[Notebook/Desktop/AIO/MiniPC] Troubleshooting - Blue Screen Errors in Windows (BSOD)

A Blue Screen Error will occur if a problem causes your system abnormal or restart unexpectedly due to software or hardware problems. It’s also called BSOD (Blue Screen of Death, as following picture).

There are some reasons that may cause Blue Screen Errors:

  • From Windows packages, such as caused by Windows Update.
  • The compatibility problem between new extended hardware and the computer, or the hardware devices have error. 
  • The compatibility problem between installed software and system.
  • System virus.     
    Please try the following video and troubleshooting steps to solve your problems.

 

To provide you more detailed instruction, you can also click ASUS Youtube video link below to know more about How to fix Blue Screen Errors in Windows (BSOD).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXfhvFnUUMA

 

Please go to the corresponding instruction based on the current Windows operating system on your computer:

 

Windows 11 operating system

Table of Contents:

 

Change Intel VMD Controller settings in the BIOS

If during the startup process, you encounter a blue screen error with the stop code 'INACCESSIBLE BOOT DEVICE', try changing the current Intel VMD Controller settings to another option. (For example, if VMD is currently enabled in the BIOS, try changing it to disabled to see if it resolves the issue.)

Note: If you encounter a different stop code than 'INACCESSIBLE BOOT DEVICE', please proceed to the next troubleshooting step.

Note: The BIOS configuration screen may vary depending on the model.

  1. Start by accessing the BIOS configuration on your computer. When the computer is turned off, press and hold the [F2] key on your keyboard, and then press the power button to enter the BIOS configuration. Learn more about How to enter the BIOS configuration.
  2. Once in the BIOS settings screen, press the [F7] key on your keyboard, or you can also click on [Advanced Mode]① on the screen. 
  3. Navigate to the [Advanced] page② and click on [VMD setup menu]③.   
    Note: If the BIOS configuration does not include a VMD option, it means your computer does not support this feature. Please proceed to the next troubleshooting method. 
  4. Select [Enable VMD controller]④ and then choose a different option than your current setting⑤. 
  5. Click [Ok]⑥ to apply the changes to the Intel Volume Management Device (VMD) technology. 
  6. Save the settings and exit. Press the [F10] key on your keyboard and click [Ok]⑦, then the computer will reboot. Afterward, check if the Windows blue screen error is resolved.   
    Note: If the Windows blue screen error still persists, revert the VMD settings back to their original configuration and proceed to the next troubleshooting step. 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Update and confirm BIOS / Windows packages / drivers with the latest version in your PC

Updating software usually helps the system stability and optimization, so we recommend you check and often update to the latest version in your PC. Here you can learn more about:

How to update the BIOS version in Windows system

How to use EZ Flash to update the BIOS version

(For desktop products, please refer to ASUS Motherboard EZ Flash 3 Introduction.)

For executing Windows update and drivers update, here you can learn more about:

How to execute Windows Update

How to update drivers via customer support in MyASUS

If the problem persists after you have updated BIOS/Windows packages/drivers to the date, please continue to the next chapter for troubleshooting.

Back to Table of Contents

 

Run System Diagnosis via MyASUS

User can inspect whether the hardware device is good by the Hardware Diagnostic via MyASUS, and run further checking on Blue Screen Error. If any error occurs after diagnosing, we recommend that you visit ASUS repair center to replace the hardware device.

  1. Type and search [MyASUS] in the Windows search bar①, then click [Open]②.    
    If there is no result searched that means your computer may not install it, and please refer to How to install MyASUS.    
  2. In MyASUS, select [Customer Support]③.    
  3. In [System Diagnosis]④, select [All] check items of Hardware diagnostic⑤, and then click [Checkup]⑥. Here you can learn more about MyASUS System Diagnosis - Introduction.    
    Note: If there is no System Diagnosis tab in MyASUS that means your computer does not support this function, please ignore this step and go to chapter 3. Here you can learn more about Why can I only see the partial features in the MyASUS app.    
  4. If any error occurs, please visit ASUS repair center to replace the hardware device. Here you can learn more about How to use Customer Support to contact ASUS for the further repair request.    
    If no issue found after “Hardware diagnostic”, please go back to the System Diagnosis screen and select [Blue screen error]⑦ for the further check.    
  5. Click [Checkup]⑧.    
  6. If any error occurs, please visit ASUS repair center to replace the hardware device. Here you can learn more about How to use Customer Support to contact ASUS for the further repair request.    
    If no issue found after “Blue screen error” check, it means your hardware devices are good. Please continue the next troubleshooting step.

