Blue Screen of Death

Filed in archive Information About on November 26, 2009

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You may have heard of, or even experienced the Blue Screen of Death in the past (less-than-affectionately known as BSoD to techies). We're going to explain a little of why that happens and (if possible) how you can avoid it.

The Blue Screen of Death is an error most notably seen on computers running Windows. Its considered a critical or "stop" error because all your programs stop running and shut down. Though to most, getting a BSoD means all your data is lost, this is often the opposite of the case. A BSoD appears to stop any program from running that might completely delete your information.

So what causes BSoD? Often the problem is your hardware not programs, though a virus could certainly do this kind of damage. Usually the problem is with drivers that don't function correctly, meaning the "extras" that you connect to your computer (printers, anything using a usb port, extra graphics or memory drivers). These drivers run little internal programs. The BSoD appears when one of these programs performs an "illegal" operation.

How do we fix a BSoD? First check the hardware, have you recently added something new that is overloading your memory? Is the computer overheating? If it isn't either of these, start looking for a windows diagnostic program. You can download them, usually for free, and they will run a few checks to see what the problem might be. They can also tell you exactly how to fix it (which may be, take it to a shop). A couple of these programs even offer an instant fix button so you can just click "repair now" and be done with it.

Some examples of programs out there: Registry Mechanic by PC Tools or Registry Patrol from Patrol Software Labs.

Have you had an experience with the Blue Screen of Death? How did you fix it?