Blue screen of death: What is the BSOD? + How to fix it

The blue screen of death (BSOD) is the blue error message that appears after a Windows operating system crash. Follow this guide to learn how to fix the BSOD error in 10 steps. Then, reduce the risk of future crashes by doing routine system maintenance and using an online security solution like Norton 360 Deluxe.

The infamous blue screen of death—it’s graced your screen once again, and the panic sets in. You could restart your device and hope you see your home screen instead of that blue warning message. Or you could get to the bottom of what’s causing the error and fix the issue so the BSOD disappears for good and your computer runs faster than before.

Follow along to learn what a BSOD error means and the most common causes behind it. We have you covered with steps to fix that BSOD error, too, including:

What does the blue screen of death mean?

The blue screen of death (BSOD) is the blue error message that appears after a Windows operating system crashes from encountering a fatal malfunction. Windows stops running to prevent any further damage to the device and its hardware but writes a user dump file (a snapshot of what exactly the system was doing prior to crashing) to analyze the problem that occurred. 

BSOD may also be called:

• Bug check
• Stop error
• Kernel error
• System crash

The blue screen error message may start with: “A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.” The message is meant to warn users that the device is in critical condition and that action is required.

However, a BSOD isn’t always a great cause for concern, though repeat crashes can mean something more severe.

What causes the blue screen of death?

Blue screens of death are often caused by slightly damaged, improperly installed, outdated, or cluttered hardware or by incompatible or glitchy software. 

Signs that hardware caused your BSOD:

• Your device is hot to the touch
• You recently updated your drivers
• Your device is 5+ years old

Signs that software caused your BSOD:

• You were running a graphically demanding game or program
• You recently installed new software that could contain bugs

Though its scary name comes from a so-called “fatal” error, it’s rare that BSOD issues aren’t fixable. When Windows reboots after a BSOD, it automatically troubleshoots the issue to begin repairs. If Windows is unable to fix the issue, the user can troubleshoot by digging into stop codes and following some basic repair steps.

Windows stop codes

For Windows 10 and 11, blue screen errors feature the warning message and stop code describing what happened that’s causing the BSOD. Stop codes are a numerical or text diagnosis of the issue at hand. It may also list the affected file if the bug check is able to identify it. Be sure to write down the stop code before beginning to troubleshoot.

Analyzing the stop code behind a BSOD is the first step in fixing the problem. Some stop codes are more complex and require further debugging, whereas others may just require system updates.

The table below identifies the 10 most common stop codes that appear during a BSOD.

Stop code	Value	Meaning
CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED	0x000000EF	An essential operation is disrupted; use a user dump to identify the root cause
SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED	0x0000007E	Likely due to an outdated or dysfunctional driver; try updating or restoring a previous version as a first solution
KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED	0x0000001E	Indicates malfunctions in the kernel process; debugging requires identifying the exception code
VIDEO_TDR_TIMEOUT_DETECTED	0x00000117	Result of a GPU error, often overloading the display or a broken graphics driver
DATA_BUS_ERROR	0x0000002E	Likely indicates a system memory error; most often a problem with hardware, like incompatibilities, defects, corruption, or configuration
PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA	0x00000050	A systems process is attempting to reach an invalid or nonexistent memory address
IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL	0x0000000A	An operation or software is attempting to reach more memory than it’s allowed, typically a result of bad pageability or pointer
NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM	0x00000024	Indicates a hard drive problem, typically disk corruption within the NTFS driver file
SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION	0x0000003B	Identifies the exact driver or system process that caused the error; debugging requires identifying the exception code
DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION	0x00000133	Indicates DPC watchdog enacted; may be due to an outdated or incompatible driver or corrupt system files

How to fix the blue screen of death on Windows 

Let’s be honest—you could spend hours Googling your BSOD stop code and still be just as confused as when you started. If the stop code indicates a specific source of the crash, you can start by removing the exact file or driver that’s malfunctioning.

Otherwise, unless you’re savvy with analyzing operating systems, try these 10 simple steps to troubleshoot your BSOD error and get your device running smoothly again.

With the BSOD displayed, press and hold your PC’s power button to force a shutdown. Since the system already crashed, it’s too late to stress about saving that project you were working on. The only way to get back to it is by restarting your device.

Before rebooting your computer, disconnect any extra USB hard drives, HDMIs, printers, and so on (besides your keyboard and mouse). It’s possible these devices caused the system crash. 

Attempt to reboot your computer. If it restarts normally, you can enter Safe Mode—a diagnostic version of Windows that only allows essential processes, so it’s unlikely you’ll trigger another BSOD.

You can enter Safe Mode in a few different ways. Here are the two simplest methods:

At the sign-in screen:

1. While holding the Shift key, navigate to Restart from the Power icon.
2. Once it restarts, the Choose an option screen will appear. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
3. After your PC restarts again, you should see a list of options. Select 5 or F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.
    

In settings:

1. Hit the Windows logo key on your keyboard.
2. In Settings, select System > Recovery.
3. Under the Recovery options, select Restart now (next to Advanced startup).
4. After it restarts, the Choose an option screen will appear. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
5. Once your PC restarts again, select 5 or F5 for Safe Mode with Networking from the list on the screen.
    

If the blue screen error continues to appear when restarting your PC, you can bypass it by holding the F8 key immediately when your PC reboots. You’ll then be able to follow the instructions on the screen to switch to Safe Mode.

