How to fix Error “Blue Screen Windows 10”

Windows 10 is one of the most advanced and secure operating systems. But, like with any software, sometimes there are problems, in particular, Blue Screen Windows 10.

The “Blue Screen Windows 10” is what is commonly called the “Blue Screen of Death” (BSOB). It may appear when upgrading to a new version of the OS. When the computer starts up or simply “out of blue” when using Windows 10.

The biggest problem with the blue screen windows 10 is literally a screen with a blue background and a sad face with insufficient information to tell you about the problem.

Usually you (not always) see a message that says: “Your PC has a problem and needs to be rebooted. We just collect the error information, and then we reboot for you. ” And a common error code (HAL_INITIALIZATION_FAID, PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGE_AREA, CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED or BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO, for example) that can give you the key to the problem. But in most cases this is not enough to solve the problem.

Fortunately, you can often narrow the blue screen to a problem with the update for Windows or a bad driver, incompatible software or hardware that you have recently configured.

In this Windows 10 manual, we will check a few troubleshooting steps to fix the blue screen windows 10 and start you as soon as possible.

How to Fix a Blue Screen Windows 10 During An Update:

Many times you run BSOD when trying to upgrade to a new version of Windows 10. Typically, the cause may be a third-party application, such as antivirus and security software, or incompatible hardware.

When you get a blue screen windows 10, your system will automatically roll back any changes and restore the previous version of the OS.

You can resolve this issue when you try to upgrade by following these steps:

Removing Apps:

An incompatible piece of software, such as an old program or a third-party antivirus, is probably the root of the problem.

To resolve this issue, try to remove unnecessary applications or some of the software that you installed recently using the following steps:

1. Open the Settings.
2. Click System.
3. Click Apps And features.
4. Select the application and click the “Uninstall“ button.
   
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstall process.

Repeat the steps to remove all parts of the software that may cause the problem.

After a successful upgrade to the latest version of Windows 10, you can reinstall the applications, and they should work properly.

Disconnect or Disable Non-Essential Equipment/Hardware:

This can also be a hardware problem. When you try to install Windows 10, do not forget to always disable non-essential peripherals, including secondary monitors, printers, phones, external hard drives and other USB devices (you only need your mouse, keyboard and main monitor).

So, you can always connect the equipment after installation. If you still have the same problem, you may need to install newer drivers, and may also be a sign of incompatible hardware.

Reloading Update Files:

Perhaps you get a Blue Screen Windows 10 because of damaged settings files, in which case you will need to re-download the installation files.

If you are trying to upgrade using Windows Update, you can do this using the Disk Cleanup tool to remove previously downloaded installation files. When you do this, Windows Update will download the files for the OS update again.

To use the Disk Cleanup tool, follow these steps:

1. Open the “Start”.
2. Find “Disk Cleanup” and click “Result”.
3. Select the “Windows (C :)” drive and click “OK”.
4. Click the “Clear system files” button.
   
5. Select the “Windows (C :)” drive and click “OK”.
6. Check the Temporary Windows Installation files.
   
7. Click OK to delete the files.

After you follow these steps, you can try to update again using Windows Update.

If you are trying to upgrade using USB-boot media, you can use the media creation tool to recreate the bootable media to go to the latest version of Windows 10.

Running a clean installation:

In addition, you can prevent the blue screen windows 10 from appearing during the upgrade, if you decide to delete everything and start a new job with a clean copy of the OS, rather than doing an in-place upgrade using a USB bootable media.

Important: This is a friendly reminder that with a clean installation of Windows 10 everything will be removed from your system. So, It is recommended that you perform a full backup before continuing.

Before you begin, if you are upgrading from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you will need a product key to activate Windows 10. If you are upgrading to a new version of Windows 10, you can skip the product key entry as After rebooting, the OS is automatically activated.

In addition, your PC’s BIOS must be configured for booting from a USB drive. This may vary depending on your device, so be sure to read the instructions on the website of the manufacturer of your computer.

To perform a clean installation of Windows 10, follow these steps:

1. Start the computer from the USB installation media.
2. Click “Next“.
3. Click “Install Now“.
   
4. Click the button “I do not have the product key” to skip this step.
5. Make sure that “I accept the license term” and click Next.
6. Select the OS that you want to install.
7. Select the option Custom: Install Windows only (advanced).
8. Select and delete the primary partition with the installation of Windows 10. (This is usually referred to as
9. “Drive 0 Section 2“.
10. Click “Next”.

Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.

After the installation of Windows 10 is complete, you will need to reinstall all your applications and restore the files from the backup.

Troubleshoot the blue screen windows 10 during boot with access to the desktop:

When you are testing BSOD, and you can access the desktop, the problem may be an outdated driver or the lack of an update. Or it could be a problem with a newly installed application, a Windows update, or a device driver.

How to Install Updates And Drivers:

You can verify that the installation of Windows 10 and the drivers is updated by following the steps below.

Install the latest Windows updates 10

Although the OS automatically installs updates, it may be that your computer may not have an update.

To check for updates in Windows 10, follow these steps:

1. Open the “Start“.
2. Click Update and Security.
3. Click Windows Update.
4. Click the button “Check for updates now”.

If you notice that there is an available update, but you can not download it. you can try to install the cumulative update manually using this guide.

Install The Latest Device Driver Updates

In case you get a stop error due to an outdated device driver, you can do the following:

1. Use the keyboard shortcut Windows + X to open the “Power User” menu.
2. Click Device Manager.
3. Deploy the device that is causing the problem.
4. Right-click the device and select Update Driver Software.
5. Click “Search automatically for updated driver software“.

