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Difference between revisions of "Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)"

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(Added a link to my tech wiki at Lunarsoft for STOP errors/BSoDs. Link has error code documentation, generic solutions and more information.)
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==External links==
 
==External links==
 
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Screen_of_Death BSOD article on Wikipedia]
 
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Screen_of_Death BSOD article on Wikipedia]
 +
 
[http://wiki.lunarsoft.net/wiki/STOP_errors STOP errors on the Lunarsoft Wiki]
 
[http://wiki.lunarsoft.net/wiki/STOP_errors STOP errors on the Lunarsoft Wiki]
  
 
[[Category:Guide]]
 
[[Category:Guide]]

Revision as of 00:56, 18 July 2012

File:Windows XP BSOD.png
A Windows XP BSOD showing a Page Fault

A Blue Screen of Death (a.k.a BSOD or Bluescreen) is an error screen that Windows produces when it encounters an error that it cannot recover from. They can be caused by any number of problems, and can be problematic to troubleshoot. Thus, knowing the different parts of a BSOD can aid you in figuring out the cause.

Enabling BSODs

By default, most current versions of windows won't show a BSOD at all. They will simply reset upon experiencing a showstopping problem. This is fine if the PC is working great, but is annoying if a system is experiencing repeated problems. To prevent Windows from starting automatically and display the BSOD, follow these steps:

Windows XP Navigate to the Start Menu, and open the Control Panel. Go to System, open the Advanced tab. Under Startup and Recovery, Click settings. On the window that comes up, make sure that the box next to Automatically Restart is unchecked, then click Ok.

Windows Vista/Windows 7 Navigate to the Start Menu, and open the Control Panel. Go to System, and choose Advanced system settings on the left side. Under Startup and Recovery, Click settings. On the window that comes up, make sure that the box next to Automatically Restart is unchecked, then click Ok.

Parts of a BSOD

Caused by In the picture above, the second section of text says "The problem seems to be caused by this file:". If windows is able to detect which file the problem occurred in, it may list that file here. This does not always show up in a BSOD, and doesn't appear to show up in BSOD's for Windows Vista or Windows 7 at all.

Error Name In the picture above, the third section of text says "PAGE_FAULT_IN_NON_PAGED_AREA". This section is the error name, and can help give you a better example of what caused the BSOD. This part of a BSOD shows up in every BSOD from Windows XP and on.

Troubleshooting Suggestions

What can be maddening about BSODs is the fact that even if you are given both a 'caused by' and 'error name' on the BSOD, it can prove to be annoying to research.

Your first step is to google the 'error name' and the 'caused by'. There is a good chance that someone on the internet has encountered at least a BSOD with the same error name. This will lead you to a bunch of websites. Attempt to find one that describes both the type of BSOD you experienced, as well as a similar build. You may luck out and find out the exact solution to your problem.

If the different Microsoft websites don't show up in your search, it might behoove you to search Technet for your error name, and the MSDN might have info on your problem as well.

Finally, if you are unable to find any info on your specific situation, your next best bet is to find a reputable and thriving tech website with a forums, or a website focused on troubleshooting computers. Start a thread, outline your specific BSOD, current rig, and hope that somebody will help you.


Viewing BSOD Dump Files

When a BSOD occurs, Windows will dump the contents of memory to a file on disk called a dump file. These are the files that are often requested if you post about a BSOD problem on forums online. There exist utilities, like this one, that allow you to grab some of the information about your specific BSOD from the dump file, which may aid in researching the problem.

Some forums also have technicians who analyze dump files to help pinpoint the root of the STOP errors or BSoDs. A technician favorite is WinDbg, a popular utility to use as well though it is not as user friendly as some third party memory dump viewers.

BCCodes and possible solutions

BSOD Codes for i7 x58 chipset

0x101 = increase vcore

0x124 = increase/decrease QPI/VTT first, if not increase/decrease vcore...have to test to see which one it is

on i7 45nm, usually means too little VVT/QPI for the speed of Uncore

on i7 32nm SB, usually means too little vCore

0x0A = unstable RAM/IMC, increase QPI first, if that doesn't work increase vcore

0x1E = increase vcore

0x3B = increase vcore

0x3D = increase vcore

0xD1 = QPI/VTT, increase/decrease as necessary, can also be unstable Ram, raise Ram voltage

0x9C = QPI/VTT most likely, but increasing vcore has helped in some instances

0x50 = RAM timings/Frequency or uncore multi unstable, increase RAM voltage or adjust QPI/VTT, or lower uncore if you're higher than 2x

0x109 = Not enough or too Much memory voltage

0x116 = Low IOH (NB) voltage, GPU issue (most common when running multi-GPU/overclocking GPU)

0x7E = Corrupted OS file, possibly from overclocking. Run sfc /scannow and chkdsk /r

BSOD Codes for SandyBridge

0x124 = add/remove vcore or QPI/VTT voltage (usually Vcore, once it was QPI/VTT)

0x101 = add more vcore

0x50 = RAM timings/Frequency add DDR3 voltage or add QPI/VTT

0x1E = add more vcore

0x3B = add more vcore

0xD1 = add QPI/VTT voltage

0x9C = QPI/VTT most likely, but increasing vcore has helped in some instances

0X109 = add DDR3 voltage

0x0A = add QPI/VTT voltage

External links

BSOD article on Wikipedia

STOP errors on the Lunarsoft Wiki