Easily Fix “Your PC ran into a problem” Blue Screen Error

This tutorial explains how to fix easily “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. We are just collecting some error info, and then we will restart it for you.” Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) error in Windows with step-by-step instructions.

The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) error can appear with different stop codes, such as:

• CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED
• SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
• IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
• VIDEO_TDR_TIMEOUT_DETECTED
• PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
• SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION
• DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION
• NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM
• DATA_BUS_ERROR
• 0x00000000

Troubleshooting “Your PC ran into a problem” Error

Follow these troubleshooting steps in order, starting with the simplest solutions first. This is a standard practice for fixing this error. Also, we strongly recommend backing up your data before making significant changes.

Troubleshooting Order:
– System File Checker (SFC) Scan
– Hard Drive Scan (CHKDSK)
– RAM Check (Windows Memory Diagnostic)
– Driver Rollback or Update
– Uninstall Recent Software
– Windows Reinstallation (Last Resort)

System File Checker (SFC) Scan

The “Your PC ran into a problem” error can be caused by corrupted or missing system files. These files are essential for Windows to function correctly. Running System File Checker (SFC) when experiencing the “Your PC ran into a problem” error can repair corrupted system files. To do that;

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Execute the below command in the command prompt and press Enter.

sfc /scannow

3. Allow the scan to complete and review the scan results.

sfc /scannow verifies and repairs protected system files using a Windows backup function called Component store. This fixes instability and Blue Screen errors. If you went into an error ‘Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation‘ during SFC scan, you can refer to the following tutorial to fix it: https://www.veeble.com/kb/windows-resource-protection-could-not-perform-the-requested-operation/

Hard Drive Scan (CHKDSK)

A damaged file system prevents Windows from locating files, causing errors. chkdsk /f /r command scans and repairs the file system, correcting errors and isolating bad sectors to restore disk integrity, and as a result it fixes the error. To repair the file system;

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Please enter the following command and press Enter. Allow the scan to finish.. (May require a restart.)

chkdsk /f /r

In this command, the option /f fixes file system errors and /r locates bad sectors and recovers readable information when running chkdsk. If the file system was the culprit running this command fix your “Your PC ran into a problem” error as of now. Make a habit of regularly running hard drive checks, which can prevent data loss in the future.

RAM Check (Windows Memory Diagnostic)

When RAM malfunctions, it can introduce errors into the data being processed. This corruption disrupts normal system operations, resulting in the ‘Your PC ran into a problem’ error.
The Windows Memory Diagnostic tool is a crucial step in troubleshooting the “Your PC ran into a problem” error because it helps determine if faulty RAM is the culprit.

1. Search for “Windows Memory Diagnostic” and open it.
2. Select “Restart now and check for problems (recommended).“
3. Review the results after restart.

This tool can only check the RAM status but cannot fix the issue. If it is found faulty after the results, replacing the RAM is the only solution.

✒️ Based on my experience, if your system frequently crashes unexpectedly, the RAM is often the cause.

Driver Rollback or Update

Drivers are software that enables your operating system to communicate with your computer’s hardware. Faulty drivers can cause your operating system to crash, resulting in a blue screen error that says “Your PC ran into a problem.” To fix this, you may need to either rollback to a previous driver version or update the existing driver. To do that;

1. Open Device Manager.
2. Locate and select the device (e.g., display adapter).
3. Right-click and select Properties.
4. Go to the Driver tab.
5. Click “Roll Back Driver” (if available) or “Update Driver.”

✒️ Display and network drivers interact with core system processes and are updated often, which increases the chance of errors causing the ‘Your PC ran into a problem’ error. Therefore, in my opinion they should be prioritized when doing Driver rollback or updation.

Uninstall Recent Software

Recent software installations can introduce conflicts or corrupted files, leading to the ‘Your PC ran into a problem’ error; uninstalling them eliminates these potential causes, restoring system stability.

1. Open “Add or remove programs” in Windows settings.
2. Uninstall recently installed software.
3. Restart the computer.

✒️ Uninstall any programs you installed right before the “Your PC ran into a problem” errors started. Before uninstalling programs, it is a good idea to create a System Restore point. This allows you to revert your computer to its previous state if uninstalling the programs doesn’t fix the problem.

Windows Reinstallation (Last Resort)

Reinstalling Windows is a strong solution for fixing the “Your PC ran into a problem” error because it replaces the entire operating system, removing any problematic software. However, it should only be used as a last resort if every previous solution fails as it takes time, and you will lose your data.

[Warning] Before you do reinstallation, back up all your important files to an external hard drive, USB drive, or cloud storage. This is the most important step, as a clean installation will erase everything on your system drive.

Here you can reinstall Windows using the inbuilt feature called “Reset this PC” that can be accessed through Windows Settings: Settings > Update & Security > Recovery, or you can use the most efficient USB installation method, which I recommend you to do.

You can refer to the following video to reinstall your PC through USB installation method:

Following this troubleshooting tutorial, you can effectively resolve the ‘Your PC ran into a problem’ error, including common stop codes such as CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED, SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED, IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL, VIDEO_TDR_TIMEOUT_DETECTED, PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA, SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION, DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION, NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM, DATA_BUS_ERROR, and 0x00000000.