Summary: Does the blue screen of death error keep popping up in your Windows 11? This article shows you what causes the BSOD problem and how to fix the problem to get rid of the blue screen of death errors on Windows.
The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) error is a blue-colored full-screen error that appears when your system reaches a fatal system error. It causes your system to crash without warning to prevent your data and operating system from further damage.
BSOD is technically a stop error or stop message that was first introduced in Windows 3.0 and continued until Windows 10. However, Microsoft has changed the color of BSOD errors from blue to black in Windows 11. Read this article to learn how to fix the blue screen of death in Windows 11.
Why am I getting a BSOD error in Windows 11?
Before figuring out how to solve BSOD errors in Windows 11, you need to know what’s causing this error. Unfortunately, it is challenging to identify the primary source of BSOD error as there might be several reasons.
The BSOD error doesn’t reveal much information about what is causing your Windows 11 to crash; however, diagnosing and troubleshooting the error may be necessary.
The following factors cause the black screen of death error in Windows 11:
· Hardware conflicts
· Overheating components
· Bad memory
· Corrupted system files
· Damaged installation files
· Faulty operating system
· Outdated device drivers
· A faulty Windows update
How to fix the BSOD error in Windows 11?
The BSOD error is a bit intimidating as it pops without warning and requires immediate attention. Before you do anything to fix the issue, wait for your system to back itself up, which can be seen on the screen.
Once that’s done, it’s time to interrogate your system and implement the below steps to help resolve the issue.
Note: Some of the methods may cause data loss. Hence, if you forgot to back up your system data, use professional data recovery software to recover data from BSOD-affected Windows.
1. Understanding BSOD Error Codes
When you witness the Blue Screen of Death Error, you will first encounter an error code that consists of a mixture of numbers and letters, mainly starting with 0x. This error code is accompanied by a Stop Code that tells the cause of the problem. Knowing what the error code means will help you identify the issue and how to fix it. You can look for the BSOD error code on the Microsoft Support page to understand the error, what triggered it, and if there is a workaround to fix it.
2. Booting Windows in Safe Mode
If the BSOD error appears before the login screen and prevents you from accessing the system, you need to boot it into Safe Mode and try again.
Here’s how to boot Windows 11 in Safe Mode.
- Reboot your system, and as the Windows Logo appears on the screen, reboot it again by holding the power button.
- Repeat this 2–3 times, and after that, your Windows will be forced to load the recovery environment and show ‘Preparing Automatic Repair.’
- Once in the recovery screen, click Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings.
- Click Restart and choose to enable the safe mode to allow your system to start in Safe Mode.
Once you are in Safe mode, perform the following methods to get rid of BSOD error in Windows 11:
Method 1: Update/Rollback/Disable/Uninstall Device Drivers
Try to update, roll back, disable, or uninstall the device drivers to fix the BSOD issue.
· Press Windows + X keys together and select Device Manager.
· Choose a device category and then select the drivers.
· Right-click on the Driver to open Properties.
· Go to the Driver tab and click any options of Update / Rollback/ Disable or Uninstall Driver.
- Once done, restart your system to check if the BSOD error is gone.
Method 2: Use System File Checker
Windows system components and missing DLL files may be the reason behind the BSOD error in Windows 11. Run an SFC scan to fix this error.
· Type Command Prompt in the Windows search box and run it as Administrator.
· Then type sfc/scannow and hit Enter to begin the system scan.
· Wait for the scan to complete and then restart your PC.
Method 3: Run Windows Diagnostic Tool to Eliminate Memory and RAM issues
Use the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to fix corrupted memory and bad sectors in RAM.
· Type Windows Memory Diagnostic in the search bar and click Open.
· Choose the option of ‘Restart now and check for problems.
· Your system will reboot into the Memory Diagnostic Tool, and a basic memory test will run.
· Check the result for errors after completing the test, exit the tool, and boot into Windows.
Method 4: Remove Malware from your System
The viruses or malware in your system can result in causing the BSOD error in Windows 11. Use the built-in Windows Defender to detect and remove viruses and malware from your system.
· Open Windows Security and go to Virus and threat protection on the left pane.
· Navigate to the Scan options and click Full Scan.
· Then select Scan now to start the scanning process. If you see any notorious viruses in the scan result, click Clean threats to wipe them out.
Method 5: Perform System Restore
If a recent modification in your Windows system is responsible for a BSOD error, use System Restore to return to a point when there was no error.
· Type create a restore point in the Cortana search box at the bottom.
· Click Open and launch the System Restore window.
· Select the recent System Restore Point and click Next.
· After confirming the restore point, click Finish. Now you can restart your PC.
Wrapping Up
Microsoft is making many changes to its latest release of Windows 11, and one of them is changing the color of the BSOD error screen from blue to black. However, the reasons for the BSOD error may remain the same — whatever you had updated, installed/ uninstalled, or otherwise changed before your system crashed is probably the cause.
As a result, you have to find methods for troubleshooting the Windows 11 BSOD error. This article helps windows users in this regard.