- Your PC ran into a problem
and needs to restart. Any Windows user has seen this screen and read those words at
least once in their life. Most of these users still have no clue what to do about it, though. I've seen the infamous Blue
Screen of Death tons of times and I'll show you eight steps to fixing almost any blue screen, all you have to do is stick around. (logo crackling)
(tranquil music) Three important notes before we begin. First, the Blue Screen of Death is essentially a stop error, which happens whenever
Windows encounters an issue it can't fix without restarting. Second, keep in mind, that no version of
Windows is safe from BSOD, on Windows 10 blue screens are just as much of an issue
as on Windows 7, and below. Lastly, in order to know how to fix the Blue Screen of Death, you need to know what caused it. That's where the error
code that's always included in the blue screen is
coming in so valuable, always make sure you grab that bad boy, and don't forget you can always leave a
like and a subscribed for more informative IT-related content. All right, here goes the first reason for
BSOD, hardware failure. If you've just added some
new hardware, SSD drive, RAM sticks, even something
like an external printer, the incompatibility could cause the blue screen of doom to appear. How'd you fix that? We'll try removing the hardware you just installed
and booting without it. If everything works, we've
got ourselves a culprit. For some of the next troubleshooting moves I'm about to show you, you need to know how to
boot your PC into safe mode. So first, you have to turn your PC off and then on again. While it's still booting, shut it down. Repeat twice more to enter WinRE, Windows Recovery Environment. In there, click Advanced options, then, Troubleshoot,
Advanced options again, and then Startup Settings, now Restart. And once the system is rebooted, press F4 to enable safe mode. This might be very useful if you run into incompatible software, the second most common reason behind the blue screen of destruction. If you've just installed a new app and running it makes BSOD pop out, well, the reason's clear, but what if your software
is in the auto-load queue and before you have a chance
to load your Windows 10, Blue Screen of Death already strikes? That's where the safe
mode comes into play. Once you boot into safe mode, only the most essential
software will load, allowing you to clean the
malevolent apps from your PC. Sometimes, however, BSOD is caused by an unexpected flaw in the hardware, some kind of failure in
the memory of your PC, or even the motherboard itself. I usually use Memory Diagnostic Tool to make sure I know what's going on since it will give me insight
into the state of my RAM. To open this tool while
you're in safe mode, press the Windows key
and R key simultaneously, to open the Run dialogue box. This is where you need to type "M-D-S-C-H-E-D.exe and press Enter. Click on Restart Now
and check for problems. Your PC will reboot and
run a diagnostic test showing you if there
are any memory issues. If you can see some significant
problems in your RAM, there might be no other
solution but to replace it. When the blue screen of disdain strikes, sometimes it's malware that's at fault. And I know there are various ways of dealing with viruses and such, so let me briefly
discuss the things I use. As far as antiviruses go, Bitdefender is one of
my personal favorites. A good firewall, reliable
real-time threat protection, and fast scans. Plus, it's been rated highly
by folks at the AV Comparative, so I have trust in this antivirus. Another great alternative is NordVPN. Its threat protection feature
worked very well for me. Detecting malware in downloaded files and warding off websites
with potential malware risks. I use it a lot in
conjunction with an antivirus for additional protection. So this is my personal combo
versus all kinds of malware. You can take notes if you want. While malware is a possible cause behind the blue screen of despair, it can also be something fairly innocuous, like, I don't know, outdated drivers. It's rather easy to check. Just press Windows + X to
open the Device Manager, and if you see a yellow triangle anywhere, this means a possible driver issue. Right click on the problematic entry and click Update driver. Then choose, Search automatically, and let Windows fix the
blue screen for you. That said, what if a newer driver causes the blue screen of disappointment or a memory issue, or a failure in the system
files that you can't fix? That's when I use FFC Scan, which will go through all
the protected system files and configurations,
repairing them if required. Once again, Windows + R
to open the dialogue box, and type "C-M-D" to launch the command prompt as an administrator, and type in "S-F-C space
forward slash scannow," and don't forget to press Enter. That's about it. Now the scan will slowly
go on its way fixing any issues it's encountered. But okay, now let's say you have tried everything to no avail. The blue screen of dismay just keeps being an issue and at this point, you are
now completely out of options. Well, there are always last resorts and the BSOD case is no different. You can do a System Restore, rolling your system back
to the latest clean state, where everything worked as intended. This state could be pretty
far back in the past, though. If you're feeling confident, there are steps you should take. Click Start, go to Search,
and type "System Restore." In the following menu, choose Open System Restore, and proceed to confirm which date you're going to go back to. Afterwards, finalize the
restore and get it going. That said, if you're gonna
lose too much of a restore and you are not sure if this
will fix the issue anyway, there's one more method, even more, last resort-ish
than the System Restore. It's a Windows Re-Installation. Just back up the stuff you need if you can do that between encountering the
blue screen of dread. Finish by performing a
Clean System Install. If this video was useful for you, please leave a like and subscribe. That would be a huge help for me. In conclusion, now you
know some general cases and how to fix Blue Screen of Death. To avoid future issues with the merciless Blue Screen of Death, Windows 10 users like you and me, need to take good care of
their hardware and software and keep all important systems
in their PC up to date, and for those using earlier versions, I really recommend upgrading. In my experience, older Windows installments
are more susceptible to Blue Screen of Death. Thank you for watching. I hope to see you again soon and make sure to ask if you
have any questions left. (tranquil music)
