How to fix the Windows blue screen step by step

Informatec Digital » Resources » How to fix the Windows blue screen step by step

La dreaded Windows blue screen The infamous Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is one of those things that always seems to happen at the worst possible moment: right when you're submitting an assignment, playing a game, or editing a video. Suddenly, the computer freezes, turns blue, displays an error message, and restarts without much explanation. It might seem like a disaster, but the truth is, it can almost always be fixed.

In this guide you will find All the practical ways to fix a blue screen For Windows 10 and Windows 11: from basic steps recommended by Microsoft, Lenovo, Dell, ASUS, and other manufacturers, to advanced diagnostic, repair, and preventative measures. The idea is to have everything that's normally scattered across several official websites in one place.

What exactly is the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) and what is it telling you?

When a BSOD appears, it means that Windows has encountered a critical bug from which it cannot recover. without risk of data corruption. At that point, the system suddenly stops and forces a restart. This is also called a stop error, STOP code, kernel error, or "blue screen of death."

In modern versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11, you will see a message like this: “Your PC encountered a problem and needs to be restarted.”, accompanied by a STOP code such as CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED, MEMORY_MANAGEMENT, INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE, etc. That text and the hexadecimal value (for example 0x0000007E) are the main clue to know what the problem is.

In addition to that text, Windows normally generates a memory dump file (minidump) with technical information about what was happening just before the crash. Technicians and advanced users can analyze these dumps with tools like Windows Debugger to find the root cause.

In Windows 10 and Windows 11, a QR code that links to the Microsoft support page with specific information about that stop error. While it doesn't always provide a magic solution, it's a good starting point if the specific code is uncommon.

Most common causes of a blue screen in Windows

Behind a blue screen there is almost never "bad luck", but a specific hardware, driver, or software problemKnowing what usually goes wrong helps a lot in getting to the root cause.

Official sources and practical experience agree that the typical reasons are physical failures in equipment components: faulty RAM memory, damaged sectors on the hard drive or SSDCPU or GPU overheating, unstable power supplies, or poorly mounted modules.

Another great classic are the damaged, outdated, or incompatible device driversA faulty graphics, network, storage, or audio driver can cause the system to attempt to access memory illegally and trigger a kernel error.

There are also BSODs caused by conflicting or poorly programmed softwareThird-party utilities, security programs, overclocking tools, applications that conflict with the NTFS file system… Even a major Windows update can introduce a one-off bug that causes problems until Microsoft fixes it.

Do not forget about malwareA virus that modifies system files, the boot registry, or certain drivers can cause repeated blue screens or prevent Windows from starting normally.

Main STOP codes and what they mean

The error messages that accompany the blue screen are very useful because They define the type of problemSome of the most common ones in Windows 10 and Windows 11 are:

• PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA (0x00000050)Windows is attempting to access a memory area that does not exist or should not be used. This usually points to... faulty RAM, a problematic driver, or a corrupted NTFS volume.
• IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (0x0000000A)A kernel-mode controller is accessing memory at an incorrect priority level. This is usually related to... faulty drivers or malfunctioning hardware.
• SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION (0x0000003B)A system service throws an exception. This is where the following typically come into play incompatible drivers, software conflicts, or internal Windows errors.
• DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (0x000000D1)A driver attempts to read from or write to an invalid memory address. The suspect is almost always... that specific controller.
• SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (0x0000007E)A system thread throws an unhandled exception. This is often caused by a obsolete or incompatible driver.
• CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED (0x000000EF)A critical system process has stopped working. The cause is usually in corrupted system files or unstable hardware.
• MEMORY_MANAGEMENT (0x0000001A): serious errors in memory management, typically due to faulty RAM or memory corruption.
• INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE (0x0000007B)Windows cannot access the boot drive during startup. This may be due to Incorrect storage controllers, changes in SATA/RAID mode, bad sectors, or MBR/partition problems.
• UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME (0x000000ED)The system cannot mount the boot volume correctly. This is often corrected by... file system repairs and disk checks.
• WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR (0x00000124): Hardware error detected by the WHEA reporting subsystem. It is usually related to temperature, voltage, or damaged CPU/motherboard.
• DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION (0x00000133)A Deferred Procedure Call (DPC) has taken too long. Most often, this is because... problematic storage drivers or third-party controllers.
• VIDEO_TDR_FAILURE (0x00000116 or similar)The GPU stops responding and the TDR mechanism fails to recover it. This indicates problems with graphics drivers or the graphics card itself.
• NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM: points to corruption in the NTFS file system or damaged sectors on the disk.
• BAD_POOL_HEADER (0x00000019)The header of a memory pool has become corrupted. This is often caused by... faulty drivers or low-level software.
• MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION (0x0000009C): Severe hardware error reported directly by the CPU. There is usually physical or energy problems.

