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How to Fix Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) and Recover Lost Data?

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InfoSec Write-ups

8 min readJan 23, 2025

As seasoned Windows users, we’ve all been there. You’re working on your computer when suddenly a blue screen with a sad emoji appears, followed by the error message, “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. We’re just collecting some error info, and then we’ll restart for you.”

You guessed it right. We’re referring to the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) error that caused Microsoft to experience a global outage on July 19, 2024, disrupting services across various sectors, including media, banks, and logistics.

What Does the Blue Screen of Death Mean?

The Blue Screen of Death (BSoD), also known as a STOP Error, or Bug Check is a critical warning message displayed by the Windows OS when it encounters a fatal system error and crashes. This prompts your computer to restart abruptly, which may result in data loss as the running programs are unable to save their data.

When a BSoD occurs, it displays a Stop Code — either in text or hexadecimal, e.g., 0x00000024 (NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM) — that helps you identify the underlying issue. There are about 270 such stop codes; an exhaustive list containing the most common ones and their meanings can be found here.

Understanding BSoD Stop Codes

BSoD stop codes provide important information related to the causes behind the error. Here are some common error codes:

0x0000000D: EXCEPTION_DOUBLE_FAULT
0x0000001E: KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
0x0000002E: DATA_BUS_ERROR
0x0000000A: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
0x000000D1: DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

Understanding these codes can help you pinpoint the source of BSoD and take proper measures to fix it.

Common Causes Behind the Blue Screen of Death

A BSoD can be caused by a string of hardware and software issues that prevent Windows from operating safely. It can be triggered due to software-related issues, like incompatible or outdated drivers, or hardware-related problems, such as overheating caused by an overclocked CPU/GPU. Here, we’ll list the most prominent causes:

Hardware Issues

Incompatible or failing hardware
Power supply issues
Malfunctioning RAM
Overheating components

Software Issues

Incompatible software
Outdated or incompatible drivers
Damaged system files
Code errors

While most instances of BSoD are not overly concerning unless they occur frequently, regular maintenance can circumvent a blue screen of death, ensuring your PC continues to operate efficiently.

Initial Steps After Facing Windows Blue Screen on Your Computer

It is crucial to find the root cause of the BSoD error your computer is facing. Here are some tips to help you get underneath the issue:

Step 1: Precisely recall the activity you were engaged in just before the blue screen occurred. Whether it was running a certain program, gaming, editing a document, or watching a video, narrowing this down can hint at the root cause of the error.

Step 2: Monitor your PCs temperature; excessive heating suggests poor ventilation, which can further lead to hardware damage and trigger Windows blue screen.

Step 3: Disconnect additional hardware, like external drives, headsets, or USB devices as faulty devices or their drivers can cause BSoD on your system.

Step 4: If your computer does not boot on its own, give it a few minutes before restarting it manually.

After Rebooting Your Computer

In case you can successfully boot your computer, use the following methods to further diagnose the cause of the BSoD error:

Step 1: Note the details shown on the screen. Windows lets you disable the automatic restart function, giving you ample time to read the error message on your screen. Just go to File Explorer, right-click This PC, and select Properties. Now, navigate to Advanced System Settings > Startup and Recovery > Settings, and under System Failure, deselect Automatically Restart.

Step 2: Windows automatically creates “minidump” file that contains information about the crash and saves it to the disk. Note the stop code when the blue screen comes up again. For Windows 11 users, it’s displayed at the bottom of the screen.

Step 3: Use the gathered information to analyze the cause of the crash. A simple web search can help you with this.

Troubleshooting BSoD Error on Windows 11

There are a variety of solutions to address the Blue Screen of Death on computers running Windows 11. To effectively resolve the BSoD error on your system, proceed as follows:

Initiate a Hard Reset

When facing a BSoD error, perform a hard reboot of your device to fix any startup issues. Press and hold the power button until your system shuts down.

Step 1: Unplug the power cord or, if you’re using a laptop, remove its battery.

Step 2: Hold the power button for 15–20 seconds to discharge any residual power.

Step 3: Plug the power cord back in or reinsert the battery, try restarting the computer and see if it boots successfully.

Reboot in Safe Mode

Safe Mode operates as a minimal version of your usual Windows OS, running only the necessary processes that significantly reduce the risk of another BSOD, thus providing an opportunity to diagnose the issue. To restart in Safe Mode:

Step 1: Power on your PC as usual.

Step 2: At the Windows sign-in screen, press and hold the Shift key and select Restart from the Power menu.

