Fixes / Windows · Checked

Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart: causes and fixes

Short answer

Windows shows this message when it hits a serious error and shuts down to protect your files. People often call it a blue screen, and on newer Windows 11 PCs it is black. Microsoft says about 70% of these crashes come from third-party drivers. Write down the stop code at the bottom of the screen. Then remove any hardware you added recently, or undo the driver or update you installed just before the crashes started.

What this message means

This is a stop error, also called a bug check or Blue Screen of Death. The Windows kernel found a problem it could not recover from safely, so it halted the PC instead of risking damage to the system or your data. It saves some crash information and then restarts. At the bottom of the screen you'll see a stop code such as MEMORY_MANAGEMENT, DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION or PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA, and sometimes the name of the file that failed (for example nvlddmkm.sys). Newer Windows 11 builds show the same crash on a black screen worded "Your device ran into a problem". A single crash can be a one-off. If it keeps happening, something specific is at fault.

Common causes

CauseHow to tell
A faulty, outdated or newly updated driver (graphics, network, storage, antivirus or VPN filter drivers are the usual suspects)The crashes started after a driver or app update, or the stop screen names a .sys file. Common codes for this cause are DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL, KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED, DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION or VIDEO_TDR_TIMEOUT_DETECTED.
Recently added or loose hardware (a new RAM stick, GPU, USB dock, drive or other peripheral)The crashes started right after you installed or connected something. They often stop when you unplug the device, or they happen only while it is connected.
Failing or unstable memory (RAM), including an overclock or XMP/EXPO profileThe stop codes change from crash to crash, or you see MEMORY_MANAGEMENT or PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA. Windows Memory Diagnostic reports errors, or the crashes stop after you turn off XMP/EXPO in the BIOS.
A Windows update that didn't install cleanly, or corrupted system filesThe crashes began the day after Windows Update ran. Another sign is a SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION or CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED code, and sfc /scannow reports that it found corrupt files.
Disk errors or a failing driveYou see NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM, UNEXPECTED_STORE_EXCEPTION or INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE. The PC may also freeze or load files slowly, or chkdsk may report bad sectors.
A nearly full system driveIn File Explorer, the C: drive bar is red, with less than 10 to 15% free space.

How to fix it

1. Write down the stop code and look up the crash in Reliability Monitor

  1. Take a phone photo of the stop code, or of the "What failed:" line if there is one, before the PC restarts.
  2. After Windows starts again, press the Windows key, type "View reliability history" and press Enter.
  3. Select the red X on the day of the crash and open "Windows was not properly shut down" or "Hardware error" to see the bug check code and the parameters.
  4. If a .sys file is named, search for it to find which driver or program it belongs to (for example nvlddmkm.sys is the NVIDIA display driver). Then use the fixes below to update, roll back or remove that driver or program.

2. Remove new hardware and undo the latest driver or app change

  1. Shut down the PC and disconnect or remove any hardware you added recently. Leave only the keyboard, mouse and monitor connected, then test.
  2. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
  3. Look for devices with a yellow exclamation mark. Right-click the device and select Update driver.
  4. If the crashes began after a driver update, right-click the device, select Properties > Driver > Roll Back Driver (this option is only available when a previous driver is stored).
  5. Uninstall recently installed antivirus, VPN, RGB lighting, overclocking or anti-cheat software, since these install kernel-level drivers.
  6. Download the latest graphics and chipset drivers directly from the PC maker, or from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel.

3. Install Windows updates, or uninstall the one that started the crashes

Windows 11 and Windows 10 menu paths differ

  1. Windows 11: Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates.
  2. Windows 10: Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates.
  3. If the crashes started right after an update, Windows 11: Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates. Windows 10: Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View update history > Uninstall updates.
  4. Update the BIOS/UEFI firmware from the PC or motherboard maker's support page, because Microsoft lists outdated firmware as a common cause.

4. Repair system files and check the disk

  1. Type cmd in the taskbar search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
  2. Run: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and wait for it to finish.
  3. Run: sfc /scannow and keep the window open until verification reaches 100%.
  4. Run: chkdsk C: /f /r and type Y to schedule it, then restart. The scan runs before Windows loads and can take an hour or more.
  5. Free up space on C: until at least 10 to 15% is free (Settings > System > Storage).

5. Test your memory (RAM)

  1. Save your work, press Windows + R, type mdsched.exe and press Enter.
  2. Select "Restart now and check for problems (recommended)".
  3. When Windows restarts, open Event Viewer > Windows Logs > System, and filter for the source MemoryDiagnostics-Results to see the result.
  4. If you have overclocked the PC or enabled an XMP/EXPO memory profile, set the BIOS back to defaults and test again.
  5. If the test finds errors, test one RAM stick at a time to find the faulty one and replace it.

6. If Windows won't start or crashes in a loop: use Safe Mode or System Restore

  1. Turn the PC on and hold the power button to force it off as Windows starts loading. Do this three times, and Windows opens the recovery environment on the next start.
  2. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart, then press 4 for Safe Mode or 5 for Safe Mode with Networking.
  3. In Safe Mode, uninstall the driver or program you suspect, then restart normally.
  4. If that doesn't help, go back to Troubleshoot > Advanced options and choose System Restore, and pick a restore point from before the crashes began. You can also choose Uninstall Updates there to remove the latest quality or feature update.
  5. As a last resort, use Troubleshoot > Reset this PC > Keep my files.

Next time, skip the search

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Still not fixed?

If the crashes continue after a clean driver setup, updates, the RAM test and system file repair, suspect hardware. Run the diagnostics from your PC or drive maker (for example Dell SupportAssist, Lenovo Diagnostics, or the SSD maker's tool) and check that the power supply and cooling are adequate for your components. The crash dump files are saved in C:\Windows\Minidump and C:\Windows\MEMORY.DMP. You can open them in WinDbg (run !analyze -v), or post them on Microsoft Community or Ten Forums so volunteers can name the driver that failed. If the PC is still under warranty, contact the manufacturer, and have your stop codes and dump files ready.

Questions people ask

Is "Your PC ran into a problem" a virus?

Rarely. Microsoft attributes about 70% of stop errors to third-party drivers and about 10% to hardware. Malware is an uncommon cause, but running a full Microsoft Defender scan is still a reasonable step.

Why is it stuck at 0% or 100% and not restarting?

Windows is writing the crash dump, which can hang if the drive or storage driver is the thing that failed. Wait about five minutes, then hold the power button to shut down. If it happens every time, check the drive and storage drivers first.

Will I lose my files?

Usually not. The crash stops Windows, not your data, though anything you hadn't saved in open apps is lost. If the drive is failing, back up your files immediately.

Why is my crash screen black instead of blue?

Starting with the mid-2025 update to Windows 11 version 24H2, Microsoft replaced the blue screen with a simpler black one that says "Your device ran into a problem and needs to restart". It's the same stop error and the same fixes apply.

How do I see the stop code if the screen disappears too fast?

Open Reliability Monitor (search "View reliability history") or Event Viewer > Windows Logs > System and look for Event ID 1001 (BugCheck). To keep the screen up next time, go to Advanced system settings > Startup and Recovery > Settings and uncheck "Automatically restart".

Sources

Related errors