Blue Screen of Death - 5 Steps to Fix BSOD on Windows XP

OK, you are in the middle of doing something on your computer like checking out a web page, answering an email, editing photos, chatting with a friend or anything else you like doing. All at once, a blue screen covered with a bunch of details you don't understand pops up. Oh no, you've just discovered what is known as the Blue Screen of Death! What do you do now? Is your PC really dead?

The blue screen usually occurs when your Windows operating system (OS) detects a problem or error that will not allow it to continue working properly. Most likely, if you can use your computer, but it frequently crashes to the Blue Screen of Death, you have a simple problem such as incompatible software or driver issues which can be easily fixed.

There are many articles and websites that goes into great detail on how to fix the Blue Screen of Death yourself. However, most of us are not smart enough to understand all the technical stuff involved in DIY computer repair. For that reason, I'm going to tell you a few basic things you can try that should solve the simpler problems that might be causing your blue screen on Windows XP.

Step 1 First of all, reboot (restart) your computer. Sometimes, the problem is simple enough that the computer can fix itself while loading your OS. If it still crashes after this, go to the next step and continue following each step until your PC is working properly.

Step 2 Reboot your PC again. Keep pressing the F8 key on your keyboard. This should bring up a screen which lets you choose how you want to load Windows. Choose the "Last Known Good Configuration" option. Does this let you get back on your PC?

If it still crashes to the blue screen after letting you on, try to remember if you made any changes recently. Did you download and install a program from Internet or from an installation disc? The program might not be compatible with the OS you are running. Let's uninstall it and see if that solves your problem.