- Accessing the Advanced Boot Options Menu
- Research Blue Screens or Auto Restarting
- Fix 'No Video' Problems
- Revert to the 'Last Known Good' Configuration / Go Back in Time with System Restore
- Detect and Fix Drive Errors with Check Disk / Run Startup Repair to Enable Booting
- Perform a System File Check (SFC) / Scan for Viruses and Infections
- Upgrade the BIOS / Run Memory and Hard Drive Diagnostics
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Research Blue Screens or Auto Restarting
If you're seeing what's commonly called a "Blue Screen of Death" (BSOD), such as the one in Figure 3, write down the pertinent info shown on the screen. This includes any error name near the top of the screen, as well as the long stop codes and driver filename near the bottom of the screen.
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Figure 3 Example of a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD).
In this example, the error name is PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA, the main stop code is 0x00000050, and the driver name is SPCMDCON.SYS.
If your computer is automatically restarting on its own (with or without a BSOD), or if the BSOD goes away too fast for you to record the information shown on it, you need to disable the "automatic restart on system failure" function. To do this, bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu I discussed earlier, and select the option "Disable automatic restart on system failure."
Next, use a working computer to search for the BSOD details you recorded; see if you can find any helpful information. Most BSODs have various general causes and typically include performing the same troubleshooting methods. But see if you can find any specific causes or clues.