How to troubleshoot blue screen errors

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Introduction

How to troubleshoot blue screen errors

2. Resolution

A blue screen error (also called a stop error) can occur if a problem causes your device to shut down or restart unexpectedly. You might see a blue screen with a message that your device ran into a problem and needs to restart

If you are experiencing a black or blank screen error, see Troubleshoot black screen or blank screen errors for more info 

You can take SeeSupport to better guide the customer as remote connection won't be available

On this page, we’ll take you through a series of troubleshooting steps to try and help you figure out the cause of the blue screen error and how to resolve it. 

The steps in this article are intended to help troubleshoot common stop error codes, such as the following:

• CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED
• SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
• IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
• VIDEO_TDR_TIMEOUT_DETECTED
• PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
• SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION
• DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION

• You may also receive hexadecimal error codes, such as 0x0000000A, 0x0000003B, 0x000000EF, 0x00000133, 0x000000D1, 0x1000007E, 0xC000021A, 0x0000007B, 0xC000000F, and more.
• This article doesn't contain a list of all error codes, but since many error codes have the same potential resolutions, your best bet is to follow the steps below to troubleshoot your blue screen error

3. Error after update is Installed

Some blue screen errors might occur after a specific update is installed on your device. If you get a blue screen error after an update, try to fix the error by uninstalling recent updates. 

To do this, you'll need to sign in to Windows using safe mode. Safe mode starts Windows in a basic state, using a limited set of files and drivers and allows you to perform troubleshooting steps.

Before you enter safe mode, you need to enter the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE ). Here’s how:

1. Hold down the power button for 10 seconds to turn off your device.
2. Press the power button again to turn on your device.
3. On the first sign that Windows has started (for example, some devices show the manufacturer’s logo when restarting) hold down the power button for 10 seconds to turn off your device.
4. Press the power button again to turn on your device.
5. When Windows restarts, hold down the power button for 10 seconds to turn off your device.
6. Press the power button again to turn on your device.
7. Allow your device to fully restart to enter WinRE.

Now that you are in WinRE, follow these steps to take you to safe mode

If you’ve encrypted your device, you’ll need your BitLocker key to start in safe mode 

1. On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
   
   

1. After your device restarts, you'll see a list of options. The preferred option is to select 5 or press F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.

Once your device is in safe mode, follow these steps to uninstall the recent update in Control Panel:

1. In the search box on the taskbar, type the control panel, and then select Control Panel from the list of results.
2. Select Uninstall a program under Programs. If you’re using Large/Small icons View, Select Uninstall a program under Programs and Features.
3. On the left-hand side, select View installed updates, and then select Installed On to sort the updates by their installation date to view the latest updates.
4. Right-click the update you want to uninstall, and then select Yes to confirm.
5. Note: Some updates won’t give you the option to uninstall.
6. Select Restart Now to completely uninstall the update.

If you need to exit safe mode, here's how:

1. Press the Windows logo key  + R.
2. In the Open box, type msconfig, and then select OK
3. Select the Boot tab

1. Under Boot options, clear the Safe boot check box

4. Error while using the Device

It's not always obvious what may have caused a blue screen error while you are using your device, it may be that you're using new hardware or third-party software that isn't compatible with your Windows device. Use the following troubleshooting steps to try and fix your blue screen error.

Uninstall third-party software 

Some third-party antivirus software has been known to cause blue screen errors. You can temporarily uninstall this software to determine if it is causing your issue, and then reinstall the software after your device is back up and running.

To do this, you'll need to sign in to Windows using safe mode. Safe mode starts Windows in a basic state, using a limited set of files and drivers, and allows you to perform troubleshooting steps.

Before you enter safe mode, you need to enter the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE ). Here’s how:

1. Hold down the power button for 10 seconds to turn off your device.
2. Press the power button again to turn on your device.
3. On the first sign, that Windows has started (for example, some devices show the manufacturer’s logo when restarting) hold down the power button for 10 seconds to turn off your device
4. Press the power button again to turn on your device.
5. When Windows restarts, hold down the power button for 10 seconds to turn off your device.
6. Press the power button again to turn on your device.
7. Allow your device to fully restart to enter WinRE.

Now that you are in WinRE, follow these steps to take you to safe mode

 If you’ve encrypted your device, you’ll need your BitLocker key to start in safe mode 

1. On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
   
   

1. After your device restarts, you'll see a list of options. The preferred option is to select 5 or press F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.
2. Once your device is in safe mode, select the Start  â€¯button, then select Settings  â€¯> System â€¯> Apps & features.
3. Select Sort by name and change it to Sort by install date.
4. Select the third-party software you want to remove, and then select Uninstall.
5. After you uninstall the third-party software, restart your device

If you need to exit safe mode, here's how:

1. Press the Windows logo key  + R.
2. In the Open box, type msconfig, and then select OK.
3. Select the Boot tab.
4. Under Boot options, clear the Safe boot check box

If you're still seeing a blue screen error, try rolling back, disabling, or uninstalling the recently installed drivers.

Rollback, disable or uninstall drivers

If you recently installed new drivers, you can roll back, disable, or uninstall them to determine if that's what's causing your issue. 

First, make sure  your device is in safe mode, and then use Device Manager to either rollback, disable, or uninstall drivers

You must have administrator privileges to rollback, disable, or uninstall a device or driver package by using Device Manager 

Rollback third-party drivers 

1. In the search box on the taskbar, type device manager, and then select Device Manager from the list of results.
2. In Device Manager, expand the device that has the driver you want to roll back, right-click the driver under the device, and then select Properties
3. Select the Driver tab, and then select Roll Back Driver > Yes

If the Roll Back Driver option is unavailable, Windows doesn't have a previous driver to roll back to and you won't be able to complete this process 

If you weren't able to roll back your driver or if you're still seeing a blue screen error, try disabling the driver.

Disable third-party drivers

1. In the search box on the taskbar, type device manager, and then select Device Manager from the list of results.
2. In Device Manager, expand the device that has the driver you want to disable, right-click the driver under the device, and then select Properties.
3. Select the Driver tab, and then select Disable device > Yes.

If you're still seeing a blue screen error, try uninstalling the driver.

Uninstall third-party drivers

1. In the search box on the taskbar, type device manager, and then select Device Manager from the list of results.
2. In Device Manager, expand the device that has the driver you want to uninstall, right-click the driver under the device, and then select Properties.
3. Select the Driver tab, and then select Uninstall > OK

• You may need to select Delete the driver software for this device in the Confirm Device Removal box, and then select Uninstall > OK.
• With some devices, you may have to restart your device to complete the uninstall process

If you're still seeing a blue screen error, try uninstalling removing your external hardware.

Remove external hardware

Sometimes, your device’s external devices can be the cause of blues screen stop errors. Unplug any external storage devices and drives, docks, and other hardware plugged into your device that isn’t needed for basic functionality, and then restart your device.

If you don't experience the issue after restarting your device, the external device may be the cause of the problem, and you'll need to contact your device manufacturer for support