What is the Blue Screen of Death

The blue screen of death or BSOD or blue screen of doom or, more technically, the stop error is an error screen displayed by operating systems, mostly Windows when it encounters an error that does not allow it continue functioning and the OS has to shut down to avoid subsequent damage.


If you've operated on Windows you will see it frequently. It looks like this:

The characteristic bright cobalt blue is where the name comes from. This error screen appears due to the OS encountering a problem that hampers its functioning. There are various factors that can irk the OS enough to put up this screen, like:

  1. Hardware Errors: A hardware malfunctioning or being ejected or removed while still in operation can cause a stop error. It can also happen if your hardware is not supported by the OS.
  2. Software Errors: Any problem with your software can cause this.
  3. Installation: The installation of Windows XP is a very 'vulnerable' time for stop errors, especially if your hardware configuration has a problem.
  4. Random Causes: These can be system overheating, defective system memory, or a dead hard drive and the error message can appear very sporadically.
  5. During Start-up: BSOD can also occur while the OS is booting due to corrupted system files or hardware resulting in Windows not booting at all.

The whole experience is often denoted as the computer 'crashing'. However, such 'crashing' and the appearance of the BSOD is more common with Windows 95 and 98 and it hardly appears in Windows NT, 2000 or XP.

Solving Blue Screen of Death Errors

Since there are so many causes for a BSOD to appear, there are also as many ways of solving it. The basic approach however, is the following:

Start Windows normally: If the BSOD appears while booting, you will mostly be led to a troubleshooting section and given the option to 'start windows normally'. Select this and continue working. Safe Mode: If Windows does not start normally, restart your PC from the CPU. When the memory counting takes place, press F8 repeatedly and you will be taken to a list of booting options. Select 'Start windows in Safe Mode'. Safe mode will correct stop error caused due to software or driver errors. Once you've started the PC in safe mode, you could correct the software or driver problems that are causing the stop error Restore last known good configuration: If windows does not start even in safe mode, restart your PC and again press F8 repeatedly during memory counting. This takes you to the Windows Advanced Options Menu (from where you chose safe mode). Select 'restore last known good configuration' and Windows automatically starts in the last known configuration that worked. This should mostly fix your problem.

If the screen continues to appear intermittently, it could very well be due to any software or hardware that you recently installed. The BSOD screen itself may give you an idea of why it is appearing. If you're still not able to figure out what you could do, then it might be a good idea to seek help. Windows can throw up the BSOD for many funny reasons, which are better known to others with more experience than you.