A blue screen (BSOD) is Windows shutting itself down on purpose to stop a critical error from damaging your system. The stop code at the bottom of the screen - MEMORY_MANAGEMENT, CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED, IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL - tells you where to look. If the crashes started after a Windows update or a new device, rolling back the driver (Solution 2) fixes the large majority of cases. If they happen at random with a different code each time, the problem is almost always memory or the system drive (Solutions 4 and 5).
What causes this problem
- A faulty or recently updated device driver - the single most common cause, especially graphics and storage drivers.
- Failing RAM or a memory module that is not seated properly, which produces crashes at unpredictable moments.
- Damaged system files, or a Windows update that did not install correctly.
- A failing SSD or hard drive, or a corrupted file system on the system drive.
- Overheating or an unstable overclock, especially on desktops under heavy load.
- Third-party antivirus or disk utilities that hook deep into Windows and conflict with a driver.
- Write down the exact stop code and, if one is shown, the file name next to it (for example nvlddmkm.sys) - every step below depends on it.
- Note what changed recently: a Windows update, a new driver, new RAM, a new external device.
- If Windows will not stay on long enough to work in, start in Safe Mode: hold Shift while clicking Restart, then Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart > press 4.
- Back up anything irreplaceable first - a blue screen caused by a failing disk tends to get worse quickly.
- You will need an administrator account for all of the steps below.
Solutions, in the order to try them
1Read the stop code and find what actually crashed
The stop code is the single most useful piece of information on the screen, and Windows keeps a history of it after the restart. A .sys file name in the report points straight at the driver at fault, which usually turns the rest of this guide into a single step.
- Press Windows + R, type perfmon /rel and press Enter to open Reliability Monitor.
- Find the red X on the day the crash happened and click View technical details.
- Note the stop code and any file ending in .sys - that file belongs to the driver that failed.
- For more detail, open Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc) and look under Windows Logs > System for entries marked Critical.
2Roll back or reinstall the driver that crashed
If the blue screens started after an update or after connecting a new device, the driver is the cause in the large majority of cases. Roll it back first; a clean reinstall is the fallback when rollback is not available.
- Right-click Start and choose Device Manager.
- Expand the category of the suspect device - Display adapters for graphics, Disk drives for storage.
- Right-click the device, choose Properties, open the Driver tab and click Roll Back Driver.
- If Roll Back Driver is greyed out, choose Uninstall device instead, tick Attempt to remove the driver for this device, then restart - Windows reinstalls a clean copy on its own.
- For graphics drivers specifically, download the previous stable version from the manufacturer rather than letting Windows Update reinstall the same faulty one.
3Repair damaged system files
Damaged system files cause blue screens that look unrelated to any hardware and often change stop code between crashes. Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run these in this order. DISM needs an internet connection and can take 10 to 20 minutes - do not close the window even if it appears stuck at a percentage.
sfc /scannow
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth4Test your RAM
Blue screens that appear at random moments, with a different stop code almost every time, are the classic signature of failing memory. Windows includes a test that runs before the system loads.
- Press Windows + R, type mdsched.exe and press Enter.
- Choose Restart now and check for problems.
- The test runs outside Windows and takes 15 to 30 minutes. Let it finish completely.
- If it reports errors, power the computer down, reseat the memory modules, and run it again.
- If errors persist, test one module at a time to identify which one is failing.
5Check the system drive for errors
A failing drive produces blue screens that become more frequent over time, often together with slow boots and files that refuse to open. This check needs a restart to complete and can take a long time on a mechanical hard drive.
chkdsk C: /f /r6Uninstall the update or program that started it
If the crashes began right after a Windows update, remove that specific update and see whether they stop. Do the same for any security or disk utility installed around the same date.
- Open Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates.
- Remove the most recent quality update and restart.
- Uninstall any third-party antivirus or disk tool installed near the date of the first crash - these are a frequent cause and easy to overlook.
7Use System Restore before considering a reinstall
If a restore point exists from before the crashes started, this undoes driver and system changes without touching your documents. It is the last step worth trying before a repair install of Windows.
- Press Windows + R, type rstrui.exe and press Enter.
- Choose a restore point dated before the first blue screen.
- Let the process complete and restart the computer.
Applies to
| System | Status |
|---|---|
| Windows 11 (22H2-24H2) | Confirmed |
| Windows 10 (21H2-22H2) | Confirmed |
| Windows Server editions | The same fixes apply; Reliability Monitor may be unavailable on Server Core installations |
Menu names can change slightly between versions. If a step above does not match what you see on screen, the official support page from the manufacturer has the most current wording for your version.
Frequently asked questions
Last checked: Sep 16, 2026 · We review this guide whenever the manufacturer changes the process.