Can Virus Cause BSOD? (Blue Screen Error)

Could viruses, those sneaky little pieces of malicious software, be why our digital adventures abruptly end when we get the “Blue Screen Death”?

Virus infections can cause a wide range of problems for a computer, including the BSOD. In contrast, there could be other causes as well, such as hardware or software issues, faulty drivers, memory problems, or corrupt system files.

Malware can interfere with system files, drivers, and other critical components of the operating system, causing the system to crash. In some cases, a virus can even modify the boot sector of the hard drive, making it impossible for the computer to start up properly. Some viruses are specifically designed to cause the BSOD.

These types of viruses often exploit vulnerabilities in the operating system or other software to trigger the BSOD. They can also modify the Windows registry, which is a critical component of the operating system, to cause the BSOD. It’s important to note that not all BSODs are caused by viruses.

Many other issues can cause a BSOD, including hardware failures, driver conflicts, and power outages. However, if you suspect that your computer is infected with a virus and is experiencing frequent BSODs, it’s important to take action to remove the virus as soon as possible.

This can be done by running a reputable antivirus program and performing a full system scan to detect and remove any infections.

What Causes The Blue Screen Of Death Error?

There could be different leading causes that can be the reason behind your system facing a blue screen error message, including incompatible or malicious software, outdated drivers, overheating, and any faulty internal or external parts of your computer system. Let’s discuss in detail what causes this unwanted error on your system.

There are many incompatible programs or software apps that might result in a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) error. It depends on your system that which software system it supports. software compatibility makes sure that the user has an optimal experience. So we can say malicious or incompatible software apps can result in BSOD errors.

Malware is software that is designed to cause damage to a system, network, etc. If it enters a system, it gains access to damage your system data. Moreover, it can also cause BSOD errors because it can affect your system badly, and you will be unable to use your system unless you eliminate the malware from it. 

Furthermore, device drivers are basically set of files that assist hardware in communicating and performing operations. All hardware requires a driver, especially internal system parts that include graphic cards, peripherals like printers, etc. According to Microsoft, 70 % of blue screen error comes because of third-party driver code.

Overheating can also be a cause of the error; when a system generates more heat than usual, it is known as overheating. If a system gets overheated, it automatically shutdown or performs slowly and poorly. The system can get overheated due to defective fans, overburdened hardware, and dust. So always make sure to keep your computer fixed and clean.

Lastly, there are two types of hardware components, i.e. internal and external. They are designed to perform various operation, which includes storage, input, processing, communication, output, etc. If any of these components are faulty, it can be the cause of BSOD error because it affects your system somehow. 

How To Troubleshoot The Blue Screen Error?

Troubleshooting refers to the technique that is used to recognize, plan and resolve errors, issues, or faults within your system. It assists the system in restoring and repairing when it faces some kind of error or problem. The following are the steps that are required to troubleshoot this error.

• When the blue screen error occurs, the user should note down the error and keep the system rebooting until Windows identifies the issue and fix it. In most cases, that is more than enough to resolve the issue.
• If the issue is still there, then you should look into the following things, i.e. Have they updated any driver, or a new app or program was installed? If yes, then it might be the cause of the error.
• If no software installation was made into the system, then it might come due to some sort of hardware failure.
• Remove your system parts, i.e. cards and memory sticks. It might help you identify the problem.

How to Avoid The BSOD Error?

To avoid this issue, we have multiple solutions that include free antivirus installation, deletion of faulty software applications and hardware devices, and updating outdated drivers. Additionally, always makes sure you have not installed outdated drivers because it may crash your system and can be the reason behind the blue screen error.

So users should always install the latest drivers for their system’s hardware. An occasional blue screen that you have never seen while using your system could be harmless because it is alarming and it is very frustrating, and problematic. It occurs due to overheating, outdated drivers, malicious software applications, or hardware.

The following are the different solutions to fix this error. Let’s discuss each in detail step-by-step.

• Download A Free Antivirus Application

Many malicious viruses can affect your system badly and can be the reason behind the blue screen error you are getting. And to avoid this,  you can download a free anti-virus application to eliminate the different types of viruses from your computer system.

To install a free anti-virus application, follow the below steps:

1. Open Google on your system and search for a free online virus scanner.

2. After a search, you will see a list of anti-virus applications.

3. Download any Anti-virus application of your choice to protect your system from viruses; in this case, we will be downloading Avast Free Antivirus to get rid of the blue screen error, so select Avast Free Antivirus.

4. Now click on the Free Download button and choose the folder where you want to download it.

5.  Once you have chosen the folder, click on the Save button, and it will start downloading.
6. Now, depending on your internet speed, it may take a while, and once it’s completely downloaded, you will be able to see it in the specified folder.

7. Next, right-click on it and select Run as administrator.

8. After clicking on this, you will see the below pop-up message. Simply allow your system for these changes to install Avast antivirus.

9. Your system will start the installation.

10. Once your system completes the installation, you will see the below screen.

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• Remove Poor Software Applications From Your System

Software that doesn’t behave well with your system can be the reason behind the BSOD error. If you have realized that you have installed a software application and you faced this error, then this software application could be the culprit. So to remove that culprit software, follow the below steps:

1. Type add or remove programs on your system.

2. After this, a screen will open with a list showing all the installed applications.

3. In the Search, this list option, search for the application you want to uninstall. Let’s say I wanted to delete Atom from the above list of applications.

4. Now click on the specific application you want to delete; in my case, it’s Atom that I want to delete so I will click on Atom.

5. Lastly, I will click on uninstall, and the application will be deleted from my computer.

• Update Your Outdated Drivers

If your system has outdated drivers, then there is a possibility that you can face a BSOD error. So it is always a better idea to update your outdated drivers. It will increase your system’s stability. To update the drivers on your system, follow the below steps:

1. Open the Settings on your system.
2. Look for the Update and Security option.

3. Go to the Advance options.

4. Here press on the toggle to enable all the updates.
5. It will update your system drivers automatically.

• Remove Faulty Hardware And Peripherals

Remove any faulty peripherals that are causing a BSOD error. It can be your new scanners, printers, USB devices, or external storage of your system. Further, look into hardware that can be the reason behind the blue screen. It includes a graphics card, RAM, etc.

Conclusion

It has been concluded a BSOD error can be encountered by any Windows user due for several reasons. If your system has any kind of malware or you have installed harmful software applications. Further, if your system is connected to outdated drivers or faulty hardware, it could be the reason behind the blue screen of death error. 

To resolve the BSOD error, you can download an antivirus software application and delete unnecessary malicious apps from your system. Turn on the update options on your system. So in case of any new updates, your system updates it automatically. 

Moreover, never connect your system to any kind of faulty peripheral or hardware device. If you encounter a blue screen after connecting it, immediately remove it.