Why does my PC keep blue screening?

A blue screen — the full-screen error where Windows stops and restarts — means Windows encountered something it couldn’t recover from and shut down to protect itself.

One, ever, after an update? Probably nothing. A pattern of them is worth investigating, and the pattern itself usually tells you where to look.

Note this down — it matters

Before anything else, write down the stop code. It’s the line on the blue screen that reads something like MEMORY_MANAGEMENT, CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED or PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA.

That code is the single most useful piece of information, and it’s the thing people never have when they ring. Photograph the screen if it’s quicker.

Also note when it happens. Always during the same task? Only when the machine has been on a while? Only when something is plugged in? Randomly at idle? Each of those points somewhere different.

The usual causes

Drivers — the most common by a distance, particularly graphics drivers, and particularly just after an update. If the crashes started within days of an update, this is the first suspect.

Failing memory — classically random crashes with no pattern, often with memory-related stop codes. Memory can be tested definitively, which is one of the first things we do.

A failing drive — often with freezes and slow file access alongside. If there’s clicking or whirring too, back up today.

Overheating — crashes after the machine has been working hard for a while, often with loud fans. Usually dust.

Failing power supply — on desktops, random shutdowns and restarts with no pattern.

Recently added hardware — if it started after you plugged something in, unplug it and see.

What you can do

1. Back up first. Before troubleshooting anything. If this turns out to be a failing drive, you’ll be glad you did.
2. Install Windows updates. Sometimes the fix is already published.
3. Undo the last change. New program, new device, new driver — remove it and see.
4. Check it isn’t overheating. If the fans roar before every crash, that’s a strong hint.

When it’s more urgent

Treat it as pressing if the crashes are getting more frequent, if it won’t stay on long enough to be useful, if it crashes during startup, or if there are noises from the drive.

The reason is simple: if a drive is failing, every crash-and-restart cycle is another chance for the failure to become total. Get your files off it before you do anything else.

What we do

We read the crash logs — Windows records every one, with far more detail than the screen shows — and test the memory and the drive properly rather than guessing. That usually identifies the cause in one go.

Bring the stop code if you have it. The diagnosis is free, and we’ll ring you with a price before any work starts.

Workshop on Station Road, or 01753 884700.