If you have been working on computers or are just starting to use them, one of the most disturbing events that can occur is the BSOD or Blue Screen of Death. The BSOD is actually an error screen that is displayed by specific operating systems informing the user that a critical system error has occurred. The Blue Screen of Death can be found on many different types of operating systems, but is most notably infamous for occurring on Microsoft Windows Operating Systems.
Common Causes of the Blue Screen of Death Occurring
The Blue Screen of Death is usually caused due to a few specific reasons including a poorly written device driver, faulty memory, and incompatible DLL's or a corrupt Registry.
Poorly written device driver: A device driver is usually created by a third party company to run a device such as a peripheral (printer, scanner, mouse, etc). These third party companies's create small driver programs which make it possible for these devices to work on a specific operating system, however many times these small programs can be buggy causing incompatibility which can result in the BSOD.
Faulty memory: Faulty memory can occur when a computer is processing memory intensive operations. For instance, a defective hard drive or RAM can cause an operating system to encounter a problem with the memory causing the BSOD. In certain cases, heat or other conditions can cause memory components to fail causing the BSOD.
Incompatible DLL's: DLL's are dynamic link libraries which are part of the operating system's shared library concept. These DLL's are files that are necessary for certain programs to run or processes to take place. If a DLL is not found or there is a problem with the file, this may cause the BSOD. When a BSOD occurs due to DLL incompatibility, it is usually referred to as DLL hell. It should be noted that DLL's are loaded into the memory of a computer each and every time an application needs them. As an application is used over and over again, the chances of an incompatible DLL file occurring increases. This is why many computer users notice that a freshly installed Windows operating system is much more stable than a computer that has a copy of Windows installed for a lengthy period of time.
Corrupt Registry: The registry is a database that Window's operating system use to store configuration information regarding hardware and software, information used for set up and user preferences. If the registry is corrupt the BSOD may occur.
The History of the BSOD
The BSOD is synonymous with Microsoft, but does occur on other types of software. For instance, the Atari Jaguar has a Blue Screen of Death and Lotus Notes has a stop error screen extremely similar to the BSOD, except in red. The Blue Screen of Death occurs on almost every operating system that Microsoft has sold including Windows 3.1, 95, 98, 2000, Windows NT, ME and XP. It should be noted that in MS DOS, a Black Screen of Death occurs and it is said that in Vista a Red Screen of Death (RSOD) occurs.
Understanding the Blue Screen of Death
It should be noted that when a stop error occurs and your computer displays the Blue Screen of Death, you will also usually be able to see a message. The message might state a FILE_SYSTEM and a number: 0x00000022. Copy this number down, it can be used later to understand and determine why the error occurred. Usually you can visit Microsoft.com and input the error number into their database to find out more information, a description regarding the error and possible fixes for the error.
