Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)

Symptom

The computer crashes to a blue screen with an error message and restarts unexpectedly, sometimes repeatedly.

Possible Causes

• A faulty or incompatible driver, especially after a recent update.
• Failing or incompatible RAM.
• Overheating hardware.
• A corrupted system file or a failed Windows update.
• A failing hard drive or storage device.
• Incompatible or faulty peripheral hardware.

Step-by-step Resolution

1. Note the exact error code shown on the blue screen (for example, "IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL"), or find it later in Reliability History or Event Viewer.
2. Check whether the crashes started right after a driver or Windows update, and roll it back if so.
3. Disconnect any recently added peripherals or hardware and see if the crashes stop.
4. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic to rule out faulty RAM.
5. Check the drive's health status and run a disk check.
6. Update graphics, chipset, and network drivers to the latest stable versions.
7. Check for overheating: confirm fans are spinning and vents aren't blocked, especially on laptops.
8. Run System File Checker (sfc /scannow) to repair corrupted system files.
9. Confirm the device runs stable for a period of normal use before returning it to the user.

When to Escalate

• The same error code recurs after driver rollback, memory testing, and a disk check.
• Memory Diagnostic or the disk health check reports an actual hardware failure.
• The crashes happen so frequently that basic diagnostics can't complete.
• The issue started after a Windows feature update and affects multiple devices, suggesting a broader compatibility problem.

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Still stuck? Submit a ticket and reference this article. The agent will already know what steps you've tried.