Ack! There is nothing more frustrating, and scary, to a Windows user than the error to beat all errors—the Blue Screen of Death (BSoD for short). This error can cause major data loss for any application that hasn’t saved recently if you don’t actively use data backup. However, even though it is a major, system-wide crash, it does not (necessarily) mean death for your computer. Here are five things you need to know when you experience this terrible blue menace:
• The Blue Screen of Death is not a single application crash. It’s a full system crash. Usually, this means there is a low-level software crash or a problem with faulty hardware somewhere in your system.
• In most cases, the computer will restart when the BSoD occurs. If it immediately “dies” again, you may want to start the computer in safe mode, so you can reduce the number of programs that launch and perhaps find the problem that led to the crash.
• When the BSoD occurs, there is a record of what was happening when the error occurred. This digital record is called a minidump file. While this information may not always be useful to you, it can be the key to getting to the root of the problem for a technician—or if you decide to follow troubleshooting advice.
• If you have Windows 7 or newer, the BSoD information is also published in the action center. The action center also gives you the option to check online for concrete solutions to your problem. In some situations, you may be able to fix issues yourself using this technique.
• The BSoD is much less common in Windows 8, 8.1 and 10 than in earlier editions of the program. If you seem to face this menace often, it might be time to upgrade your operating system to something more modern. By doing this, you will also have the latest tech support at your disposal too.
The BSoD is a problem that nearly all Windows users have experienced at some time in the past. Automatic backup to the cloud is a great way to keep your data backup effective. Hopefully, it winds up being a temporary glitch that you easily fix, and you can get back to your normal routine quickly. However, if you find your BSoD problem is too big to tackle alone, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Great Lakes Computer in Cleveland, Ohio. We would be happy to work with you and help you “lose the blues!”
