A BSOD stops code tells you exactly what failed. This guide covers how to read stop codes, find the crash dump, identify the faulty driver or hardware, and permanently fix the most common BSODs.
In this guide
Every BSOD displays a stop code like SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION or MEMORY_MANAGEMENT. Write it down or photograph it. You can also find it after the crash in Event Viewer: press Win + X → Event Viewer → Windows Logs → System, then filter by "Critical" events. The stop code tells you which subsystem failed.
Download WinDbg from the Microsoft Store (free). Open it, go to File → Open Crash Dump, and navigate to C:\Windows\Minidump. Select the most recent .dmp file. Type !analyze -v in the command window and press Enter. WinDbg will identify the exact driver or module that caused the crash, often down to the filename.
DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL: a driver is accessing memory it should not — update or roll back the named driver. MEMORY_MANAGEMENT: run Windows Memory Diagnostic (Win + R → mdsched.exe) to test RAM. SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION: usually a corrupt driver — run sfc /scannow in an elevated Command Prompt. PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA: RAM or SSD failure — check SMART status with CrystalDiskInfo.
Open Device Manager (Win + X → Device Manager). Right-click the suspected device → Properties → Driver tab → Roll Back Driver. This reverts to the previous driver version that was stable. If Roll Back is greyed out, no previous driver is stored — download the older version from the manufacturer website and install it manually.
Press Win + R, type mdsched.exe, choose "Restart now and check for problems." Windows will run a full memory test before booting. If errors are found, one of your RAM sticks is failing. Remove sticks one at a time to isolate the faulty module. Failing RAM causes random BSODs with different stop codes each time.
Download CrystalDiskInfo (free). Open it and check the Health Status of each drive. Any "Caution" or "Bad" status means the drive is failing and needs immediate replacement before you lose data. A failing drive causes BSOD stop codes including CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED, INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE, and NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM.
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