**How to Fix the Windows 11 Blue Screen of Death, step-by-step guide **

The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is scary: your PC freezes, a blue screen appears, and Windows reboots (or sits there showing a QR code and a stop code). Breathe. BSODs are almost always fixable. This guide walks you through clear, practical steps — written like a helpful person at your side — so you can find the cause and get your PC working again.

Quick safety notes (do these first)

Back up your important files now if you still can — copy documents, photos, and anything critical to an external drive or cloud.

Write down the stop code you see on the blue screen (example: DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL, PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA). That code is a key clue.

If Windows restarts too fast to read the screen, disable automatic restart:

Search Start → View advanced system settings → Startup and Recovery → Settings, uncheck Automatically restart.

How to use this guide

Work top-to-bottom. If one step fixes it, great — stop there. If not, continue. I’ll point out which steps are safe for beginners and which require a bit more confidence.

Step 1 — Collect the basic clues

When does the BSOD happen? On startup, during gaming, when connecting a USB device, or randomly?

Has anything changed recently? New software, Windows update, driver install, RAM added, GPU installed. New changes often point to the culprit.

Record the stop code and any driver name shown on the screen.

Step 2 — Prevent Windows from automatically restarting (so you can read the message)

If the PC reboots before you can note the stop code:

Open Start, type sysdm.cpl, press Enter.

Go to Advanced → Startup and Recovery → Settings.

Uncheck Automatically restart. Click OK.

Next time the crash happens you’ll be able to note the exact message.

Step 3 — Boot into Safe Mode (safe testing environment)

Safe Mode runs Windows with minimal drivers. If the BSOD doesn’t appear in Safe Mode, the problem is likely a driver or third-party app.

Two easy ways:

A. From Settings (if Windows boots):

Settings → System → Recovery → Advanced startup → Restart now.

After reboot: Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart → Press 4 to enter Safe Mode.

B. If Windows won’t boot normally: On boot, force three failed starts (turn off as Windows begins to load). On the next start, choose Advanced options → Troubleshoot → Startup Settings → Safe Mode.

Step 4 — Check Event Viewer & Reliability Monitor (look for errors)

Open Event Viewer (press Start and type Event Viewer). Look under Windows Logs → System for Error or Critical entries at the time of the crash. The entry often references a driver or service.

Open Control Panel → Security and Maintenance → Reliability Monitor to see a timeline view of crashes and the components involved.

This helps target the problematic driver or update.

Step 5 — Undo recent changes (quick tests)

If you installed software, a driver, or hardware recently:

Uninstall the new program (Apps & features) or roll back the driver in Device Manager: right-click device → Properties → Driver → Roll Back Driver.

If you added RAM or a new GPU, reseat it (turn off PC, unplug power, remove/reinsert components) and test with the old configuration if possible.

Step 6 — Update Windows and drivers (common fix)

Windows Update: Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates.

Drivers: Open Device Manager (Start → Device Manager). For important devices — display adapter, network adapter, storage controllers — right-click → Update driver → Search automatically.

For laptops and prebuilt desktops, prefer the manufacturer’s support page for drivers (they often have tested drivers for your model).

Note: If a driver update made things worse, roll it back (Device Manager → Properties → Driver tab → Roll Back).

Step 7 — Run System File Checker (SFC) and DISM

Corrupted system files often cause BSODs. Run these from an elevated Command Prompt (Start → type cmd → right-click → Run as administrator).

sfc /scannow

Let it finish. If it finds and repairs files, restart and test.

If SFC reports issues it can’t fix, run:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

After DISM completes, run sfc /scannow again.

Step 8 — Check the disk with CHKDSK

Disk errors can cause crashes:

Open an elevated Command Prompt and run:

chkdsk C: /f /r

This may schedule a check on next reboot — allow it and let it run. It can take a while.

Step 9 — Test your RAM (Windows Memory Diagnostic)

Bad RAM is a frequent BSOD cause.

