How to Fix Blue Screen Errors
Blue screen errors, or blue screen of death (BSOD) errors, are the most severe errors Windows can encounter. Since Windows can not recover from this kernel level error, a blue screen is displayed with the error details. The error details contain a STOP error code, which indicates the type of error.
There are a lot of possible causes for blue screen errors, but most of them relate to the computer hardware. The cause of a BSOD error can be a temperature problem, a timing error, a resource conflict, hardware failure, a corrupt registry, a virus or simply a device incompatibility or driver error.
How to analyze blue screen errors
The first thing to do to analyze a blue screen error is to check the meaning of the STOP error code. You need to stop Windows from rebooting when a STOP error is encountered. Once the blue screen of death is shown, you can check the meaning of the STOP error code. Together with the filename of the driver or module, this will give an indication of the error cause.
Another option to analyze the cause of the blue screen error is to look at the Windows system event log or to debug the memory dump (minidump) that Windows created when the error occurred. The event log can be viewed using the event viewer. Right-click Computer in the Start menu, and then select Manage. In the Computer Management window select Event Viewer. The information in the event log can be of great help to isolate the cause of the blue screen error.
Within the Event Viewer, use the right-hand pane to create a custom view and select a date range or specific event category to nowwor down the events relating to the blue screen error.
Windows can also be configured to create a minidump of the current state when a critical error happens. Reading the minidump requires a bit more technical knowledge, but Microsoft has tools to read the minidump. Read more about how to analyze Windows minidump files if you want to use the crash dump file to find the cause of a Windows stop error.
The most common cause of blue screen errors
In reality, the most common cause of blue screen errors is a device driver problem. Outdated, incorrect or corrupt drivers can cause the system to encounter a STOP error, resulting in the BSOD.
So the easiest way to try and fix a blue screen error is to reinstall and update your system’s device drivers. This will ensure that all driver bugs are fixed and that all hardware has the correct driver.
If you know which device caused the error, you can update or reinstall that driver first. The file name in the blue screen of death can help identify the driver. Look for a file with the .SYS extension and search for that file name.
If you do not have the drivers for all devices, or are not comfortable updating your PC’s drivers manually, you can use a driver update tool to find, download and update all device drivers for you. Such tools will accurately identify your computer hardware, including any device causing an error, and automatically install the latest drivers for it.
In most cases updating or reinstalling drivers will solve your blue screen errors.
Other causes of blue screen errors
However, if updating device drivers does not fix the blue screen error, there are a number of additional things to try:
- Load the default BIOS values – resource conflicts and timing issues can be caused by incorrect BIOS settings.
- Update the BIOS – especially after adding new hardware or installing a Windows service pack this can help fix issues.
- Update Windows – missing updates, including service packs can be a source of stop errors.
- Check your system – run a virus scan after updating your definition files.
- Run a memory test to check your computer’s RAM. Memory faults can easily cause blue screen errors, so see if your RAM is error free. Vista and later Windows versions have a built-in option to test the memory, for XP you can use a program called memtest86.
- Driver rollback – if you have recently updated a driver, you can use the driver rollback to revert back to the previous driver version.
List of STOP Errors Causing BSOD:
- Stop 0x00000003 UNSYNCHRONIZED_ACCESS
- Stop 0x0000000A IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
- Stop 0x0000001E KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
- Stop 0x00000023 FAT_FILE_SYSTEM
- Stop 0x00000024 NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM
- Stop 0x0000002E DATA_BUS_ERROR
- Stop 0x0000003F NO_MORE_SYSTEM_PTES
- Stop 0x00000044 MULTIPLE_IRP_COMPLETE_REQUESTS
- Stop 0x00000050 PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
- Stop 0x0000006B PROCESS1_INITIALIZATION_FAILED
- Stop 0x00000073 CONFIG_LIST_FAILED
- Stop 0x00000074 BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO
- Stop 0x00000076 PROCESS_HAS_LOCKED_PAGES
- Stop 0x00000077 KERNEL_STACK_INPAGE_ERROR
- Stop 0x00000079 MISMATCHED_HAL
- Stop 0x0000007A KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR
- Stop 0x0000007B INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE
- Stop 0x0000007E SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
- Stop 0x0000007F UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP
- Stop 0x0000008E KERNEL_MODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
- Stop 0x0000009C MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION
- Stop 0x0000009F DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE
- Stop 0x000000BE ATTEMPTED_WRITE_TO_READONLY_MEMORY
- Stop 0x000000C2 BAD_POOL_CALLER
- Stop 0x000000C4 DRIVER_VERIFIER_DETECTED_VIOLATION
- Stop 0x000000CA PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR
- Stop 0x000000CB DRIVER_LEFT_LOCKED_PAGES_IN_PROCESS
- Stop 0x000000CE DRIVER_UNLOADED_WITHOUT_CANCELLING_PENDING_OPERATIONS
- Stop 0x000000D1 DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
- Stop 0x000000D5 DRIVER_PAGE_FAULT_IN_FREED_SPECIAL_POOL
- Stop 0x000000D8 DRIVER_USED_EXCESSIVE_PTES
- Stop 0x000000DA SYSTEM_PTE_MISUSE
- Stop 0x000000EA THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER
- Stop 0x000000ED UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME
- Stop 0x000000F2 HARDWARE_INTERRUPT_STORM
- Stop 0x000000F4 CRITICAL_OBJECT_TERMINATION
- Stop 0x000000FC ATTEMPTED_EXECUTE_OF_NOEXECUTE_MEMORY
- Stop 0x000000FE BUGCODE_USB_DRIVER
- Stop 0xC0000218 UNKNOWN_HARD_ERROR
- Stop 0xC000021A STATUS_SYSTEM_PROCESS_TERMINATED
- Stop 0xC0000221 STATUS_IMAGE_CHECKSUM_MISMATCH
- Stop 0xC0000244 STATUS_AUDIT_FAILED
A complete list of error codes can be found on the Microsoft MSDN website.
