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Blue Screens can be caused by a variety of issues. The most common cause is a failed hard drive. This can easily be fixed by replacing the hard drive and reloading Windows. However, a newly installed driver, a driver update, or a failed component can also be the culprit. And, you can never rule out an invasion by a virus or malware. More and more frequently, especially on older Windows 7, Windows 8 and 8.1 systems, I am finding a failed Windows update causing the damage. Many times when the update is being installed, the update signs you out of your user account, opens up an administrative account and installs the update. If this procedure fails and it does not sign back into your Windows account, you will see a Blue Screen on the reboot.
I highly recommend if you find yourself with a Blue Screen, you call a local professional, such as me, to help you diagnose the cause and get you back up and running. If you are one of the many who has not backed up your data, often I can be successful in retrieving your data. Turning the computer off and on in the hopes the Blue Screen will disappear or repair itself, will only lead to more damage of your system or your hard drive.
One morning, I recently found myself with a Blue Screen. I was able to install the drive onto a second computer sitting right beside the existing hard drive. I determined that the hard drive was healthy. I then performed a chkdsk (Check Disk) on the drive to repair it. Once repaired, I placed it back in its original computer and the computer booted right up. Sometimes there is a very simple fix!