1. Pull up the System Properties window. There are multiple ways to do this. The first is to click 'Start,' followed by 'Control Panel,' and then double-click on 'System.' You can also right-click on 'My Computer' from the desktop or the Start menu, and select 'Properties.'
2. Click the 'Advanced' tab in the System Properties window. Click the 'Settings' button located under Startup and Recovery (this is the third Settings button from the top of the screen). Under the System Failure category, uncheck the box located next to Automatically Restart.

3. Click 'OK' on both open windows to close them. The setting will be changed instantly, so there's no need to restart the computer. The next time your computer encounters a fatal system error, the information will be left on the screen until the system is restarted.