Although it may seem like gibberish, You don't need to memorize all these namesThe important thing is that, when you see one on screen, you write it down exactly as it appears so you can look it up in Microsoft documentation, from your PC manufacturer, or in diagnostic tools.

Basic steps to try to fix the blue screen

Before getting into weird stuff, it's worth following a series of simple actions recommended by both Microsoft and manufacturersSurprisingly, many recurring BSODs are resolved with these steps.

1. Remove new hardware and external peripherals

If the blue screen started right after connecting something new, Disconnect everything that is not essential: external hard drives, printers, webcams, USB hubs, etc., and leave only keyboard, mouse and screen.

On desktops and laptops, it's also worth checking if you've added new RAM, an additional SSD, or a PCIe cardIf so, turn off the computer, remove those components, and try turning it on again to see if the system stabilizes.

2. Force shutdown and discharge of residual energy

When your computer gets stuck on the blue screen or freezes, a simple restart may not be enough. A classic trick, recommended by several manufacturers, is to perform a Complete shutdown with residual energy discharge.

To do this, press and hold the power button until the device turns off. Disconnect the power cord or remove the removable battery If it's a laptop, wait a few seconds and press the power button again for 15-20 seconds. Then, reconnect the power and start the PC normally.

3. Check the Device Manager

Once you manage to reach the desktop, open the Device administrator (right-click on Start > Device Manager) and check if there are any devices with a yellow warning icon.

In those cases, first try to Update DriverIf Windows doesn't find anything suitable or the error persists, temporarily disable or uninstall that device to see if the blue screen stops occurring.

4. Make sure there is enough free disk space

Windows and many applications need a margin of free space for temporary files, virtual memory, and maintenance operations. If the disk is almost full, it's more likely to experience crashes and strange errors.

The general recommendation is to try to maintain at least between 10% and 15% of the free diskIf you're running far below that, it's time to clean things up: uninstall programs you don't use, delete large files, or move them to an external drive or the cloud.

5. Keep Windows fully updated

Just because a specific update introduces a bug doesn't mean you should always ignore them. In most cases, The latest versions of Windows include fixes for stability issues and improvements for hardware management.

Go to Start > Settings > Windows Update Then click on Check for updates. Install everything important, and if there are driver updates offered by Windows Update itself, it's usually a good idea to apply them as well (especially if they are for the chipset, storage, or graphics).

6. Reset or restore Windows to a previous state

If the problem started after a major update or program installation and doesn't go away with any of the above, you can resort to the tools of Windows restoration and recovery.

On one side is System Restorewhich lets you revert to a previous restore point (without affecting your documents, but it will affect drivers and system changes). And on the other hand, the options for Reset this PCwhich allow you to reinstall Windows while keeping your files or performing a clean installation.

How to boot into safe mode and work from there

When the blue screen pops up repeatedly after starting Windows, you need to use safe mode to allow for calm investigation. This special boot loads only the minimum system components.

On most modern computers you can force entry to Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) Interrupting the startup three times in a row: turn it on, wait until you see the Windows logo, and hold down the power button until it turns off. On the third attempt, the Automatic Repair screen should appear.

From there, enter Advanced Options > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings and press Restart. In the list of options that appears when you start up, choose the option corresponding to Safe mode with networking (usually F5).

Once in safe mode, the system is usually much more stable, because It does not load third-party drivers or programs.It is the ideal environment for uninstalling problematic applications, rolling back drivers, scanning for malware, or running file and disk checks.

Recommended diagnostic and repair tools

Windows and major manufacturers (Dell, Lenovo, ASUS, etc.) make it available to you several very useful utilities to locate the cause of the BSOD.

RAM memory check

To rule out RAM problems, you can use the native tool Windows memory diagnosticsType it into the search bar, open it, and choose the option to Restart now and check for problems.

The computer will restart and perform a series of memory tests. If errors appear, it is very likely that one of the RAM modules is damagedThe solution involves testing modules one by one or replacing the faulty memory.

