How to Fix the Blue Screen of Death

David Darlington

Dec 06, 2024 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions

What is BSoD: Blue Screen of Death

The dreaded "blue screen of death" is a computer user's worst nightmare. It is an error that is very hard to deal with and can cause a lot of delay and uncertainty to the owner. There is an operating system error that means Microsoft Windows is not able to display the screen image correctly. When the blue screen appears, it will always be the case that Windows will restart the computer which is nothing that can be done about this. Not all blue screens look the same and the view will depend on the version of Windows being used. There are different types of blue screen error including :

None of the Windows operating systems are safe from the blue screen problem – Windows 95/98, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and even Windows 7, 8, and 10. The Windows crash and stop working when the STOP Error occurs. The only thing that can be done is to switch off the computer and then start again. This may clear the screen, but it also means that anything that has not been saved cannot be saved and will be lost forever.

Part 1: How to Fix Blue Screen of Death

It is not difficult to fix the blue screen of death. Firstly, you will need to pinpoint the STOP code and this will explain the problem. Some computers may just shut down and restart. There are other solutions to show you how to fix a blue screen.

If you have Windows 7, 8, and 10, the best way to troubleshoot and solve a BSOD is via the Action Center. In Windows 7, click Control Panel and access System and Security. In Windows 8 and 10, go to Control Panel, Security, and then Maintenance. The Maintenance area displays various solutions and you should try to pick the right ones.

how to fix blue screen

If you restart your Windows 8 or 10 PC, after encountering a BSOD, each will do this troubleshooting step automatically. You may still open the Action Center to find out if there are more ways to solve the problem.

If your Windows cannot fix itself, look for answers on the internet. Scan the blue screen to track the "Stop Error" code or text. Sometimes it will be 0x00000024 or something like Driver IRQL not less or equal. Search for the specific error on the internet and see if you will get a solution. In Windows 8 and Windows 10, searching for an error online is given as a recommendation.

As BSODs can be triggered by many different things, you can take the following actions too.

Scan for Malware – There could be dangerous malicious software that is causing your blue screen of deaths. If it's there, it could be hiding somewhere in the Windows kernel. The best solution is to scan your PC for malware and delete malware and viruses.

System Restore – If you have encountered a couple of blue screens, you can use System Restore to bring back your Windows software to its original state. If you succeed, the cause of BSODs is software related.

Hardware issues – Faulty hardware in your PC could be triggering your blue screens. Hence, you should test your computer's memory for errors and then examine your computer to ensure it is not overheating. If you cannot test any hardware, get help from an expert technician.

Look for the newest drivers – Go to your PC's manufacturer website and look for updated hardware drivers. Download them on your computer and install them. This can get rid of poorly installed drivers.

Boot your PC into Safe Mode – This is a good troubleshooting route if you get a blue screen each time you try to start your PC. If you boot it in Safe Mode, Windows will load just the most important drivers. If a recent driver installation is causing the blue screen error, it will not cause it in Safe Mode. So you can solve the issue from there. If you can not boot your PC into safe mode, you should find the solution to fix the issues that can't enter Safe Mode in Windows.

Part 2: Blue Screen of Death on Windows

1. Blue screen on Windows 8 and 10

It is always advisable to back up before you start and while this should come automatically there are times when it should be done more regularly – this is one of them.

windows 8 blue screen

Once the screen is where it needs to be removed. Remember what you were doing when this screen appeared and this could identify the software that is to blame. This may make it easy to get your computer working again. The code error should help you decide what to do and you can think about any recent changes you have made to your device.

Finally, you can try updating the drives. Graphics card drivers are often to blame, and uninstalling specific items may get you back on track.

2. Blue screen on Windows 7 and Older

windows 7 blue screen

If you can open windows the following procedures can be tried

Use system restores to undo any recent changes you made.
Look at the action center to see if they have any relevant information.
Try to find a software update that may help.
Look on the manufacturer's website for any drivers you may need.
Always troubleshoot in safe mode.
Look for memory errors and hard disk errors.

If you can't open Windows:

Click on the start button and go to the Action Centre.
Click on the Control Panel then go to System and Security then, Review Your Computers Status.
Click on Maintenance.
Find Check for Solutions to Problem Reports then, Click for Solutions. You will be notified if there are any repairs available at the time.

3. Windows 95 and 98

windows blue screen

To start the repair, you can:

Look for the error code and see if that helps at all.
Here is can be the case that any keystroke will take you back.
Enter is the most suitable one to use.
You can press control, alt, and delete to get back, but this will cost you any information in any applications that happened to be open at the time.

Part 3: What Causes Blue Screens of Death

It is bound to be a problem in the hardware that causes the Blue screen of Death on a computer. If it is not that then the best guess will be hardware driver software. Quite often the issue will be due to low-level software that is running in the Windows kernel. It is very unlikely that it will be a regular app that will be the cause, but on occasions, this could be the case. The operating system will not be taken out through an app crashing so don't waste time looking at them as the cause of the screen.

A STOP error is a catalyst for a blue screen appearing. When it happens there will be a complete crash and Windows will no longer perform. All that will happen is that the PC will restart but the bad news is that it will not save any previously unsaved data as the programs do not get the chance to do this.

One reason can be corrupt files or the loss of data. This can be more expensive to deal with for a company than an individual but it is still best to avert it when you can. If the problem can be solved in the house this will be best but it is not always an option. If a file becomes corrupted you will not be able to open or use it. On occasions they can be repaired, but often will be lost and need to be replaced. Make sure the device does not overheat. If this starts, check out the fan and rectify it.

Poorly written device drivers can also be blamed. As these tend to be made by a third party, they can be prone to bugs and lead to incompatibility with other parts of the screen leading to the BSOD. Faulty memory power also leaves the device vulnerable.

Video Tutorial on How to Fix Blue Screen of Death Error in Windows?

Part 4: Retrieve your Data from Computer Hard Drive

Blue screen generally will cause computer hard drives stoping working and crash. It can lead to data loss if you enforce to restart the PC. When you encounter the "blue screen of death" of your computer and you are not sure how to fix it, you should retrieve your data first. Here we recommended an effective and safe hard drive data recovery program for you. Recoverit data recovery can help you to retrieve important data from the hard drive cause of the crash. Free download and try this computer data recovery tool to recover your data.

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Step 1. First of all, you need to download and install the toolkit on your computer.

Step 2. Now, launch the program and you will be able to see all the recovery options offered by this toolkit.

recover data from blue screen error of death

Step 3. From the main menu, you have to select “System Crashed Computer” to continue with the recovery process.

go to system crashed computer

Step 4. After this, the system will ask you to create a new bootable media drive. It will format the drive and all data stored on it will be removed so remember to keep a back up of the drive data.

recover data from blue screen error of death- step 4

Step 5. The system will launch the process on its own. You are not allowed to eject the storage drive till the completion of the entire process.

Step 6. After the drive is configured, the final step is to restart your computer and enter the BIOS and adjust it to boot from the drive. Now, connect the bootable storage drive with your computer and restart your computer. The data recovery will start from the crashed system.

recover data from blue screen error of death- step 7

So, this was the process to recover data from Blue Screen of Death.

Hence, in this article, we discussed how to fix the Blue Screen of Death. We also discussed the possible fixes to 1033 error. In order to make things easier, we mentioned the best way to recover your data as well (if you lost due to the Blue Screen of Death). We recommend all our readers to use the Wondershare Recoverit toolkit as it is the best and most trusted toolkit that you find on the web.

Lastly, we really hope that you do not panic next time you face the Blue Screen of Death.