Fix Windows 8.1 Blue Screen of Death

The Blue Screen of Death, also known as STOP Error or Fatal Error, is one of the critical issues in general computing. Your Windows 8.1 PC may automatically restart followed by a BSOD. You may also lose important documents and any unsaved data.

Steps

Diagnose Memory Problems

  1. Press Windows Key + X.
  2. Select the Search option.
  3. Type "memory problem" in the Search Box.
  4. Click the Settings icon.
  5. Open "Diagnose your computer's memory problems" from the Search Results.
  6. Click the "Restart now and check for problems" button. Your computer needs to be restarted in order to conduct memory tests. All unsaved work will be lost, so please make sure you've saved unsaved documents, if any.

Allocate Higher Virtual Memory

  1. Right click the Computer icon on your Desktop.
  2. Select Properties from the context menu.
  3. Click "Advanced system settings" link.
  4. System Properties dialog will open. Click the Settings button under Performance frame.
  5. Click the Advanced tab.
  6. Click the Change button under Virtual Memory frame.
  7. Uncheck the box labelled "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives".
  8. Select the system drive, usually drive C:
  9. Select "Custom Size" option.
  10. Specify a higher Paging File Size in terms of MB.
  11. Click the Set button, and then click OK thrice.
  12. You must restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Prevent Overheating

  1. Turn off your computer.
    • Press Windows Key + C.
    • Click the Settings icon.
    • Click the Power icon, and then select Shut down.
  2. Unplug the power cord from the main power switch.
  3. Using a compressed air blow out any loose dust particles from the Processor Fan inside your CPU. Do this task very carefully and prevent the blades from spinning. Refer the Computer Manual or contact your computer vendor for detailed information.
  4. Remove all the cables of your system board and clean it with a soft brush. Do not damage any ports, connectors and small parts.
  5. Reapply the thermal paste on your processor.
  6. Clean other components of your CPU- including the RAM, Hard Disk, DVD Drive, and so on.
  7. Plug in all the components and verify that everything is connected properly.
  8. Turn on your computer. The Blue Screen of Death will not appear again if the problem was associated with overheating.

Uninstall Incompatible Programs

  1. Press Windows Key + X.
  2. Select Programs and Features.
  3. The list of all programs installed on your PC will appear. Sort the programs list by the date of installation. Simply click the "Installed on" column head.
  4. You'll see couple of recently installed programs. Remove them. To uninstall a program, right click it and select Uninstall. Follow the on-screen wizard and then reboot your PC.

Install Updates

  1. Press Windows Key + C to display the Charms Bar at the right side of the screen.
  2. Click the Settings icon, and then Control Panel.
  3. Click System and Security | Windows Update.
  4. Click the "Check for updates" button to start the process. Download and install all the updates.

Check for Malfunctioning Devices

  1. Press Windows Key + X.
  2. Select "Device Manager".
  3. In the Device Manager window click the View menu, and check-up "Show hidden devices" option.
  4. You'll see a yellow colored exclamation mark ahead of malfunctioning devices. These are the devices either incompatible with your system or they are not installed completely. Contact the device vendor to make sure the highlighted devices are compatible with your system.
  5. If you think the highlighted devices were not installed correctly, please right click the device name and select "Uninstall" option.
  6. Exit the Device Manager and restart your PC.
  7. Re-open the Device Manager. Follow Steps # 1-3.
  8. Right click the top node, i.e. your computer name, in the left side panel.
  9. Select "Scan for hardware changes".
  10. The device(s) you just removed will be automatically detected. Right click the concerning device and select "Update driver software" option. Follow the wizard your own.

Warnings

  • While unplugging the CPU components, please keep your children and pets away from the area to avoid hazard of electrical shock.
  • The edges of metal panels in the CPU can cut your skin. Please be careful not to slide skin along any interior metal edge. It is recommended to wear the hand gloves.
  • Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes while removing dust from the CPU components.

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