Can BSoD Be Fixed? 10 PC Saving Methods

BSoD is the Windows ‘Blue Screen of Death,’ which appears when your computer encounters a critical system error and cannot continue without a reboot. It can be alarming the first time you experience the BSoD, but it’s easily fixable.

Fortect helps detect and repair Windows 10 and Windows 11 (also “older versions, like 7 and 8) problems that cause the BSoD. Let’s take a closer look at why it occurs, and how you can use Fortect and other tools to fix it.

What is a BSoD?

BSoD refers to Windows crashes that shut down the entire system before rebooting. It’s characterized by a literal blue screen.

On modern Windows 10 and 11 operating systems, an error message will usually explain that: ‘Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart’ and it will take some time to collect error information.

The screen is designed to prevent further damage to the system and to help users identify and troubleshoot the underlying problem.

However, on older Windows systems or when the error is particularly rare, the screen can be much more confusing, with lots of technical info and error codes for different hardware.

BSoD errors can be caused by a variety of factors, including:

• Outdated or damaged hardware drivers.
• Faulty, badly installed, or failing hardware, such as RAM or your hard drives.
• Overheating of one or more components or poor ventilation.
• Faulty external devices.
• Software conflicts.
• Damaged or missing Windows system files.

In many cases, a BSoD is harmless and may simply require hardware replacement or a few system tweaks. However, viruses and malware can also cause the error and these need to be thoroughly removed.

If you ignore persistent BSoD errors, you could risk data loss!

10 easy ways to diagnose and fix BSoD

When a BSoD occurs, don’t panic. It rarely means your system is permanently damaged. It’s actually a sign that Windows saved your system from damage by shutting it down.

Often, a BSoD is a one-off incident that goes away after a reboot or only reappears under certain circumstances. You should not worry about BSoD happening once.

The first step to fix the problem is to note down the error message and any codes that appear on the BSoD. This can help you identify the cause of the problem and find a solution online. The second step is to reboot and start testing.

Alternatively, Fortect can do all the hard work for you by scanning your system and finding: 

• Failing hardware
• Missing DLLs
• Incompatible drivers
• Other Windows bugs 

All of these could be causing your BSoD and are quickly fixed.

If you go down the manual route, fixing things can be trial and error, but you can follow these steps to narrow down the problem:

1. Windows Event Viewer 

This provides detailed info about system events, including BSoD errors.

Search for ‘Event Viewer’ using the Search bar on your Windows PC and look for any error messages or warnings that occurred around the time of the BSoD.

2. Unplug external devices 

Unplug any external storage devices, peripherals, or other hardware one by one, and then restart the system each time. If the issue is resolved after the restart, the external device may be the cause, and you should check its drivers or contact the manufacturer of that device for further assistance.

3. Windows Device Manager  

Open the Device Manager and scroll through any hardware that has an exclamation error symbol. Here you can learn more about the problem and update the hardware’s drivers.

As you can see in the screenshot, this is a PC that is pretty up-to-date with every piece of hardware. But if you will have any issues with your physical PC parts, it will be displayed with a yellow exclamation mark.

4. Windows Memory Diagnostic 

This native Windows tool checks for memory problems. It works on system restart. Follow its instructions when complete to solve memory-related BSoDs.

5. Run CHKDSK 

Search for CHKDSK in the start menu and run the command to scan your hard drive for Windows file system errors.

6. Remove new hardware 

If you recently installed new hardware, revert to your old setup if possible. If the BSoD disappears, you may have installed the new hardware incorrectly.

7. Perform a system restore 

If you recently made changes to your system, such as installing a new driver or program, you can try using System Restore to restore your system to an earlier point in time when the BSoD wasn’t happening.

8. Scan for Viruses 

Use your favorite antivirus software to scan and remove viruses and malware that may be the cause of a BSoD. 

9. Repairing Windows 

Reinstalling Windows to fix BSoD can work but is not usually necessary. Repairing Windows is a quicker and more efficient method and you also get to keep your software and files intact. 

