Windows 11 blue screen? 7 fixes for stop code errors

2 min read · 7 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

A blue screen with a stop code means Windows hit an error it could not recover from and restarted to protect your data. Microsoft says most of these restarts are one-off events that need no action. If it happens again and again, a driver, new hardware or a full drive is the usual cause.

These steps are for Windows 11. The pictures are simplified diagrams of the Settings window, not screenshots, so colours and spacing on your PC look a little different.

Step by step

1. Write down the stop code

   The blue screen shows a code in capital letters, for example CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED or MEMORY_MANAGEMENT. Take a photo. The code helps when you search for the cause or ask for support.

   Done

2. Remove new hardware

   Shut the PC down. Unplug anything you connected shortly before the problem started: USB devices, docks, a new memory module or card. Start the PC again.

   Done

3. Start in safe mode

   If Windows crashes before you can do anything, start it in safe mode and carry out the next steps there. The steps are in how to start Windows 11 in safe mode.

   Done

4. Check Device Manager

   Right-click the Start button and choose Device Manager. Look for a device with a yellow exclamation point. Right-click it and choose Update driver. If that does not help, choose Disable device or Uninstall device for a test.

   Done

5. Check the free space

   Open File Explorer, click This PC and look at the system drive. Windows needs 10 to 15 percent of the drive free for its swap file and temporary files. To make room: how to free up disk space on Windows 11.

   Done

6. Install all updates

   Open Start, Settings, Windows Update and click Check for updates. Install what is offered and restart. Updates often contain newer drivers.

   Done

7. Go back to an earlier state

   If the blue screens started after an update, a driver or a new program, return Windows to a restore point from before that day: how to create a restore point and use System Restore on Windows 11.

   Done

Good to know

Blue screens that continue on a freshly reset Windows point to hardware, most often memory or the drive. Search the Start menu for Windows Memory Diagnostic to test the memory, and ask the maker of the PC about the warranty.

A PC that gets very hot before it crashes needs its vents cleaned. Dust is a common cause in older laptops.

A screen that stays black without any code is a different problem: Windows 11 black screen: 8 fixes to try.

In short: Note the stop code, remove new hardware, safe mode, Device Manager, free space, Windows Update, restore point.