Please share your own experiences with blue screen of death errors, including possible solutions. New insights can help others, or maybe we can help you with specific STOP errors.
hi anthony, thanks for the response, ill try to do the advice that you did in comment 37, and i think my BSOD error on my laptop has something to do with my RAM, coz as far as i remember i upgrade my RAM from 512 (2-256) to 1.25 GB, i only change one memory the 256 to 1GB, i didnt replace the other 256 RAM, i think i need to change it too to 1GB so that it would balance the 2 memory, what do you think about it Anthony, thanks in advance
@PingPongPulse – Did you try my advice in comment 37? And try the system scan (sfc /scannow at the command prompt).
@Jolene – What is the error number you are getting?
@Gator – Glad you like the site, hope you found some useful info! And … tell your friends ;)
@jimmyltc – If you are getting the 0x9F stop error, most of the time it is related to a driver not handling the power change state properly. When do you get it exactly? And is there a .sys file name on the BSOD?
@rushi bhatt – That does look like a driver problem. Have you tried updating the driver for your mobile USB cable/phone? Also check the USB settings to make sure it is set to 2.0 and not legacy (1.1).
Another thing to try is to disable the ‘regular’ network device(s) when you use your mobile to connect. So disable the wireless and wired network devices in the device manager.
Regarding sumit puri’s comment, although in general reinstalling the OS will help, I have my doubts regarding your scenario, and it is rather time consuming.
Hi Rushi,
One of the best resolution to fix any fatal error is to reinstall Operating System. As far as bsod is concerned you can try to do system restore from safe mode but it works rarely. U can also try and updated drivers for your computer.
Sumit Puri
hiii…anthony… i got follwing error when i am connected to net from mobile via USB cable…….
STOP : 0×0000007E (0×C0000005,0×AA96A28F,0×F66525F4,0×F66522F0)
help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi! Anthony and guys, sorry if I missed out any information, how about the BSOD error message: ‘DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE’? Any idea what is this about and how to resolve this issue? (Do you think it is related to NVIDIA or Window Vista SP2)?
Tks.
Anthony my hat is off to you my good man. This site of yours is full of great advice and is easy to understand. I found it by one of the best mistakes I have ever made and it has made thing so much easer for me. I love the fact that you do not need a degree in computers to understand it and the answers are in a easy to follow layout. You have put a lot of hard work and fore thought into this and for that I want tio thank you very much. You are truely a good man. Thanks again.
Hey Anthony! Although I download the BIOS and updated it, I still have problems D:
What to do?
hi anthony, after reading the thread about the BSOD you’ve been a great help to everybody, now i need your help too, im having a BSOD too on my sony vaio, and it shows:
IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
stop: 0x000000A (0xFF1711F2, 0X0000000, 0X804D6B64)
so what do you mean by this error, this is my problem for a quite a while now, im almost give up fixing my laptop, but when i found your forum i told myself why i dont try one more time so pls help and thank in advance!
PPP
@Sumit Anand – As mentioned in comment #103, stop error 0x000000F4 in combination with the value 3 in the first parameter often means a disk problem, so make sure you run a full disk scan in Safe Mode.
One other option is a CMOS battery problem, you can go in the bios and try loading the default settings to see if that helps.
Hi Sumit,
If you are able to work in SAFE MODE, then u can connect a pendrive or external hard disk and can take the backup of all the existing data. That should not be a problem. After backing up everything u can carry on with the recovery process.
Hey..
I am facing a BSOD error::
STOP: 0*000000F4 (0*00000003, 0*82CED598, 0*82CEP70C, 0*805D1142)
IT THEN STARTS WITH THE DUMP OF PHYSICAL MEMORY COUNTS TILL 100 AND REBOOTS.
I AM USING WINDOWS XP ON LENOVO R6 MODEL. I AM ABLE TO RUN WONDOWS IN SAFE MODE.
PLS SUGGEST THE SOLUTION SO THAT I DONT LOSE MY DATA.
PO
@mist – You can try repairing your registry with Microsoft’s instructions for this problem: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545
One other option is to install another installation of Windows on your system (different partition or at least different folder), and then access the files from there. This way you create a multi-boot configuration with 2 Windows XP instances.
