How to Fix the Windows Blue Screen of Death | Stop Codes and Recovery Steps

A sudden blue screen and forced restart — the Windows Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) can be triggered by a wide range of causes: a faulty driver, failing memory, corrupted system files, or a hardware error. The fastest path to recovery is to read the stop code on screen, use it to narrow down the cause, and work through fixes in the right order. This guide covers every scenario for both Windows 11 (through 24H2) and Windows 10, starting with the quickest checks and working up to a full reinstall.

Table of Contents

1. What is a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)?
   1. Stop Errors and kernel panics explained
   2. Windows 11 may show a black screen instead
2. Common stop code reference table
   1. Stop codes, typical causes, and where to start
3. Start with the basics
   1. Restart and see if it recurs
   2. Think back to recent changes
   3. Disconnect all peripherals
4. Boot into Safe Mode to isolate the cause
   1. Shift + Restart to reach Advanced Options
   2. What to check once you're in Safe Mode
5. Remove recently added drivers or apps
   1. Roll back a driver in Device Manager
   2. Uninstall a recently installed application
6. Apply Windows Update patches and driver updates
7. Repair system files with SFC and DISM
   1. How to run sfc /scannow
   2. How to run DISM /RestoreHealth
8. Run a memory diagnostic
   1. Windows Memory Diagnostic (mdsched.exe)
   2. MemTest86 for a thorough check
9. Check your hard drive or SSD
   1. How to run chkdsk /f /r
10. Use System Restore or roll back to a previous build
11. Analyze the dump file
    1. Quick analysis with BlueScreenView
    2. In-depth analysis with WinDbg
12. Suspect a hardware failure (CPU, RAM, or disk)
13. Reset overclocking and BIOS settings
14. Last resort: reset or reinstall Windows
15. Frequently asked questions
    1. How to look up the stop code after the fact
    2. What to do when BSODs keep repeating
    3. What to do when Windows won't boot at all
16. Summary: recommended fix order by stop code

What is a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)?

Stop Errors and kernel panics explained

The Windows Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) — officially called a Stop Error — is an emergency halt triggered when the OS kernel detects an unrecoverable error. It is the Windows equivalent of a kernel panic on macOS.

There are two main reasons Windows forces this stop. First, data protection: continuing to run in a broken state could corrupt the file system or damage the disk, so Windows shuts down deliberately. Second, debugging: at the moment of the crash, Windows writes a memory dump to disk so the cause can be analyzed later.

The screen displays a stop code — a keyword such as MEMORY_MANAGEMENT — along with its corresponding hexadecimal value (0x0000001A). That code is your starting point for diagnosing the problem.

Windows 11 may show a black screen instead

Starting with Windows 11 22H2, Microsoft changed the BSOD background color from blue to black. You may see it referred to as the "Black Screen of Death," but the underlying mechanism and every fix described here apply equally. The stop code and QR code are displayed in the same way.

Common stop code reference table

Stop codes, typical causes, and where to start

There are over 300 possible Windows stop codes, but a relatively small set accounts for most real-world BSODs. Find your code in the table below to get an immediate starting point.

Start with the basics

Restart and see if it recurs

If this is the first and only time you've seen the BSOD, a simple restart may be all you need. Windows attempts an automatic repair on reboot, so let it restart normally and monitor for a while before taking further action.

However, if the same stop code keeps appearing, there is an underlying cause — work through the steps below to track it down.

Think back to recent changes

The most important question is: what did you do just before the BSOD first appeared? The following changes are the most likely culprits:

• Installed a new driver (graphics, audio, network, etc.)
• Applied a Windows Update, or one was installed automatically in the background
• Installed new software or a game
• Added or replaced hardware (RAM, SSD, graphics card, etc.)
• Updated or changed BIOS/UEFI settings

If you can pinpoint a specific change, reverting it is the most direct fix.

Disconnect all peripherals

External devices — USB drives, external HDDs, printers, external GPUs — can trigger BSODs. Remove everything except the power cable and essential input devices (keyboard and mouse), then restart to see whether the BSOD recurs.

Boot into Safe Mode to isolate the cause

Shift + Restart to reach Advanced Options

Safe Mode starts Windows with only a minimal set of drivers and services. If the system runs stably in Safe Mode, the cause is almost certainly a driver or software issue.

Here's how to enter Safe Mode:

1. Open the Start menu and click the power button.
2. Hold Shift and click Restart.
3. On the "Choose an option" screen, select Troubleshoot.
4. Go to Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart.
5. After the restart, press F4 for Safe Mode or F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.

If Windows won't start at all, the automatic repair screen should appear after a failed boot. If even that doesn't appear, forcibly powering off the PC three times in a row usually triggers the "Automatic Repair" screen.

What to check once you're in Safe Mode

Once you've booted into Safe Mode, do the following:

• Open Device Manager and check for any devices flagged with a yellow "!" icon.
• Open Event Viewer (Win + X → Event Viewer) and review the System log for critical errors.
• Uninstall any recently added drivers or apps (covered in the next section).

