How to Review a Blue Screen Crash on Windows Vista

A blue screen crash, also known as the "blue screen of death" or BSOD, is an error stop message screen that occurs when Windows PCs experience a vital error. Fixing blue screen errors often requires using the information contained in the blue screen error message to find the root of the problem, so it is important to be able to review the error screen thoroughly. Unfortunately, most Windows PCs are set up to automatically restart after blue screen errors, which can leave an inadequate amount of time to review and write down the error screen information; to review error screens, the automatic restart should be turned off. Previous errors can also be viewed using the "Event Viewer" utility.

Instructions

Using the Event Viewer

1. Click "Start," "Control Panel," and then "Administrative Tools."

2. Click on "Event Viewer."

3. Under "Windows Logs" search the categories "Application," "Security" and "System" for recent entries in the right-hand pane labeled with a red exclamation point as errors.

4. Right-click an error and select "Event Properties" to view more detailed information about. Note: The logs in the event viewer will contain events other than blue screen errors. It is best to check the viewer immediately after an error so that your blue screen error will appear at the top of the event list.

Turning off Automatic Restarting

1. Click "Start," "Control Panel" and then "System."

2. Click "Advanced System Settings."

3. Under "Start up and Recovery," click "Settings."

4. Under "System Failure," uncheck "Automatically Restart," and then click "OK." The next time your computer crashes from a blue screen the screen will remain until you shut off the computer yourself, giving you plenty of time to review and write down (or photograph) important information.

Tips & Warnings

• * Even if you are no longer experiencing blue screen errors, it can be a good idea to turn off automatic restarts just in case.

• * Blue screen errors are often caused by new device drivers.

References

• PC Stats: Beginners Guides: Crash Recovery - Dealing with the Blue Screen Of Death
• Computing: Help for Disappearing Blue Screen