Repairing Windows Blue Screen Of Death Errors
One call I receive repeatedly from clients is how to correct Windows Blue Screen of Death errors. Blue screen failures are so widespread even Microsoft founder Bill Gates experiences these infamous stop errors.
Unfortunately, so-called BSOD errors are among the most difficult computer issues to quickly diagnose and repair. Typically Blue Screen of Death errors, which are blue screens that display stop error codes in white text, result from hardware problems. These hardware problems are usually due to one of the three following factors:
1. A hardware component, such as a display or other peripheral, is no longer operating within acceptable parameters. As a result, Windows does not know how to properly communicate with these devices and ceases operations abruptly when trouble occurs.
2. A software driver becomes corrupt or malfunctions. Software drivers are programming code that instruct Windows how to communicate with a hardware device. If these drivers become corrupt or otherwise compromised, Blue Screens of Death can result.
3. A new hardware device isn’t properly configured. If new hardware is improperly installed or configured, Windows systems can generate blue screen errors.
Troubleshooting blue screen of death errors involves much trial and error. In my personal experience, tracking the stop error codes actually displayed within the blue screen error message often proves misleading. In many cases, another failed component begins a chain reaction of failures. Unfortunately, the blue screen stop error code is often the last item that fails, not the actual element that began the string of errors resulting in the crash.
For more on troubleshooting BSOD errors, check out Ed Bott’s writings on the subject. You can read them here.