Remove recently added drivers or apps

Roll back a driver in Device Manager

If a BSOD started right after updating a driver, rolling back to the previous version will often fix it immediately.

1. Press Win + X and open Device Manager.
2. Right-click the suspect device (display adapter, network adapter, etc.) and choose Properties.
3. On the Driver tab, click Roll Back Driver.
4. If the button is grayed out, no previous version is stored — download an older version manually from the manufacturer's website.

Graphics drivers are among the most common BSOD triggers. If you've recently updated your NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel graphics driver, try rolling it back first.

Uninstall a recently installed application

If a BSOD appeared right after installing a program, uninstall that program and see if the problem goes away.

1. Open Settings (Win + I) → Apps → Installed apps.
2. Select the app and click Uninstall.

Security software and system utilities (PC cleaners, driver update tools, and similar programs) deserve special scrutiny — they run at the kernel level and are a frequent cause of BSODs.

Apply Windows Update patches and driver updates

Microsoft continuously ships fixes for known driver and system bugs. If you're running an outdated build, a well-documented bug may be causing your BSOD.

1. Open Settings (Win + I) → Windows Update.
2. Click Check for updates and install everything available.
3. On Windows 11, also check Advanced options → Optional updates — driver updates sometimes appear there separately.

Conversely, if the BSOD started right after an update, that update may itself be the problem. Go to Update history → Uninstall updates to remove recent patches and see if that resolves the issue.

Repair system files with SFC and DISM

Stop codes like CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED and PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA are often caused by corrupted system files. SFC and DISM can find and repair them. Both tools require an elevated Command Prompt — press Win + X and choose Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin).

How to run sfc /scannow

SFC (System File Checker) scans Windows protected files and automatically replaces any that are damaged.

1. Open an elevated Command Prompt.
2. Type the following command and press Enter:

sfc /scannow

3. Wait for the scan to complete — it typically takes 10 to 20 minutes.
4. If the output reads "Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them," the repair is done.

How to run DISM /RestoreHealth

DISM repairs the Windows system image itself. It's useful when SFC alone can't fix the problem, and running DISM first — to ensure the image is healthy — makes SFC's repairs more reliable afterward.

1. Open an elevated Command Prompt.
2. Run the following commands in order:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

3. After DISM finishes, run sfc /scannow again to confirm the repair.

Recommended order: Run DISM first to restore the system image, then run SFC. This sequence produces more thorough and reliable results than running SFC alone.

Run a memory diagnostic

If you're seeing MEMORY_MANAGEMENT (0x0000001A) or PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA (0x00000050), a physical RAM failure is likely involved.

Windows Memory Diagnostic (mdsched.exe)

1. Press Win + R, type mdsched.exe, and press Enter.
2. Click Restart now and check for problems.
3. The PC restarts and runs the memory test automatically — allow 10 to 30 minutes for it to complete.
4. After the test, Windows boots normally and displays the result near the taskbar.

To check the result later, open Event Viewer → Windows Logs → System and search for MemoryDiagnostics-Results.

MemTest86 for a thorough check

The built-in tool sometimes misses subtle hardware faults. For a more rigorous test, use MemTest86 (free).

1. On another PC, download the MemTest86 image from the official website and write it to a USB drive.
2. Boot the target PC from that USB drive and let the test run.
3. One full pass (testing all RAM once) can take several hours.
4. Any error, even a single one, indicates a RAM problem. Try reseating the sticks or testing them one at a time to isolate the faulty module.

Check your hard drive or SSD

How to run chkdsk /f /r

For BSODs related to the boot drive — especially INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE (0x0000007B) — bad sectors or file system corruption can be to blame. The chkdsk command scans for and repairs these issues.

1. Open an elevated Command Prompt.
2. Run the following command, replacing C: with the drive you want to check:

chkdsk C: /f /r

3. Because the system drive is in use, Windows will ask whether to schedule the scan for the next reboot — type Y and press Enter.
4. Restart the PC; the scan runs automatically before Windows loads (may take a few minutes to over an hour depending on drive size).

/f fixes file system errors; /r locates bad sectors and recovers readable data. On an SSD, you can safely omit /r and just use chkdsk C: /f.

Use System Restore or roll back to a previous build

If you can pinpoint roughly when the BSODs started, System Restore is a powerful option. Windows creates restore points automatically, and you can use one to return the system to a state before the problem appeared.

1. Search for Create a restore point in the Start menu and open it.
2. On the System Protection tab, click System Restore.
3. Select a restore point dated before the BSODs began and follow the wizard.

If BSODs started after a Windows 10 feature update (a major version upgrade), also check Settings → Recovery → Go back to the previous version of Windows — this option is available for up to 10 days after the upgrade.

Analyze the dump file

When the stop code alone doesn't point to a clear cause, the minidump file written at the time of the crash can reveal exactly which driver or module was responsible. Dump files are stored in C:\Windows\Minidump.

Quick analysis with BlueScreenView

BlueScreenView (by NirSoft, free) reads the dump files and presents the results in a clear, color-coded interface.

