Troubleshooting Windows Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)

A Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) occurs when Windows encounters a "STOP Error"—a critical failure that forces the system to crash to protect data integrity.

The troubleshooting path depends on whether the system can boot to the desktop or is stuck in a restart loop.

Phase 1: Immediate Triage

1. Capture the Stop Code: The most critical data point is the code at the bottom of the screen (e.g., CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED, 0x0000000A).

2. Disconnect Peripherals: Unplug non-essential hardware (USB drives, printers, webcams). Peripheral driver conflicts are a common cause of boot failures.

3. Cold Boot: Perform a full shutdown and restart. If the error persists, proceed to diagnostics.

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Phase 2: System & Driver Integrity (Desktop Accessible)

If the system boots, use these steps to resolve underlying software conflicts.

1. Analyze System Files (SFC & DISM)

Corrupted Windows system files are a frequent culprit.

• Open Command Prompt as Administrator.

• Run the following commands in order:

  DOS

  dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
  sfc /scannow
  

• Allow the process to complete. If sfc reports it repaired files, reboot and monitor.

2. Driver Management

Focus on GPU and Chipset drivers, which cause the majority of stability issues.

• Update: Check Device Manager for yellow warning flags or download the latest stable release from the manufacturer’s site.

• Rollback: If the BSOD began immediately after an update, use Device Manager to Roll Back Driver for the affected component.

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Phase 3: Recovery Environment (Boot Loop)

If Windows cannot boot, enter the Recovery Environment (WinRE) or Safe Mode.

1. Force WinRE

• Interrupt the boot process 3 times by holding the power button during the manufacturer logo. On the 4th boot, Windows will enter Automatic Repair.

2. Enter Safe Mode

• Navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.

• Press 5 or F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.

• Once loaded, perform the driver uninstalls or system file checks mentioned in Phase 2.

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Phase 4: Hardware Diagnostics

If software remediation fails, hardware failure is probable.

1. Memory Diagnostic

• Press Win + R, type mdsched.exe, and select Restart now and check for problems.

• Any error reported here typically requires physical RAM replacement.

2. Drive Integrity

• Run an elevated Command Prompt.

• Execute: chkdsk C: /f /r

• Reboot to allow the disk check to run.

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Common Stop Code Reference

Stop Code	Potential Cause	Suggested Action
CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED	System file corruption	Run DISM and SFC tools.
MEMORY_MANAGEMENT	Defective RAM	Run Windows Memory Diagnostic.
IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL	Driver/Software conflict	Update drivers or uninstall recent software.
DATA_BUS_ERROR	Hardware fault	Check RAM seating and motherboard connections.
INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE	Storage config/corruption	Check BIOS storage mode (AHCI/RAID) or boot sector.

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