Step 3: Once your PC restarts, a screen titled Choose an option will appear. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.

Step 4: After the subsequent reboot, a menu with various options will display. To boot your PC in Safe Mode with Networking, press F5.

Disconnect External Devices

Faulty external devices can cause Blue Screen errors on your system. To fix this:

Step 1: Remove all peripherals, such as printers, USB drives, etc.

Step 2: Restart your computer.

Reset BIOS or UEFI

Incorrect BIOS configurations may result in BSoD errors. To fix this, consider changing the BIOS or UEFI to factory defaults. To do this:

Step 1: Press the Power button to reboot your system.

Step 2: Press the F2 key multiple times during the startup process to access BIOS or UEFI setup.

Step 3: Search for Load Defaults or Restore Settings option.

Step 4: Select the type of restoration and click OK.

Step 5: Follow the prompts to successfully reset BIOS to its default settings.

Repair File Systems

You can look for missing or damaged system files and repair or replace them using System File Checker (SFC) scan. Here’s how to run SFC scan using Command Prompt:

Step 1: Locate Command Prompt via the Start menu, right-click and select Run as administrator.

Step 2: Execute the following command: sfc /scannow

It will initiate a thorough scan, which may take up to 30 minutes, potentially fixing all corrupted system files and resolving blue screen issues.

Check Your RAM

You can use the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to identify any issues with your computer’s RAM, which could be causing the BSoD error on your system. Here’s the rundown:

Step 1: Open Windows Memory Diagnostic tool by searching for it in the Taskbar.

Step 2: Click Restart now and check for problems (recommended).

Your computer will display the diagnostic results immediately upon restarting. If you need to view them later, they are accessible in the Event Viewer.

Run CHKDSK

CHKDSK scan actively searches for and identifies damaged sections of the hard drive, which often include corrupted file systems and physical disk damage — both frequent causes behind the Windows blue screen of death. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Search for Command Prompt in the Taskbar and click Run as Administrator.

Step 2: Inside the Command Prompt, type chkdsk and press Enter.

Step 3: If the scan detects drive errors, enter chkdsk /r in the Command Prompt and press Enter to start an in-depth diagnostic scan. This will repair and recover damaged hard drive sectors.

Reinstall Windows

When the above methods fail, the remaining course of action is to reinstall Windows. This process will erase all data on your computer, making it a last-ditch effort. However, if Windows functions properly in Safe Mode, you have the opportunity to clone your hard drive using Stellar Drive Monitor and secure your data before you remove Windows and install a fresh operating system.

How to Recover the Data Lost After Blue Screen of Death?

A system crash due to a Blue Screen of Death may result in data loss as the running applications do not get enough time to save your data. In such cases, it is recommended that you use professional data recovery software to retrieve your lost data.

Stellar Data Recovery Professional is a reliable DIY tool that helps you recover data from system crashes, formatting, partition loss, drive errors, and more. The software allows you to create a bootable recovery drive that you can use later to recover data from Windows systems failing to boot or crashing due to BSoD errors, boot sector corruption, hard drive failure, drive file-system damage, and more.

Preventing Windows Blue Screen of Death Instances

A great way to prevent BSoD errors from happening in the future is to check your computer for minor or major issues regularly. You must address such issues quickly to prevent them from escalating into significant troubles later. Here are some steps that you can take:

Routinely update your system with the latest Windows and driver updates
Check the compatibility of all software with your Windows version
Keep your computer’s hardware clean, well-ventilated, and dust-free
Monitor component temperatures with tracking software to ensure they are adequately cooled
Overclock with caution, ensuring you test for stability
Opt for high-quality components, focusing on reliable power supplies and RAM
Conduct regular system maintenance, including disk cleanup and defragmentation
Back up critical data frequently to an external drive to lessen the impact of a BSOD
Protect your system with trustworthy antivirus software to prevent malware-related instability
Restrict the number of installed programs to avoid unnecessary system conflicts.

Bottom Line

The troubleshooting steps outlined in this guide have been effective in fixing the BSOD error on Windows 11. You may follow the suggested sequence or select the solution you think will work in your case. However, make sure to back up your essential files before attempting any of these solutions.

While troubleshooting the BSoD error if you experience any data loss, we recommend using a professional data recovery software to get your data back. Stellar Data Recovery Professional enables you to create bootable media and tackle system-related issues. It supports the Windows Pre-installation environment to boot your system, allowing you to recover lost data.