Press Start and type Windows Memory Diagnostic, run it and choose Restart now and check for problems.

The PC will reboot and run the test. If it reports errors, you likely have faulty RAM — replace the failing module.

For advanced testing, tools like memtest86 exist, but the built-in diagnostic is an easy first pass.

Step 10 — Temperatures and power

Overheating or unstable power can trigger BSODs.

Check vents and fans: Turn off, unplug, open (if you’re comfortable) and remove dust. Make sure fans spin.

Laptop: Use it on a hard surface, not on a blanket.

Power: If you have an unreliable power supply (older desktops), that can cause crashes — swap testing or professional check recommended.

Step 11 — Analyze minidump files (optional, helpful)

When Windows crashes it often creates small dump files at C:\Windows\Minidump. You can check those files’ dates to match crashes.

Windows Event Viewer and the Reliability Monitor show crash details.

For deeper analysis you can use Microsoft debugging tools (this is more advanced). If you don’t want to dive in yourself, record the stop code and the driver name (if any) and search or ask for help with those exact terms.

Step 12 — If drivers are suspect: uninstall & reinstall

Use Device Manager to uninstall a device (right-click → Uninstall device), then reboot — Windows will try to reinstall a driver.

If the built-in driver keeps failing, download a driver from the device or PC manufacturer and install that. For graphics cards, get drivers directly from the GPU maker or laptop vendor.

Step 13 — System Restore or Reset (when software fixes fail)

If the BSOD started recently and you can’t find the exact cause:

System Restore: Search Start for “Create a restore point” → System Protection → System Restore and pick a restore point from before the problem began. (Restores system files/settings, not personal data.)

Reset this PC: Settings → System → Recovery → Reset this PC. You can try Keep my files first. This reinstalls Windows and can remove problematic drivers/apps.

Step 14 — Hardware checks and advanced steps (when software steps don’t help)

If all software fixes fail, suspect hardware:

Test one RAM stick at a time if you have multiple modules.

Swap the GPU or use integrated graphics if available.

Test with another drive (clone/replace) if disk errors persist.

Power supply in desktops: if unstable, it can cause random crashes — have it tested or replaced. If you’re not comfortable with internal hardware work, a reputable computer repair shop can run diagnostic hardware tests.

Common BSOD stop codes and what they usually point to

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL — usually a driver (bad or incompatible).

PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA — often bad RAM, driver, or disk issue.

KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED — driver or software problem.

SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION — driver or system service issue.

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL — typically driver problems, sometimes faulty hardware.

(Stop codes are diagnostic clues — always pair them with Event Viewer logs and recent changes to narrow it down.)

Preventive habits to reduce future BSODs

Keep Windows up to date.

Install drivers from official manufacturer pages, not random sites.

Keep backups of personal files.

Avoid overclocking unless you know what you’re doing.

Keep your PC physically clean and cool.

If you add hardware, test thoroughly before declaring it permanent.

When to get professional help

You suspect failing hardware (RAM, PSU, motherboard) and aren’t comfortable swapping parts.

You need data recovered from a failing drive.

You tried the steps above and BSODs persist without clear cause. A good technician can run component-level tests and give a hardware diagnosis.

One-page quick checklist (fast triage)

Note stop code + message.

Disable automatic restart; reproduce crash to capture code.

Boot Safe Mode — does the crash happen? If not, driver/app likely.

Run sfc /scannow → DISM /RestoreHealth.

Update Windows and critical drivers; roll back recent drivers if needed.

Run chkdsk C: /f /r and Windows Memory Diagnostic.

Inspect Event Viewer / Reliability Monitor for the offending driver or service.

System Restore or Reset Windows if necessary.

Hardware tests or professional service if software fixes fail.

Final thoughts

Blue screens are not fun, but they’re nearly always solvable. Start with the stop code and the simplest checks (Safe Mode, SFC, drivers), then move to disk and memory tests. Keep calm, take notes, and work methodically — that’s the fastest route to a healthy PC.