How to Fix a Blue Screen on Windows 11
A blue screen (BSOD) on Windows 11? Note the stop code, undo the recent change from Safe Mode, and repair system files. A step-by-step BSOD fix guide.
A blue screen on Windows 11 — the “stop error,” or BSOD — looks alarming but usually points to one fixable cause: a bad driver, a recent update, or failing memory. The first move is not to reboot blindly but to write down the stop code on the screen, then undo the most recent change from Safe Mode.
Read the stop code, then the quick checks
Every blue screen shows a stop code, like CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED or IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL, plus a QR code — note it down, because it is the main clue. Then do the basics: unplug any hardware or USB device you added just before it started, disconnect extra peripherals, and restart. A one-off BSOD after a driver install or a new device is common and often clears on the next boot.
| Stop code | Common cause | First fix |
|---|---|---|
| CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED | Corrupt system file or driver | sfc/DISM, roll back driver |
| IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL | A bad driver | Roll back or update the driver |
| PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA | Faulty RAM or driver | Run mdsched, check RAM |
| SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION | Driver or system file | Roll back driver, sfc/DISM |
Get into Safe Mode and undo the change
If it blue-screens before you can log in, force a shutdown (hold power about 10 seconds) during boot three times; Windows then opens “Preparing Automatic Repair.” Go to Troubleshoot, Advanced options, Startup Settings, Restart, and press 4 for Safe Mode. There, undo whatever changed: uninstall a recent update (Settings, Windows Update, Update history, Uninstall updates) or roll back a driver (Device Manager, right-click the device, Properties, Driver, Roll Back Driver). Our full Safe Mode walkthrough covers each screen.
Repair files and test the RAM
If no single change is to blame, repair the system: in an admin terminal run sfc /scannow, then DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. Test memory with mdsched (Windows Memory Diagnostic), which restarts and scans the RAM — errors there mean a failing or loose stick. For a specific boot-time BSOD, Unmountable Boot Volume has its own steps, and if the trigger was a driver that will not install cleanly, see fixing a driver that won’t install.
Note the stop code, undo the last change, then repair files and test RAM — in that order. Most single blue screens never repeat; a pattern of them points at RAM, heat, or one stubborn driver.
Common questions
My PC blue-screens on startup in a loop — what do I do?
Let it fail three times so Windows opens Automatic Repair, then use Troubleshoot, Advanced options and try Startup Repair, Uninstall Updates, or System Restore. A boot-loop BSOD is almost always a bad update, driver, or corrupt system file.
It started right after a Windows update — how do I undo it?
Boot to Safe Mode or the recovery environment and remove the update: Settings, Windows Update, Update history, Uninstall updates, or in WinRE choose Troubleshoot, Advanced options, Uninstall Updates, Uninstall latest quality update.
What causes random blue screens with no pattern?
Intermittent BSODs usually trace to faulty RAM, overheating, or an unstable driver. Run mdsched for memory, update your drivers, and note whether the same stop code repeats.
How do I find the stop code afterward?
It is on the blue screen itself, and afterward in Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc) under Windows Logs, System, as a BugCheck entry (Event ID 1001). The crash dump is saved to C:\Windows\Minidump.