Most Windows users have probably encountered Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) at some point in their life. An official Microsoft veteran provided an intriguing story about how the BSOD came to be.
When a computer has BSOD problems, it can be challenging for the person experiencing them to identify the source of the problem. Even though it is blue, the BSOD screen contains information about the problem, so it is not entirely blank.
For Windows 11 and Windows 10 PCs, Microsoft has released a thorough official tutorial on how to troubleshoot and resolve the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). Microsoft provided instructions on how customers can troubleshoot and, ideally, resolve such an issue in a recently updated official guidance page. In the past, the help article was quite short and just included the Get Help app and Safe Mode troubleshooting.
Following a number of high-profile system crashes, such as the worldwide outage in July 2024 brought on by a flawed CrowdStrike upgrade that resulted in widespread system failures with error codes 0x50 and 0x7E, the comprehensive documentation was revised on May 11, 2025.
When Windows experiences a serious system malfunction that necessitates an instant shutdown to avoid data loss or hardware damage, blue screen errors—officially referred to as stop errors or bug checks—occur.
The phrase “Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer” and certain problem codes that aid in determining the root cause are usually displayed on a blue screen to users.
How to Fix Windows Stop Errors
With special attention to common error codes like PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA (0x00000050), which implies erroneous system memory has been referenced, the new handbook breaks debugging into basic and advanced techniques.
The advice places a strong emphasis on driver verification since, according to a Microsoft Report, defective drivers are responsible for almost 75% of all stop problems.
Microsoft advises removing any recently installed gear that might have caused the problem as the first step in basic troubleshooting.
It is then suggested that users choose Power > Restart, then Troubleshoot > Advanced settings > Startup Settings while holding down the Shift key to boot into Safe Mode.
Finding hardware with warning indicators (shown by exclamation points) in Device Manager while in Safe Mode can assist in locating troublesome parts that need driver upgrades.
According to the guidance, “it is crucial to ensure that there is enough free disk space, with 10-15% free space advised for essential operating system functions.”
The basic method is completed by installing the most recent Windows updates and using System Restore for persistent problems.
The advanced section describes how to run Windows Memory Diagnostics by putting “Memory” into the search box and choosing the diagnostic tool, as well as how to use Event Viewer to find important issues that coincide with crashes.
The book describes how to use WinDbg commands like “!analyze -v” to examine memory dumps and identify specific failure areas for IT professionals.
Due to its resource-intensive nature, Driver Verifier, a potent diagnostic tool, is given further consideration.
The tutorial warns, “Driver Verifier uses a lot of CPU and can cause the computer to lag a lot.” It suggests evaluating suspicious drivers in groups of 10–20 instead of all at once.
Hardware-specific troubleshooting is also covered in the tutorial, including using the “chkdsk” command to conduct disk diagnostics and looking for overheating components.
Recent events, such the global outage in July 2024 brought on by a flawed CrowdStrike update, which resulted in numerous BSODs with codes like 0x50 and 0x7E, are cited in the handbook.
Lessons acquired from these incidents are incorporated into Microsoft’s updated guideline, which highlights the significance of consistent upgrades and strong driver control.
The support article is available on Microsoft’s official website here.
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