Last option is to take you hard disk and put it into a different (working) computer and access the files from there.
ok i have an error bsod ..c0000218 {Registry File Failure} The registry cannot load the hive (file): \SystemRoot\System32\Config\SOFTWARE or its log or its alternate. It is corrupt, absent, or not writeable. Please someone help me!
I cannot get into safemode..I get an error lass and then it goes and i get an error that says xp cannot use safemode restart on exit…I can however get into the bios I set it back to default settings..didn’t help..my comp keeps going back to restart and loading files on blackscreen…is there anyway I can save my files pics etc without going into safemode?
@ayanami-x – The technical info page in the memtest86 website shows you how the error will be reported. If that is what you see, you should indeed change your RAM. You can try exchanging them if you you have multiple memory modules, but most likely one of them will have a problem in that case.
@deafbiz – If you have a BSOD problem you would want to solve it, wouldn’t you?
If you laptop can still start, make a backup of important data. But the steps that are explained are all focused on finding the cause and right solution, they would never damage you laptop to an extend that you won;t be able to recover it. Reinstalling Windows is always a (last) option.
Hi Anthony…
I am very glad Ive come across your blog, in fact I am thrilled….I will put it to work as soon as.
I have had the shock of facing BSOD for the very first time yesterday!
Before I go and start to tackle the issue on my laptop, I would like you to reassure me that it is OKay to go ahead and sort out the problem…finding solution and fixing it etc.
Without the fear of damaging and losing my laptop altogether?
Will await for your go-ahead
Jackie
now it says memory_management on BSOD :/
hi Anthony!, i downloaded and burned the .iso memory test and had my laptop booted from the memory test cd. it shows errors while its running then restarts when the scans completed (100%). does this confirm that its a faulty ram?
@ayanami-x – This could indeed be because of a RAM problem. Easiest way to confirm is to run a memory test.
Random error can also mean virus problems, so make sure you run a full system scan with an updated antivirus software as well.
Hi, im having BSOD error DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL then i booted to safe mode and while im backing up my files the BSOD appeared again and says PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA. seems to me like errors are shifting. is it because of a faulty ram? what is the easiest fix that i can do? :/
please advise. thanks in advance =)
@Hamid – If you can not repair the Windows installation with the repair from the CD, then there are not many options. Reinstalling Windows XP completely is the best option to ensure you and up with a clean installation (make sure to backup any data you might need and then do a full format before reinstalling).
HI,excuse me for say this problem here.
i setup DeepFreez in my system without any knowledge ,after reboot i try to unistall Alcohol120% ,in during have 2 error but i push ok button without read it,it was to reboot and i push yes,now have a blue screen Error PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA and reboot,in safe mode too.i rapair winxp from cd,but still have it problem
what must i to do?
plz help me stright command.
@Jolene – That issue seems to be related to a NVidia/sound problem and is also related to the PCI-e bus. The most common solution is the BIOS. Try loading the default BIOS settings, and if that does not work, check if there is a BIOS update for your computer and update.
@Quint – Stop error 0×000000F4 in combination with the first parameter can mean a disk problem or a CMOS problem.
Run a “chkdsk /r” in a command prompt to check the disk(s).
Depending on your motherboard, you could try also removing and replacing the CMOS battery (older motherboards), or resetting the CMOS using the instructions in PC manual.
Hey Anthony,
I’m getting the BSOD. Not sure why. Here is what is says:
“A problem gas been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.
A process or thread crucial to your system operation has been unexpectedly been exited or terminated.
If this is your first time you’ve seen this Stop error screen, restart your computer. If this screen appears
again, follow these steps:
Check to make sure any new hardware or software is properly installed. If this is a new installation,
ask your hardware or software manufacturer for any windows updates you might need.
If problems continue, disable or remove any newly installed hardware or software. Disable BIOS memory
options such as caching or shadowing. If you need to use Safe Mode to remove or disable components,
restart your computer, press F8 to select Advabced Startup Opyions and then select Safe Mode.
Technical Information:
*** STOP 0x000000F4 (0x00000003, 0x8779A020, 0x8779A194, 0x80SFAF28)
Beginning dump of physical memory
Physical memory dump complete.
Contact your ststem administrator or technical support group for further assistance.”
Please help!
These are the problem details.
Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: BlueScreen
OS Version: 6.0.6001.2.1.0.256.6
Locale ID: 18441
Additional information about the problem:
BCCode: 124
BCP1: 00000000
BCP2: 86830028
BCP3: B2000018
BCP4: 02000E0F
OS Version: 6_0_6001
Service Pack: 1_0
Product: 256_1
Files that help describe the problem:
C:\Windows\Minidump\Mini091309-02.dmp
C:\Users\s9441099a\AppData\Local\Temp\WER-278524-0.sysdata.xml
C:\Users\s9441099a\AppData\Local\Temp\WER47E8.tmp.version.txt
Hello. I have a fujitsu tablet pc and ever since i bought it, i have been experiencing Bluescreen for about 3-4 times already. I am using Windows vista. Anyways, all i managed to see when it became bluescreen was 0×000000124. Do you have any idea what could have cause this problem?