Data Protection: Diagnosing BSOD

The STOP Error, or the Blue Screen of Death, will appear when your Window system encounters a critical problem that it can’t recover from and requires a restart to fix. A BSOD is never a cheering sight because we might never have any chance to save our data before the system forces itself to a reboot. 

Undesirable as it is, a BSOD is a warning sign that there is something critically wrong with the system or hardware and our attention is needed. Most BSOD shows a STOP code that points to the root cause of the STOP Error. You can search the STOP code online for more detailed information. In WIN7 or higher, you can also look into the Action Center for the detailed error message and possible solutions.

Troubleshooting a Blue Screen of Death

1. Make sure all the components and cables are firmly seated. It may seem too obvious but loosely connected components can cause random blue screens. Reseat the RAM, hard drives, and other cables to test the BSOD again.

2. Did you just install something new? It can be a new program, a new piece of hardware, or a driver update. There is a good chance that the most recent change is causing the problem. Uninstall the changes in Safe Mode or restart the computer with Last Know Good Configuration.

3. Did you notice unusual fan noises and your computer being overheating? A broken fan or poor ventilation may cause overheating problems. CPUs are designed to automatically shut down to prevent physical damages if the computer is severely overheating. It may be because the ventilation fans are experiencing mechanical failures or dust is clogging the filter. Read more about computer overheating and solutions.

4. Scan the system for malware and viruses. Virus infecting the Master Boot Record or boot sector may prevent the system from a normal startup, resulting in the blue screen.

5. Reset/update the BIOS. False voltage or memory settings can be the cause of blue screens. If you are overclocking the CPU, downscale the frequency to a normal level to avoid overheating or CPU core voltage problems. Set these options to a default value to check again.

6. Diagnose the hardware. Failing hardware like RAM card or hard drives is likely to cause STOP error. Check the error code to see if it points to any specific hardware, or run different diagnostic tools to figure out which one is causing the problems. Replace the failing part once you are done to check if it solves the BSOD.

You don’t have to worry too much if your should have a rare occasional Blue Screen. It may be caused by minor bugs or hardware issues. Nothing can run flawlessly forever. But if you are experiencing the BSOD on a regular base, then something is wrong and you should probably take some actions to solve it.