Updating device driver updates takes time that appears through Windows Update. This means that if you can not find new updates using Device Manager, you may need to check the manufacturer’s support site for your device to download and install newer drivers.

How to uninstall updates, drivers, and applications

A Blue Screen Windows 10 error may also appear as a result of an incompatible or erroneous update for Windows 10 or the driver. If you can start your computer and go to the desktop, you can fix this problem by doing the following.

Uninstalling Windows Update 10

A BSOD error occurs more often after you install a new cumulative update for Windows 10 due to errors or incompatibilities.

If you can still get to the desktop, you can try to remove any recently installed update by following these steps:

1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Click the Remove program link.
3. Click the “View installed updates” link in the left pane.
4. Right-click the most recent update.
5. Select “Delete” to delete the update.

After completing the task, if you no longer see a stop error, you can temporarily block the update from an unattended installation using this guide.

Uninstalling device drivers

If there is a stop error after installing the driver, you can uninstall it by following these steps:

1. Use the keyboard shortcut Windows + X to open the “Power User” menu.
2. Click Device Manager.
3. Deploy the device that is causing the problem.
4. Right-click the device and select Uninstall.
5. Press OK to confirm.

Alternatively, you can sometimes go back to the previous version of the driver to see if the problem is fixed in the older version. You can use the same steps mentioned above, but in step number 4 select “Properties“, and on the “Driver” tab, click the “Rollback” button, if any.

After completing the task, if you no longer see the stop error, you can temporarily lock Windows 10 from the automatic driver installation using this guide.

Uninstalling Software:

It can also happen that you have recently installed an application that is incompatible with the current version of Windows 10, and every time you try to open the application, BSOD will appear.

To resolve this issue, check the support website for your software company to see if a new update or update is available that you can download and install on your computer.

If there is no new update, you need to remove the corresponding application by following the steps below:

1. Open the settings.
2. Click System.
3. Click Apps and Features.
4. Select the application and click the “Delete/Uninstall” button.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstall process.

Disconnect non-essential hardware

Sometimes after connecting new hardware to the computer you will see Blue Screen Windows 10. In this case, the problem may be that the device is incompatible, it is broken or the OS tries to install the wrong driver.

If this is an old device that you are trying to connect, it is probably incompatible with Windows 10. You can check the manufacturer’s website of your hardware to see if it is compatible. If this is not the case, you may need to find a newer model or a suitable replacement.

It can also happen that your peripheral device went wrong, and in this case you will need to get a new one that is in working order.

In case the OS tries to install the wrong driver, you need to download the latest device driver from the manufacturer’s support website. First of all,  follow the steps above to remove the current driver and install the one that you downloaded manually.

Troubleshoot the blue screen windows 10 during boot without access to the desktop

In other cases, BSOD will appear in Windows 10 after installing a new update or device driver, and you will not be able to get to the desktop to fix the problem.

Quick advice. If you can not boot to your desktop and recently connected new hardware, such as an external hard drive, an optional monitor, or a printer, try disabling any unnecessary hardware to see if this fixes the problem.

Fixing blue screen using Restore Point

If you can not access the desktop, do not let your computer start at least three times to run an automatic repair environment, and then do the following:

1. On the Select Option screen, choose “Troubleshooting”.
2. Click “Advanced Options”.
3. Click “System Restore”.
   
4. After the computer restarts, select your account and log in.
5. Click “Next“.
6. Typically, system restore points are automatically created when a new update, driver, or application is installed. You can also create a system restore point manually. Select the recovery point created before the blue screen windows 10 appears.
7. Click “Next“.
8. Click “Finish” to apply the restore point.

After these steps are completed, the recovery system will remove the updates and drivers that were configured after the recovery point was created, which will help to fix the stop error.

Fixing Blue Screen Windows 10 using Safe mode:

In addition, you can remove the update or device driver using Safe Mode when you can not access the desktop.

If you can not access the desktop, do not let your computer start at least three times to run an automatic repair environment, and then do the following:

1. Select “Troubleshooting” on the “Choose an option” screen.
2. Click Advanced Options.
3. Click Start Settings.
4. Click the “Restart” button.
5. After you restart the computer, press F4 or 4 to select Enable Safe Mode.
   

When you are in safe mode, depending on what causes the problem, you can use the following steps to remove the update or device driver.

Uninstalling Windows Update 10:

1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Click the Remove program link.
3. Click the “View installed updates” link in the left pane.
4. Right-click the most recent update.
5. Select “Delete” to delete the update.

Uninstalling device drivers:

1. Use the keyboard shortcut Windows + X to open the “Power User” menu.
2. Click Device Manager.
3. Deploy the device that is causing the problem.
4. Right-click the device and select Uninstall.
5. Press “OK” to confirm.

Wrapping things up:

Obtaining a BSOD error in Windows 10 can be frustrating, but as you can see in this guide, there are many ways to troubleshoot and fix a problem.

If you still can not solve the problem, you can also take note of any error message and contact the manufacturer for assistance. Sometimes they may not have an update to fix the problem, but they can offer a workaround.

And not only the Blue Screen Windows 10 signals a problem. You may also encounter a black screen that may be caused by a graphics driver, a connection problem with your display, or during OS installation (or updates). Likewise, you can also see a flickering screen, which is usually caused by an application or video driver problem.