Back to Table of Contents

 

Check external peripherals or any hardware devices installed / changed

Sometimes, the external devices connected to your computer can be the cause of Blue Screen Errors, so please try to remove them, such as external hard drives, printers, memory cards, external ODD (if your computer is with internal ODD, please remove CD/DVDs), dongles, etc.  After that, restart your computer. If you don’t experience the issue after restarting your computer, the external device may be the cause of the problem. We recommend that you do not use this device and contact your device manufacturer for support.

 

If you do not use any external devices or the problem still persists after removing them, please confirm whether you had ever installed / replaced any hardware devices, such as disk drives (HDD or SSD) or Memory modules. The compatibility problem could be the cause and exist between new hardware devices and ASUS products / system, so please try to remove the hardware device. If you don’t experience the issue after removing the hardware device, we recommend that you do not use this device and contact your device manufacturer for support.

If the problem persists after above steps, please continue the next troubleshooting step.

Back to Table of Contents

 

Check recently installed / updated software or applications 

Some problems may occur after Windows Update or a specific application installed in your computer, including the compatibility issue between applications and system, or Windows core programs may be crashed.

You can view update history to check recently installed updated items.

  1. Type and search [Windows Update settings] in the Windows search bar①, then click [Open]②.    
  2. Select [Update history]③.    
  3. In Update history, it will list Feature Updates, Quality Updates and Driver Updates, etc. that had been installed in your computer.    
  4. You can confirm the installed date and whether you experience Blue Screen Errors after that, and then refer to the following steps to know how to uninstall or go back to the previous version.

 

Go back to the previous version of Feature Updates    
If you experience Blue Screen Errors after installing feature updates in Windows, we recommend that you go back to the previous version and wait for the modification from Microsoft in order to prevent any initial unstable problem. Here you can learn more about How to go back to the previous version of Windows.    
If you cannot go back to the previous version of Windows, we recommend that you restore the system from restore point, here you can learn more about How to use restore point to restore the system.

 

Uninstall Quality Windows Updates    
If you experience Blue Screen Errors after installing quality updates in Windows, we recommend that you uninstall the update and wait for the modification from Microsoft, please refer to the following steps to know how to uninstall it.

  1. In Update history, click [Uninstall updates]①.    
  2. Select the item which you want to remove②, then click [Uninstall]③.    

 

Go back to the previous drivers version    
If you experience Blue Screen Errors after updating drivers in Windows, we recommend that you go back to the previous version and wait for the fixed one. Please refer to the following steps to know how to go back to the previous driver version.

  1. Type and search [Device Manager] in the Windows search bar①, then click [Open]②.    
  2. Check the arrow next to [Display adapters]③, then right-click the [Intel(R) UHD Graphics 620]④ and select [Properties]⑤.    
    The following steps are used Intel graphics as an example, please select the defective driver which you would like to roll back to the previous version.    
  3. Select [Driver]⑥, then select [Roll Back Driver]⑦.    
  4. Select the reason of [Why are you rolling back?]⑧, then click [Yes]⑨. The system will start rolling back to the previously installed driver.    

 

Uninstall a specific application

Blue Screen Errors may occur if there is a compatibility issue between an initial installed application and Windows system, so we recommend that you uninstall this application first. Here you can learn more about How to search or uninstall recently installed applications.

If the problem is gone after uninstalling this application, we recommend that you check the supported Operating System or specification in this application’s official website, or contact the application manufacturer for support.

Back to Table of Contents

 

Restore the system from restore point

If the problem happens recently, and if you have ever created a restore point or there is an automatic system restore existed, try to restore the computer to a point before the problem began to resolve the problem. Here you can learn more about How to use restore point to restore the system.

