows 7 or your specific Windows version is installed, and tap Properties
- Go to the Tools tab and at the Error-checking section click Check now
- Choose both Automatically fix file system errors and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors
- Hit Start
Check for memory issues
- Click on Start
- Tick Control Panel
- Enter “Memory” in the search box
- From this list of results, choose to Diagnose your computer’s memory problems
- Follow the ensuing instructions displayed on your screen
Startup Repair tool
You can now manually launch your Startup Repair tool if there a recovery option has been pre-installed on your system, or if you’re the system recovery and repair disk, or the original installation disk.
Note: If Repair your computer option is not listed, it means that your computer does not contain the preinstalled recovery tool. Utilize the original installation disk or a recovery disk.
If you can see that the computer has Startup Repair already, you can continue by
- Ejecting USB flash drives, DVDs, CDs, and others from the laptop
- Restarting your computer
- Pressing and holding the F8 button as your computer boots, right before the Windows logo shows up
- Choosing Repair your computer, at the Advanced Boot Options screen, with your mouse and hit Enter.
- Selecting a keyboard layout and click Next
- At the System Recovery Options window, hitting Startup Repair
If a recovery disk or the original installation disk is available:
- Insert the installation or recovery disk and restart your computer
- Tap on any key to boot from the disk
- Choose your preferred language as well as keyboard layout (if this option is available), and then tap Next
- Continue by clicking Repair your computer, if you are making use of the Windows 7 installation disk
- When the System Recovery Options screen comes up, tap on Startup Repair
Some of the methods shared above may require that you start Windows in Safe Mode. If that’s not feasible, you can skip those steps.
