The blue screen message “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart” appears when Windows hits an error it can’t recover from. It looks scary, but most blue screens come from a faulty driver, a bad update, or a hardware problem that you can narrow down.
Quick answer
Write down the stop code shown on the screen, remove
new hardware, update or roll back drivers, then run SFC and DISM and a memory
test.
Step 1: Note the stop code
The blue screen shows a stop code such as CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED,
IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL or PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA. Take a
photo with your phone. It tells you where to look, and you can search the exact
code for specific advice.
[Screenshot or photo: a blue screen with the stop code
highlighted]
Step 2: Stop the automatic restart
- Press
Win + R, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter.
- Open
Advanced → Startup and Recovery → Settings.
- Untick
Automatically restart and click OK.
The next blue screen will stay on screen long enough for you
to read the code.
Step 3: Remove what changed recently
- Unplug
new USB devices, external drives and other hardware.
- Uninstall
software installed just before the problem started.
- Uninstall
the latest update from Settings → Windows Update → Update history →
Uninstall updates.
Step 4: Update or roll back drivers
Drivers are a common cause. In Device Manager, look for
devices with a yellow warning icon. Update graphics, network and chipset
drivers from your PC maker’s website. If the blue screens began after a driver
update, right-click the device → Properties → Driver → Roll Back Driver.
Step 5: Repair system files
Run DISM and SFC as described in our guide, then restart.
Step 6: Test memory and disk
- Memory:
press Win + R, type mdsched.exe, and choose Restart now and check for
problems.
- Disk:
open Command Prompt as administrator and run chkdsk C: /f /r. Type Y
to schedule it for the next restart, which can take a long time.
Step 7: Try Safe Mode and System Restore
If the PC blue screens too often to use, boot into Safe Mode
(hold Shift while clicking Restart, then Troubleshoot → Advanced options →
Startup Settings) and repeat the steps above. System Restore can also
return Windows to an earlier working state.
Check the hardware
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