Saturday, April 9, 2011

How to Fix the Blue Screen of Death Quickly

By Nathan TylerYou'd think that being a common problem there'd be complete guide out there on how to fix blue screen of death error messages, but there isn't. Usually the fault lies with an application incompatibility such as an invalid device driver, but unless you know the exact cause, it's often a shot in the dark. Often tracking down the source of the blue screen problem is the most challenging.
Writing down the BSOD stop message is a challenging task in itself, since you have a limited amount of time before Windows reboots on its own accord. Unless you've got a photographic memory or lightning quick handwriting then you're going to have to write it down bit by bit. The simple answer of course is to stop Windows from automatically restarting. This is done by locating the 'Startup and Recovery' menu in My Computer, and un-checking the function for automatic restart.
Disabling the auto-restart function will give you the time you need to jot down the error code. Although what you've written down appears to be a bunch of random numbers and characters it should give you hints on the source of the problem. As nice as it would be, blue screen error codes don't actually give you the precise fix. What's more, each stop message might represent a number of different problems.
A win32k sys blue screen for example, might be caused by a faulty hard drive or conflicting device driver. Similarly, when one sees an atapi sys blue screen, the reason could be due to a rootkit, or CD emulator that's causing a conflict. Usually it can take a while to locate and fix the source of the error since codes aren't always specific enough.
With so many different causes for BSOD error codes it can feel a little overwhelming to repair your computer without expertise. It's not cheap to have a computer specialist to analyze and fix your computer, but it's a possible option. But armed with your error code you may just find help online, perhaps from someone who's had the same error message and found a solution.
In most instances, blue screen crashes can be fixed without taking it to a PC repair shop. You might be tempted to install your entire PC, but you might be better off doing some quick checks first. A number of free diagnostics tools are available that will scan the hard disk for problems. Also, check that any hardware installed isn't loose and is as it should be.
The registry and system files are prone to attacks and invalid entries. Your computer should be regularly scanned for viruses and malware. If the BSOD started occurring after an update, roll back the update and see if this helps. Malware can reveal itself after an update has been installed. Other reasons might be due to bad installation or removal of applications.
Over time a computer's performance can drastically reduce and this is often due to a bloated registry. You might experience programs freezing, puzzling error messages among other issues. Removing unwanted and temporary files as well as defragging your PC regularly will help to avoid problems. Furthermore, running a diagnostics and cleaning tool regularly can help remove or repair faulty files. You may just find that one of these methods is how to fix blue screen of death.

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