Stop errors also sometimes called blue screen or black screen errors can occur if a serious problem causes Windows 7 to shut down or restart unexpectedly. These errors can be caused by both hardware and software issues, and it can be difficult to troubleshoot the problem. The following tools and methods can often help get Windows up and running again. These tools and methods can help you roll back your system to an earlier state, and help ensure your computer has the latest updates installed.
System Restore is the easiest thing to try first. It can undo recent changes to your computer's system files that might have caused the problem. System Restore doesn't affect your personal files, such as email, documents, or photos. In the search box, type System Restore. Next, in the list of results, click System Restore.
Windows creates a report when certain hardware or software problems occur. Action Center can check whether there's a solution to a reported problem. Open Action Center by clicking the Start buttonclicking Control Paneland then, under System and Security, clicking Review your computer's status. Under Check for solutions to problem reportsclick Check for solutions.
Windows will notify you if there are any solutions to problems available for your computer. Windows 7 keeps restarting blue screen free download Some problems and solutions can only be viewed and fixed by an administrator.
Log on using an administrator account to view these problems. Recent updates from Microsoft might help fix the problem. Windows Update helps keep your computer up to date with the latest system updates and drivers. You can check Windows Update manually to help ensure you have the latest updates to Windows 7 installed. Open Windows Update by clicking the Start button. In the search box, type Updateand then, in the list of results, windows 7 keeps restarting blue screen free download Windows Update.
In the left pane, click Check for updatesand then wait while Windows looks for the latest updates for your computer. If you see a message telling you that updates are available, or telling you to review updates, click the message to view and select the updates. In the list, click an update for more information. Select the check boxes for any updates that you want to install, and then click OK. Click Install updates. Read and accept the license terms, and then click Finish if the update requires it.
If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. If you recently installed a hardware device, such as a sound card or video card, an incorrect or improperly installed device driver might be causing the problem.
Make sure you have the latest driver for the device installed. You can typically find drivers on the device manufacturer's website.
Most drivers are self-installing—after you download them, you can usually just double-click the file to begin the installation. In the list of hardware categories, find the device that you want to update, and then double-click the device name.
Click the Driver tab, click Update Driverand then follow the instructions. Safe mode starts Windows in a limited state. Only the basic files and drivers necessary to run Windows are started, which can help you troubleshoot software problems.
For example, windows 7 keeps restarting blue screen free download a program runs as soon as you start Windows and can't be shut down, you can start Windows in safe mode, and then try to uninstall the program.
Next, click the Start buttonclick the arrow next to the Shut Down buttonand then click Restart. If your computer has a single operating system installed, press and hold the F8 key as your computer restarts. You need to press F8 before the Windows windows 7 keeps restarting blue screen free download appears.
If the Windows logo appears, you'll need to try again by waiting until the Windows logon prompt appears, and then shutting down and restarting your computer. If your computer has more than one operating system, use the arrow keys to highlight the operating system you want to start in safe mode, and then press F8. On the Advanced Boot Options screen, use the arrow keys to highlight the safe mode option you want, and then press Enter. For more information about options, see Advanced startup options including safe mode.
When your computer is in safe mode, you'll see the words Safe Mode in the corners of your screen. To exit safe mode, restart your computer and let Windows start normally. Some errors can be windows 7 keeps restarting blue screen free download by problems with your computer's hard disk or random access memory RAMrather than problems with Windows or other software running on your computer. Windows 7 includes tools that can help identify and fix certain hardware-related errors.
Serious errors might require you to contact the hardware manufacturer for support. Open Computer by clicking the Start buttonand then clicking Computer. Right-click the drive that you want to check, and then click Properties.
Click the Tools tab, and then, under Error-checkingclick Check now. To automatically repair problems with files and folders that the scan detects, select Automatically fix file system errors.
Otherwise, the disk check will report problems but not fix them. To perform a thorough check, select Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors. This scan attempts to find and repair physical errors on the drive itself, and it can take much longer to complete.
To check for both file errors and physical errors, select both Automatically fix file system errors and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors. In the search box, type Memoryand then click Diagnose your computer's memory problems. Choose when to run the tool. If you choose to restart your computer and run the tool windows 7 keeps restarting blue screen free download, make sure that you save your work and close all of your running programs.