SFC and DISM scan to repair system files

If you suspect corrupted system files, use the System File Checker (SFC)Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as administrator and run:

sfc / scannow

This command Analyzes and repairs critical Windows filesIf problems persist, you can supplement with DISM, which repairs the Windows image:

DISM / Online / Cleanup Image / RestoreHealth

It is important that you have an internet connection during DISM, as it may need to download components from Microsoft servers.

CHKDSK and disk check

To evaluate the disk status, uses CHKDSKFrom a console with administrator privileges, first run:

chkdsk

If it detects errors, run a more complete check with repair using:

chkdsk / r

This will mark and attempt to recover bad sectors. On older disks or disks showing signs of physical failure, Repeating BSODs related to NTFS or INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE This is a clear sign that it's advisable to back up your data and plan for a drive replacement.

Event viewer and minidumps

When you want to fine-tune things, open the Events viewer (Search for “Event Viewer” in the Start menu) and navigate to Windows Logs > System. There you can locate critical errors coinciding with the time of the blue screen.

Additionally, in the folder where Windows saves the files minidump (usually C:\Windows\Minidump) will contain dumps that you can analyze with advanced tools like WinDbg. It's not essential for the average user, but for technicians and advanced users, it's invaluable.

Manufacturer-specific tools (Dell, Lenovo, ASUS…)

Many teams include solutions such as Dell SupportAssist, Lenovo Vantage/Support, ASUS MyASUS or other utilities that automate part of the diagnosis.

These tools can run comprehensive hardware testing, blue screen error analysis, search for correct versions of official drivers and, in some cases, even automatically repair damaged Windows installations or launch manufacturer-specific recovery environments.

Boot errors and BSODs before Windows loads

In some situations, the blue screen appears even before you see the desktop. This usually indicates Problems with booting, storage, or firmware (BIOS/UEFI) settings or quick start.

Startup repair using the Windows Recovery Environment

If Windows fails to boot and crashes to a BSOD, you can use the option to Startup repair from within WinRE itself. Remember the trick of interrupting the boot process three times to force entry into the recovery environment.

Once inside, go to Advanced options > Troubleshooting > Advanced options > Startup Repair and let Windows attempt to detect and correct boot problems, damaged boot sectors, or inconsistent configurations.

BIOS/UEFI settings and Intel VMD driver

On modern computers with advanced storage controllers (such as Intel VMD) It is relatively common for the INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE error to appear after a firmware or disk change.

In those cases, many manufacturers recommend entering the BIOS/UEFI settings (usually with F2, Delete or similar when powering on) and change the VMD option or the SATA/RAID controller mode: for example, from RAID On to AHCI or vice versa, or disable VMD if it was previously active.

If you touch these options, it's important note the original configuration In case you need to revert. Incorrect changes can cause Windows to stop recognizing the system drive, so it's best to proceed with caution.

Measures to prevent future blue screens

Once the system is stabilized, the goal is to minimize the chances of the BSOD returning at the worst possible moment. There are several best practices that are consistent across Microsoft and manufacturer guides.

Firstly, it is advisable Keep BIOS and drivers up to dateBut do so from reliable sources: official websites of Dell, Lenovo, ASUS, HP, etc., or using their automatic utilities. Avoid "magic driver packs" from dubious websites.

It is also key to have a equipment well ventilated and dust-freeOverheating is a silent enemy that can cause WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR, MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION, and other hardware errors. Check fans, filters, and, if necessary, renew thermal paste in veteran teams.

At the software level, it's best not to have it. multiple resident antivirus programs running simultaneouslyInstalling two or three security suites simultaneously is a recipe for conflicts, performance drops, and strange errors. Stick with one reliable solution, and if you switch, be sure to completely uninstall the old one.

Another sensible measure is to periodically perform a clean boot (using msconfig, hide Microsoft services, disable the rest, and turn off startup programs) to check if a third-party service is causing instability. From there, you can reactivate elements one by one until you find the culprit.

And of course, don't forget back up your important dataAlthough the BSOD itself doesn't "break" the hardware, the underlying problem can eventually render the hard drive inaccessible. In extreme cases, companies like Ontrack and similar services offer professional recovery, but it's much more convenient and cheaper to have backups already made.

In short, while the blue screen of death is intimidating, it's ultimately Windows' defense mechanism when something goes seriously wrong. With a little methodical approach—removing recently installed hardware, using safe mode, checking drivers, memory, and disk, utilizing diagnostic tools, and keeping up with updates—it's perfectly possible to fix it. restore system stability and minimize crashesHaving these guidelines clear will allow you to react calmly the next time your computer decides to turn blue at the worst possible moment.