If the problem persists, please continue to the next chapter for troubleshooting.

Back to Table of Contents

 

Reset your PC

If the problem persists after all troubleshooting steps are completed. Please backup your personal files, then reset the PC to back to its original configuration. Here you can learn more about: How to reset the system.

Back to Table of Contents

 

If you still cannot resolve your problem, download MyASUS and try the System Diagnosis for troubleshooting. Click below! 

 

 

Windows 10 operating system

Table of Contents:

 

Change Intel VMD Controller settings in the BIOS

If during the startup process, you encounter a blue screen error with the stop code 'INACCESSIBLE BOOT DEVICE', try changing the current Intel VMD Controller settings to another option. (For example, if VMD is currently enabled in the BIOS, try changing it to disabled to see if it resolves the issue.)

Note: If you encounter a different stop code than 'INACCESSIBLE BOOT DEVICE', please proceed to the next troubleshooting step.

Note: The BIOS configuration screen may vary depending on the model.

  1. Start by accessing the BIOS configuration on your computer. When the computer is turned off, press and hold the [F2] key on your keyboard, and then press the power button to enter the BIOS configuration. Learn more about How to enter the BIOS configuration.
  2. Once in the BIOS settings screen, press the [F7] key on your keyboard, or you can also click on [Advanced Mode]① on the screen. 
  3. Navigate to the [Advanced] page② and click on [VMD setup menu]③.   
    Note: If the BIOS configuration does not include a VMD option, it means your computer does not support this feature. Please proceed to the next troubleshooting method. 
  4. Select [Enable VMD controller]④ and then choose a different option than your current setting⑤. 
  5. Click [Ok]⑥ to apply the changes to the Intel Volume Management Device (VMD) technology. 
  6. Save the settings and exit. Press the [F10] key on your keyboard and click [Ok]⑦, then the computer will reboot. Afterward, check if the Windows blue screen error is resolved.   
    Note: If the Windows blue screen error still persists, revert the VMD settings back to their original configuration and proceed to the next troubleshooting step. 

Back to Table of Contents

 

Update and confirm BIOS / Windows packages / drivers with the latest version in your PC

Updating software usually helps the system stability and optimization, so we recommend you check and often update to the latest version in your PC. Here you can learn more about:

How to update the BIOS version in Windows system

How to use EZ Flash to update the BIOS version

(For desktop products, please refer to ASUS Motherboard EZ Flash 3 Introduction.)

For executing Windows update and drivers update, here you can learn more about:

How to execute Windows Update

How to update drivers via customer support in MyASUS

If the problem persists after you have updated BIOS/Windows packages/drivers to the date, please continue to the next chapter for troubleshooting.

Back to Table of Contents

 

Run System Diagnosis via MyASUS

User can inspect whether the hardware device is good by the Hardware Diagnostic via MyASUS, and run further checking on Blue Screen Error. If any error occurs after diagnosing, we recommend that you visit ASUS repair center to replace the hardware device.

  1. Type and search [MyASUS] in the Windows search bar①, then click [Open]②.    
    If there is no result searched that means your computer may not install it, and please refer to How to install MyASUS.    
  2. In MyASUS, select [Customer Support]③.    
  3. In [System Diagnosis]④, select [All] check items of Hardware diagnostic⑤, and then click [Checkup]⑥. Here you can learn more about MyASUS System Diagnosis - Introduction.    
    Note: If there is no System Diagnosis tab in MyASUS that means your computer does not support this function, please ignore this step and go to chapter 3. Here you can learn more about Why can I only see the partial features in the MyASUS app.    
  4. If any error occurs, please visit ASUS repair center to replace the hardware device. Here you can learn more about How to use Customer Support to contact ASUS for the further repair request.    
    If no issue found after “Hardware diagnostic”, please go back to the System Diagnosis screen and select [Blue screen error]⑦ for the further check.    
  5. Click [Checkup]⑧.    
  6. If any error occurs, please visit ASUS repair center to replace the hardware device. Here you can learn more about How to use Customer Support to contact ASUS for the further repair request.    
    If no issue found after “Blue screen error” check, it means your hardware devices are good. Please continue the next troubleshooting step.