The Memory Diagnostics Tool will run automatically when you restart Windows. The following tools can help you uninstall or roll back software changes, repair Windows startup files, and restore your system from an earlier backup. If none of those suggestions fix the problem, you can reinstall Windows 7. Several of the following tools are located on the System Recovery Options menu.
This menu is preinstalled on your computer's hard disk, and windows 7 keeps restarting blue screen free download also on the Windows 7 installation media.
If you use a Tablet PC or other computer with a touchscreen, you might need to connect a keyboard and mouse windows 7 keeps restarting blue screen free download order to use Startup Repair and the other tools in the System Recovery Options menu. For more information, see What are the system recovery options in Windows 7? If Windows 7 came preinstalled on your computer, your computer manufacturer might have included other recovery options.
For more information, refer to the documentation that came with your computer, or go to the manufacturer's website. For example, if a corrupted video card driver is preventing Windows from displaying, or if a program runs as soon as you start Windows and can't be shut down, you can start Windows in safe mode before the driver or program starts and then try to fix the problem. Click the Start buttonclick the arrow next to the Shut Down buttonand then click Restart. Startup Repair windows 7 keeps restarting blue screen free download detect and fix certain types of system problems that might prevent Windows from starting, such as missing or damaged system files.
Startup Repair is designed to start automatically if certain system problems are detected, but you can also run the tool manually. Remove all CDs, DVDs, and other media from your computer, and then restart it using the computer's power button. If the Windows logo appears, you windows 7 keeps restarting blue screen free download to try again by waiting until the Windows logon prompt appears, and then shutting down and restarting your computer. If your computer has more than one operating system, use the arrow keys to highlight the operating system you want to repair, and then press and hold F8.
On the Advanced Boot Options screen, use the arrow keys to highlight Repair your computerwindows 7 keeps restarting blue screen free download then press Enter. If Repair your computer isn't listed as an option, then your computer doesn't include preinstalled recovery windows 7 keeps restarting blue screen free download, or your network administrator has turned them off.
If your computer's system is severely damaged and you can't access the System Recovery Options menu on your computer, you can access it using the Windows 7 installation disc or a USB flash drive, or using a system repair disc if you created one earlier. Insert the Windows 7 installation disc or USB flash drive, or a system repair disc, and then shut down your computer. On the Install Windows page, or on the System Recovery Options page, choose your language and other preferences, and then click Next.
If neither the Install Windows page nor the System Recovery Options page appear, and you're not asked to press any key, you might need to change some system settings. To learn how to do this, see Start your computer from a Windows 7 installation disc or USB flash drive. If you're using the Windows installation disc, click Repair your computer. Select the Windows installation you want to repair, and then click Next. It's just like running System Restore normally, with one exception: System Restore can't create new restore points in this mode, so you can't undo a restore operation.
However, you can run System Restore again and choose a different restore point, if one exists. If your computer's system is severely damaged and you cannot access the System Recovery Options menu on your computer, you can access it using the Windows 7 installation disc or a USB flash drive, or using a system repair disc if you created one earlier.
If you've used Windows Complete PC to create a system image backup as part of your backup plan, you can use the system image to restore your computer. A system image is a copy of the partition on your hard disk that contains Windows. It also contains everything on that partition on the date you created the image, including Windows, your programs, and user data—such as documents, pictures, and music.
You need to have created a system image beforehand to use this option. When you restore your computer from a system image, the contents of your hard disk are replaced with the contents of the system image. This means that any changes you've made, programs you've installed, or files you've saved after the system image was created will likely be lost unless you have a recent backup of your data.
Restore from a system image using the Windows 7 installation disc or a USB flash drive, or a system repair disc. If you can't access the System Recovery Options menu on your computer, you can access it using the Windows 7 installation disc or a USB flash drive, or using a system repair disc if you created earlier. If you can't recover Windows 7 in any other way, you can reinstall Windows 7 using your original Windows 7 installation disc or setup files.
Reinstalling Windows 7 will delete any programs you've installed and will restore the default Windows settings. You'll need to restore your user files, and reinstall any programs you've installed using the original installation discs or files.
