How to fix Blue Screen Errors

So you’re just working, relaxing, or having a bit of fun on your computer, and then suddenly the screen flickers, dies, and turns blue. You freak out-oh no! You’ve encountered the Blue Screen of Death! Now what do you do? What about all the progress you made that will be erased? But do not panic; the Blue Screen of Death is better than its alternative, which is severe damage to your operating system and computer due to a critical error. Instead of allowing such damage, the computer creates the Blue Screen of Death and then shuts down-consider it a good thing!

On Windows operating systems based on Windows NT (such as XP and Vista) the Blue Screen of Death (also known as a stop error) is usually caused by hardware or device drivers malfunctioning, or, if the central processing unit (CPU) of the computer is physically hit, the system might restart and the blue screen may appear. The major causes of the blue screen are mostly physical; for instance, if there is a voltage spike or a power supply unit incorrectly matched to the main voltage supply, or if parts of the computer overheat, then the blue screen displays so that the computer can shut down to avoid further damage. Software problems can, however, also cause the blue screen.

Many times, the Blue Screen of Death will appear once and then after the restart, all your troubles will be gone. More often, though, there is likely to be more trouble in the future, along with more and more blue screens until you want to scream in frustration. But don’t worry, there are many ways to prevent and solve blue screens, and this article will detail some of them to relieve your irritation at the computer, and save your money from being spent at the computer repair shop.

The first thing you want to do is make the blue screen stay for long enough that you have time to copy down the error message, so that you’ll be able to troubleshoot. Most of the time, the blue screen will appear before restarting the computer immediately. However, changing a few settings on your computer will solve that. In Windows XP, you can right click on My Computer, and then go to Properties at the bottom of the panel that appears. Click on the “Advanced” tab and then under “Startup and Recovery”, hit the “settings” button, which should open up a new window that allows you to uncheck “Automatically Restart” under the “System Failure” area.

Then, reboot in safe mode and see if it loads correctly; if safe mode works fine, then it is likely a software or driver error that is causing your problem, and you may need to update your drivers. If safe mode does not work correctly, reboot the computer again and hit F8 to get to the advanced options menu; then, select “last known good configuration” to return windows to the last start up that worked. If everything works fine after this step, then you can consider your critical system error to be solved!

Q. What are Windows blue screen errors?

A. The dreaded blue screen of death as it is called in programming circles can be incredibly frustrating. You’ll be tooling along on your computer and suddenly everything will stop and all you will see is a blue screen. While this doesn’t happen a lot, when it does, it can be extremely frustrating if not terrifying if you’re not used to this kind of error. There are several reasons that the blue screen error can occur.

Q. What commonly causes blue screen errors?

A. By far, the most common reason that you’ll see a blue screen is because something happened to the components inside your computer. Usually, it means that there was a voltage spike that occurred, and that something inside your computer has been destroyed. In some cases, a device may simply not be functioning properly and may have a temporary issue that causes the blue screen to appear.

Q. How do I fix a blue screen error?

A. First, power off your computer and let it sit for a few minutes. Now, turn it back on. If everything sounds ok and the computer is working as normal, then it was simply a passing error that is no longer an issue.

However, if your computer will not start or if there is a bigger problem at work, the blue screen will reappear. In bad cases, you may be able to start up but the blue screen will chronically interrupt you.

When this happens, it is a sign that your components are damaged. Turn off your computer and unplug it. Press the power button for a few seconds in order to discharge any remaining electricity. Now, open it up carefully and look inside.

If you see anything that has melted, smoking or appears to be very warped, that is most likely the issue. If you don’t see any damage, but the inside is very hot, then you managed to avoid the worst, but you will need to take special care to avoid this in the future.

Voltage spikes are quite common and if you are not using a power strip, they can destroy the inside of your computer. If it is a brief spike, you may get away with just some overheating and no real damage. However if it is prolonged, then you will have melting, smoking and massive destruction inside your computer. Any damaged parts will need to be replaced before you can use the computer again.

Q. How do I prevent this from happening again?

A. Always use a power strip to protect your computer from voltage spikes. They can occur even in new homes, so it is best to be cautious. If you have known problems with your electricity, it is best to avoid the outlets in your home that are known offenders for spikes. With the proper power strip, you can really minimize the amount of damage done to your computer. Most now have protection plans that will replace your equipment if a voltage spike causes damage when the strip was used properly.