Back to Table of Contents

 

Check external peripherals or any hardware devices installed / changed

Sometimes, the external devices connected to your computer can be the cause of Blue Screen Errors, so please try to remove them, such as external hard drives, printers, memory cards, external ODD (if your computer is with internal ODD, please remove CD/DVDs), dongles, etc.  After that, restart your computer. If you don’t experience the issue after restarting your computer, the external device may be the cause of the problem. We recommend that you do not use this device and contact your device manufacturer for support.

 

If you do not use any external devices or the problem still persists after removing them, please confirm whether you had ever installed / replaced any hardware devices, such as disk drives (HDD or SSD) or Memory modules. The compatibility problem could be the cause and exist between new hardware devices and ASUS products / system, so please try to remove the hardware device. If you don’t experience the issue after removing the hardware device, we recommend that you do not use this device and contact your device manufacturer for support.

If the problem persists after above steps, please continue the next troubleshooting step.

Back to Table of Contents

 

Check recently installed / updated software or applications 

Some problems may occur after Windows Update or a specific application installed in your computer, including the compatibility issue between applications and system, or Windows core programs may be crashed.

You can view update history to check recently installed updated items.

  1. Type and search [Windows Update settings] in the Windows search bar①, then click [Open]②.    
  2. Select [View update history]③.    
  3. In View update history, it will list Feature Updates, Quality Updates and Driver Updates, etc. that had been installed in your computer.    
  4. You can confirm the installed date and whether you experience Blue Screen Errors after that, and then refer to the following steps to know how to uninstall or go back to the previous version.

 

Go back to the previous version of Feature Updates    
If you experience Blue Screen Errors after installing feature updates in Windows, we recommend that you go back to the previous version and wait for the modification from Microsoft in order to prevent any initial unstable problem. Here you can learn more about How to go back to the previous version of Windows.    
If you cannot go back to the previous version of Windows, we recommend that you restore the system from restore point, here you can learn more about How to use restore point to restore the system.    
 

Uninstall Quality Windows Updates    
If you experience Blue Screen Errors after installing quality updates in Windows, we recommend that you uninstall the update and wait for the modification from Microsoft, please refer to the following steps to know how to uninstall it.

  1. In View update history, click [Uninstall updates]①.    
  2. Select the item which you want to remove②, then click [Uninstall]③.    

 

Go back to the previous drivers version    
If you experience Blue Screen Errors after updating drivers in Windows, we recommend that you go back to the previous version and wait for the fixed one. Please refer to the following steps to know how to go back to the previous driver version.

  1. Type and search [Device Manager] in the Windows search bar①, then click [Open]②.    
  2. Check the arrow next to [Display adapters]③, then right-click the [Intel(R) UHD Graphics 620]④ and select [Properties]⑤.    
    The following steps are used Intel graphics as an example, please select the defective driver which you would like to roll back to the previous version.    
  3. Select [Driver]⑥, then select [Roll Back Driver]⑦.    
  4. Select the reason of [Why are you rolling back?]⑧, then click [Yes]⑨. The system will start rolling back to the previously installed driver.    

 

Uninstall a specific application

Blue Screen Errors may occur if there is a compatibility issue between an initial installed application and Windows system, so we recommend that you uninstall this application first. Here you can learn more about How to search or uninstall recently installed applications.

If the problem is gone after uninstalling this application, we recommend that you check the supported Operating System or specification in this application’s official website, or contact the application manufacturer for support.

Back to Table of Contents

 

Restore the system from restore point

If the problem happens recently, and if you have ever created a restore point or there is an automatic system restore existed, try to restore the computer to a point before the problem began to resolve the problem. Here you can learn more about How to use restore point to restore the system.

If the problem persists, please continue to the next chapter for troubleshooting.

Back to Table of Contents

 

Reset your PC

If the problem persists after all troubleshooting steps are completed. Please backup your personal files, then reset the PC to back to its original configuration. Here you can learn more about: How to reset the system.

Back to Table of Contents

 

If you still cannot resolve your problem, download MyASUS and try the System Diagnosis for troubleshooting. Click below!