By Bob Rankin
Fixing the Blue Screen of Death on Windows 7
Technically, the Blue Screen of Death is known as a “stop error.” Windows brings everything to a complete, sudden stop “to prevent damage to your computer.” The cause of a stop error may lie in hardware or software, and it can be very difficult to track down. Here are a few guidelines to debugging the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) on Windows 7.
An overheated CPU can cause a BSOD error. If your cooling fan is running constantly, you may need to take steps to cool things down inside of your computer case. Blow out dust. Replace heat sink thermal grease. If the cooling fan does not spin freely, install a new one or lubricate the bearing. Laptops may benefit from a lap pad designed to circulate cool air beneath the laptop.
Bad RAM can cause the Blue Screen of Death error. Run the memory check diagnostic routine available on the Win7 Startup Options menu. Press F8 during bootup to bring up the menu.
Other hardware errors are difficult for consumers to diagnose. You may need to have a qualified service rep run diagnostics on your computer.
Software errors that cause a BSOD can occur when Windows 7 does not shut down properly. Loss of power during shutdown is the most common cause of such errors. Using System Restore to restore your Windows settings to an earlier configuration may resolve a BSOD problem. (Click the Start button, type System Restore, then press Enter.)
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