 Now that you’re in Safe Mode, you can begin to inspect for issues. Think back to what you were doing before the BSOD. If you recently installed a new software program, it could be behind your system crash. In this step, you should delete any recently installed software.

Here’s how to uninstall software on Windows:

1. Hit the Windows logo key on your keyboard.
2. Type “Add or remove programs” into the System settings search bar. Click on the result.
3. Scroll to find the program (and others that don’t seem like they belong) you want to remove. Click on the application name and select Uninstall. 

 

Similar to recently installed software, a fresh driver update may also be the cause. Drivers often update automatically, so you may need to manually check for any that have recently updated. You can do that by looking into each driver’s Properties—a time-consuming but necessary process to uncover and disable the affected driver.
 

Here’s how to review and roll back or disable drivers on Windows:

1. Hit the Windows logo key on your keyboard.
2. Type “Device manager” into the System settings search bar. Click on the result.
3. A list of all your hardware components will appear. Right-click Properties on each one to find which was updated recently.
4. In the targeted driver’s Properties, click on the Driver tab and select Roll Back Driver.
    

To avoid faulty drivers altogether, you can use Norton Driver Updater to automatically scan for updates on outdated, corrupted, or vulnerable drivers. The Driver Updater also offers an easy rollback function with troubleshooting assistance if necessary.

 

A virus or another form of malware could be behind the file corruption of your BSOD error. If this is the case, you’ll need to use an antivirus solution to remove the malware.

Norton 360 Deluxe is a comprehensive antivirus solution that blocks hackers, viruses, malware, and ransomware. It scans the deepest parts of your device to help identify and remove any potentially malicious software or files.

Two scans are important for damage control: an SFC scan and a hard drive scan.

Here’s how to run a System File Checker (SFC) scan, which identifies and repairs damaged or missing system files:

1. Hit the Windows logo key on your keyboard.
2. Type “Command Prompt” (or cmd) into the System settings search bar.
3. Right-click on the result and select Run as Administrator. If prompted, click yes or OK.
4. In the Command Prompt dialogue window, type sfc /scannow. Hit Enter, and the scan will run and complete any repairs on its own.
    

Here’s how to run a scan for hard drive damage:

1. Hit the Windows logo key on your keyboard.
2. Type “Command Prompt” (or cmd) into the System settings search bar.
3. Right-click on the result and select Run as Administrator. If prompted, click yes or OK.
4. In the Command Prompt dialogue window, type chkdsk /r. Hit Enter, and the scan will run and complete any repairs on its own.

A computer’s RAM can degrade over time, which can cause performance issues like a BSOD. You can run routine checks with Windows Memory Diagnostic to confirm your RAM is functioning as it should. Windows Memory Diagnostic can’t perform repairs, but the scan can pinpoint issues and help avoid future attempts to reference damaged memory.

Here’s how to run a Windows Memory Diagnostic scan:

1. Hit the Windows logo key on your keyboard.
2. Type “Windows Memory Diagnostic” into the System settings search bar. Click on the result.
3. When the Windows Memory Diagnostic pop-up appears, click Restart now and check for problems. The tool will take about 10 minutes to run tests and check for any memory issues.
4. If errors are found, you may want to run an Extended test. To do this, start by following steps one through three again.
5. When your PC reboots, immediately press and hold the F1 key to lead to the Advanced options screen.
6. Navigate to the Test Mix option. Use your arrow keys to navigate to the Extended test option. Press the F10 key to select. This test will take about 30 minutes.
7. You can further review errors by visiting Event Viewer and filtering the event levels to include Error and Warning to review any unresolved error log details.
    

If you need to free up RAM space, check out our guide for 15 different ways to clean up your device’s memory.

After running through the potential causes, you may want to exit Safe Mode and reboot one final time to see if the blue screen of death returns. If your device restarts without the intimidating error message, you likely solved your BSOD mystery.

You can now carefully reinstall the programs and drivers you removed or rolled back. Be sure you’re downloading from reputable sources to avoid any bugs or malware. 

If all else fails, try reinstalling a clean Windows version. Before doing so, back up your PC’s hard drive to an external hard drive in Safe Mode if possible. Reinstalling Windows will wipe your hard drive, user data, and files from your PC. This last resort should resolve any BSOD causes.

Avoid future blue screen errors

To avoid the headache of future blue screen of death errors, it’s best to perform regular system maintenance. Try Norton 360 Deluxe to stop viruses, malware, and hackers in their tracks before they become an issue. Help secure your device today so you aren’t faced with a blue screen error again.

FAQs about blue screen of death

Follow along to learn the answers to some common blue screen of death questions.

Does the blue screen of death mean my computer is dying?

Although the stop error is termed “fatal,” a one-off blue screen of death does not mean your computer is dying. It simply means Windows encountered a system error that you should address by running through the steps listed in our BSOD guide.

Does a blue screen mean you have a virus?

A computer virus may be behind a blue screen of death error. To verify, you can run a virus scan with Norton 360 Deluxe after rebooting your device. Norton will identify and remove any viruses that may have caused the BSOD.

Can Macbooks get a blue screen of death?

Yes, Macbooks can get a blue screen of death, though it’s rare. Mac’s version of the BSOD is a blank blue screen that appears during startup. The process to fix a BSOD is similar to Windows.