1. Download and install BlueScreenView from the NirSoft website.
2. Launch it — past BSODs are listed automatically.
3. Click on an event to see the related drivers listed in the lower pane.
4. Entries highlighted in red are the modules most likely responsible for the crash.

In-depth analysis with WinDbg

For a deeper investigation, Microsoft's own debugger WinDbg is available through the Microsoft Store or as part of the Windows SDK.

1. Open WinDbg and go to File → Open Crash Dump, then select the dump file from C:\Windows\Minidump.
2. In the command input field, type !analyze -v and press Enter.
3. Look at the FAULTING_MODULE and IMAGE_NAME fields in the output — they identify the driver or component that caused the crash.

Suspect a hardware failure (CPU, RAM, or disk)

If WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR (0x00000124) or other codes keep recurring after all software-based fixes, a physical hardware failure is likely the cause. Check the following:

• Overheating: Monitor CPU and GPU temperatures with a tool such as HWiNFO64. Typical targets: below 60°C at idle, below 90°C under full load. Clean dust from heatsinks and consider reapplying thermal paste if temps are high.
• Power supply: An underpowered or aging PSU is behind many otherwise unexplained BSODs. Test with a known-good power supply if possible.
• RAM seating: Remove and firmly reseat the memory sticks; try a different slot.
• SSD/HDD health: Check S.M.A.R.T. data using CrystalDiskInfo or a similar tool. A "Caution" or "Bad" status means the drive is at risk of failure.
• Motherboard: Visually inspect for swollen or burnt capacitors.

If no software fix has worked, hardware failure or end-of-life components are the most likely explanation. Consider taking the PC to a repair shop.

Reset overclocking and BIOS settings

Overclocking — running the CPU or memory above their rated speeds — can undermine system stability and cause BSODs. Stop codes such as WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR and IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL are particularly common on overclocked systems.

1. Press DEL, F2, or F10 immediately after powering on (the exact key varies by motherboard) to enter the BIOS/UEFI.
2. Find and apply Load Optimized Defaults or Load Default Settings to reset everything to stock.
3. Save and restart.

Intel XMP and AMD EXPO memory profiles (which run RAM faster than its base spec) also count as overclocking. Disabling these and running memory at its rated DDR frequency often restores stability.

Last resort: reset or reinstall Windows

If you've worked through every step above and nothing has helped, reinstalling Windows is the final option. It reliably resolves software-based causes and gives you a clean foundation to rebuild from.

"Reset this PC" (Settings → Recovery → Reset this PC) offers two paths: keep your personal files or remove everything.

• "Keep my files": Apps and settings are removed, but documents and personal data in user folders are preserved. Try this first.
• "Remove everything": Equivalent to a clean install. Back up your data before proceeding.

If Windows won't start at all, you'll need a USB installation drive. Download MediaCreationTool from Microsoft's website on another PC, create a bootable USB, and use it to run a repair install or clean install from the startup environment.

Frequently asked questions

How to look up the stop code after the fact

If the screen disappeared before you could read the code, there are three ways to find it after the fact.

Method 1 — Event Viewer:
Press Win + X → Event Viewer → Windows Logs → System. Look for events with source BugCheck around the time of the crash.

Method 2 — BlueScreenView:
As described above, BlueScreenView reads the minidump files and lists past BSODs with their stop codes.

Method 3 — Disable automatic restart:
Go to Settings → System → About → Advanced system settings → Startup and Recovery and uncheck Automatically restart. The next time a BSOD occurs, the screen will stay visible so you can read the stop code.

What to do when BSODs keep repeating

If BSODs are happening so frequently that Windows can't stay running long enough to let you troubleshoot, start everything from Safe Mode. If you can't even get into Safe Mode, boot from Windows installation media and use Startup Repair or System Restore from the recovery environment.

What to do when Windows won't boot at all

If Windows fails to start after a BSOD, try the following sequence:

1. Force-power-off the PC three times in a row (or wait for the fourth attempted boot) to trigger the Automatic Repair screen.
2. From there, go to Troubleshoot → Advanced options and try:
   • Startup Repair — Windows attempts an automatic fix.
   • System Restore — Roll back to a working restore point.
   • Command Prompt — Run SFC, DISM, or chkdsk manually.
3. If none of those work, create a USB installation drive and run a repair install from it.

Summary: recommended fix order by stop code

Once you have the stop code, use the table below to prioritize your next steps. When several fixes apply, work from the top down — this order is designed for maximum efficiency.

The stop code displayed during a BSOD is your most important clue. Use BlueScreenView or Event Viewer to retrieve the code, then follow the priority table above. If hardware failure seems possible, consult a repair professional sooner rather than later to avoid data loss.

Windows 11 22H2 and later sometimes display the BSOD on a black background instead of blue, which can blur the line between a true stop error and a plain black screen. If no stop code or QR code appears at all, see How to Fix a Windows Black Screen — the recovery path is different. For other Windows troubleshooting topics, see the Windows Troubleshooting Guide | Solutions by Symptom.