1. Stop Windows from automatically restarting upon system failure; this will enable you to read the contents of the Blue Screen. First open the Control Panel, and select System (System Maintenance in Vista). Next select 'Advanced System Settings' (skip to the next step for Windows XP) and open the Startup and Recovery tab, and uncheck the box labeled “Automatically Restart” found beneath the System Failure heading.
2. Record the error when next presented with a Blue Screen. For example, “DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL”–in this instance it indicates that the error was caused by a hardware driver. After recording the error, restart your computer. You can find a list of STOP codes and their meaning in the references at the end of this article.

3. Start Windows, should Windows fail to load on restarting, press F8 during the boot process, and select “Load Last Known Good Configuration.” Once Windows has loaded, you should reinstall or update your device drivers. The most common causes of a Blue Screen are outdated or corrupt drivers for audio, LAN and video cards. First open the Device Manager located in the Control Panel in order to find out what drivers you need. Download the latest drivers from the manufacturers’ website, uninstall the existing drivers, and then install the latest versions of each driver.
4. Scan your system with an anti-virus program. In some instances, Blue Screens are caused by malicious software, if you suspect this is the case, perform a complete system scan, and remove said software. If this is the case, reformat your hard drive and reinstall Windows.
5. Reset Your BIOS to Default settings. You can do this by entering the BIOS menu during the boot process. To do so, press the delete key early in the process (the key may differ between manufacturers, consult your motherboard manual or the BIOS startup screen). When in the BIOS menu, select the load defaults option then press F10 to save and exit the BIOS.
6. Replace the memory. Blue Screen errors may stem from defective RAM, which may mean replacing the system RAM, processor RAM (in which case the entire processor must be replaced) and video RAM. (This step should be the very last you try, as it will cost you money.) If you must replace components, replace the components in ascending order of price.