10. Boot in Safe Mode

If a BSoD is preventing Windows from properly starting, you should boot in Safe Mode with Networking. This loads only a minimal set of drivers and services, which can help isolate the cause of the BSoD error. 

Moreover, Networking allows you to access the internet, which can be useful for downloading updates, drivers, and other troubleshooting tools. You can also safely access your files and data to perform a backup before doing anything else.

To boot in safe mode, restart your system and hold F8. Click Advanced Options followed by Startup Settings. Then select Enable Safe Booting with Network. Your system will then restart.

How does Fortect solve BSoD?

Fortect can get to the root of the problem with one fast scan of your Windows machine. This system-wide analysis checks the Windows registry, missing DLLs, and other common causes of the BSoD. Here is how to run a full repair of your PC to fix the errors that cause the frightful screen of death:

1. Download and Install Fortect on your PC
2. Launch the tool and Start scanning
3. Fortect will find the system files that could be causing PC problems (missing, corrupted, or simply old)
4. Click on Start Repair (after product activation) to start replacing problematic files with working versions from its repository.

By comparing your system’s current state to its database of healthy Windows configurations, it quickly identifies areas to fix. 

Furthermore, it utilizes the Avira antivirus core to scan for malicious software and malware using the latest definitions. This enables you to stop viruses from damaging your system and causing the BSoD.

While Fortect can detect failing hardware, you must still fix or replace the physical components manually if they are causing the BSoD.

Fixing most Windows problems with Fortect is as easy as a click of a button. Get it all over in one go by repairing all or browse areas of interest to fix things at your own pace.

Other variations of SoD

You may encounter several other ‘screens of death’ when using Windows. These include:

Black Screen of Death (BSoD) – When the system boots up, but the display remains black, and the system is unresponsive.

White Screen of Death (WSoD) – When a specific system process or service encounters a critical error and causes the system to crash.

Green Screen of Death (GSoD) – Reserved for Windows Insider Preview builds, when a critical error occurs.

Red Screen of Death (RSoD) – The RSoD Refers to similar crashes on Windows 95 and Windows 98, as well as some beta versions of Windows Vista. It’s not to be confused with the red screen of death PlayStation error of the same name. 

Gray Screen of Death (GrSoD) – This screen appears when a Mac computer running Windows via Boot Camp encounters a critical error.

Nonetheless, the Blue Screen of Death is the most common type of critical error experienced on Windows.

Common BSoD errors and causes

Windows 10 and 11 provide many BSoD error codes. Here are the most common and what they mean:

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL – Caused by a faulty or outdated driver.

SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION – Caused by a problem with a system service.

PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA – Caused by faulty hardware or memory issues.

KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE – Caused by corrupted system files, faulty hardware, or driver issues.

CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED – A critical system process has stopped working properly.

NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM – Issues with the file system, such as corrupted files or bad sectors on the hard drive.

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL – Caused by a faulty driver, faulty hardware, or corrupted system files.

SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED – Caused by a problem with a system thread.

UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP – Faulty hardware, driver issues, or corrupted system files.

It’s worth noting that there are many other types of BSoD errors, and the specific cause of each error can vary depending on the circumstances.

How to Prevent BSoDs?

You can’t always predict a BSoD, but there are ways to reduce the chances of it happening.

Maintain Updates – Keep your operating system, hardware drivers, and software up to date. Always ensure updates are successfully completed and you restart your system when prompted.

Use Reliable Hardware – Use high-quality hardware that is compatible with your system and meets the recommended system requirements. 

Cooling and Ventilation – Ensure your computer is well-ventilated and dust free. Overheating and interference from dirt and debris are one cause of hardware failure and the BSoD.

Overclock Wisely – If you decide to overclock your hardware, use well-known profiles and settings, and never push performance to the absolute limit. 

Perform Regular Scans – Running programs like Fortect on a regular basis can keep your system healthy and clean from junk, broken registry entries, malware, and troublesome software.

In the event of a BSoD error, following the troubleshooting steps outlined earlier can help diagnose and resolve the issue. If in doubt, Fortect will find all common issues.