Can HDD Cause Blue Screen (BSOD)? Answered

Computers show us different errors in case of any problem with their hardware or software.

Blue Screen or BSOD is an error that mostly warns you about your failing hardware so you can fix or replace it. When you have this error, your computer screen turns blue, and a sad face appears on it, showing you the problem in your computer using technical terms. Fixing that problem is crucial.

But you can suffer permanent loss if you keep ignoring the problem. It can not only be limited to your hardware but also delete your precious data and apps. This article discusses “Can HDD cause Blue Screen (BSOD)?” We will also discuss the solutions to eliminate this problem in some detail.

Can HDD Cause Blue Screen (BSOD)?

The failing microcontroller of your hard disk drive (HDD) is the major issue for your blue screen error. An IC chip controls your HDD’s operations, just like a brain. If this chip becomes buggy, you repeatedly experience annoying errors and iterative computer restarts.

Similarly, the outdated firmware that contains your motherboard’s UEFI/BIOS can also be the reason behind this issue. UEFI/BIOS is responsible for initializing your storage devices. If you have the latest HDD or SSD, but your firmware is older, it will have problems initializing it.

The latest storage devices store your data and apps in IC chips. Hence, faulty memory chips can also be the reason behind this problem. It is also possible that your new storage device is incompatible with your old motherboard or vice versa. An HDD with a bad sector can also be the culprit.

A faulty hard disk drive (HDD) can easily cause you to experience Blue Screens of Death (BSOD). Blue Screen appears to show you that your HDD is about to fail. Your computer restarts after the BSOD. You must take it seriously and move your data to a fully functional storage device before it stops working.

Blue Screen appears only when there is a fatal fault in your computer hardware which is about to make your hardware out of order. Mostly bluescreen contains a text message telling you the main issue. Ignoring BSODs and not resolving the issue can be dangerous, causing serious loss.

• Failing Microcontroller
  Each storage drive, either HDD, SSD, or M2, has a small intelligent IC chip on it. It is known as a microcontroller because it manages all the operations a storage device can perform. Hence, it acts like the brain of a storage device. In case of any problem in this IC chip can cause Blue Screens to show. There is a simple and easy method to know about the health of your hard disk drive. To do this, download and install freeware that can give you the current health status. Opening it will show you the health, performance, and other factors. Your HDD is OK if its health and performance exceed 90%.
• Outdated Firmware
  Firmware is an intelligent IC chip with UEFI/BIOS installed. This chip is present on our computers’ motherboards. Old computers have outdated firmware; they do not allow you to connect the latest types of storage devices. But if you forcefully do so, you start seeing BSODs and performance issues.
• Faulty Memory IC Chips
  2.5” SSDs and NVMes store our data and app on memory IC chips installed on them. There is a slim chance of these memory chips becoming out of order, but it is not impossible. You can experience Blue Screen errors if your storage device has the same issue. Such a device is about to become out of order, so move your precious data to a healthy device. It is because if one day it fails, you will never be able to access your data again, no matter what. That is why replacing such a storage device from your desktop or laptop is so important.
• Incompatible Storage Device
  Each Desktop or laptop has specifications for installing a certain type of hardware. Installing the wrong type of storage device that your computer doesn’t support is known as incompatibility. And installing an incompatible HDD or SSD can cause you to see annoying Blue Screens on your PC.
• Bad Sector in Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
  Hard disk drives store and retrieve the same data and apps repeatedly. They have a Read/Write head and platters on which data is stored. Platters are the cleanest discs, not even having a speck of dust on them. In case of taking any damage, they become faulty and become unreadable. Such an unreadable storage unit is a bad sector when discussing HDDs. Bad sectors can also develop when your hard disk’s head collides with its platter. It happens when you accidentally drop your HDD. The storage device can show you Blue Screens of Death (BSODs).
• A Faulty Motor inside HDD
  All hard disk drives have a motor inside to rotate the storage platters. These motors spin at a very fast speed, from 1200 to 7000 rotations per minute. The head reads, writes, or deletes data with the collaboration of this motor. A faulty motor can stop spinning or spinning very slowly, causing BSODs.
• Faulty Read/Write Head
  Hard disk drives have a very important electronic part called the Read/write head. As it is obvious from the name, it is responsible for storing our data and files on the storage media and retrieving them on demand. Without it, a hard disk can become dysfunctional. Any fault in this electromechanical part can make you repeatedly see Blue Screen errors on your display screen. You also see read/write errors, especially when copying or moving your files from or into the faulty HDD. Excessive power cuts can be a reason behind a faulty head.

How To Fix Blue Screen Caused By an HDD

Replacing your storage drive with a new one is the best option, allowing you to copy your precious data into it. Do not cut and paste your data, as it can result in data loss in case of power cuts during load shedding. Ensure to buy an SSD instead of an HDD because solid-state drives are more reliable.

Scan all your storage devices for viruses, which can also show you Blue Screen errors. For this, you can either use Windows Defender or download and install an antivirus from the internet. Updating your hard disk’s or solid-state drive’s device drivers might also work.

Only the company that has built your HDD has the authority to replace its IC to fix this issue. But doing this is so costly, so no one bothers to do such fixations. Some technical people fix this issue by replacing the card of a hard disk with the other HDD of the same company and type. And mostly, it works.

There are some simple and easy ways to fix this issue:

Replace Your Storage with a New One

Doing this is very important. A BSOD caused by a failing storage drive is very dangerous. It is a sign that your HDD or SSD is about to become out of order. As a result, you will never be able to access the data stored in it. That’s why you must get and install a new storage device.

The latest storage devices are becoming available every day, especially solid-state drives. Hence, instead of buying an HDD, you must buy an SSD. SSDs lie in the category of tough storage devices. Even some of them are extremely shockproof. Otherwise, hard disk drives stop working in case of shock.

Scan Your Storage Devices For Viruses

Sometimes we accidentally download and install viruses on our hard disk or SSD, which can cause you to experience Blue Screen errors. In this case, you should immediately scan your devices for viruses. To do this, open the start menu, type “Virus & threat protection,” and press Enter.

An app will open where you must press the “Quick Scan” button. It will take a while to scan your storage devices for viruses. The total time depends on the total data stored on your PC. Scanning will detect all the viruses stored in your storage and delete them permanently.

Update Drivers of Your Storage Device

The drivers of your storage devices may be the reason behind this issue. Updating them should solve the issue. To do this, right-click on the “Start Menu” and select the “Device Manager” option from the menu. As the app opens, navigate and expand the “Storage Controllers” option.

After this, select the drivers individually and press the green “Update” button present on the toolbar. Let your operating system search for the drivers automatically. Connect your computer to the internet before updating your storage device drivers. Do restart your computer after the update.

Will a New Hard Drive Fix BSOD?

Yes, it will fix BSOD if it is because of your older and faulty HDD. Instead of purchasing a hard disk drive, you should buy an SSD. It is because solid-state drives have nearly zero chance of failure. On the other hand, HDDs cannot even bear electrical and mechanical shocks.

To check if it is your hard drive, you can download and install freeware that will provide the stats about your storage device’s health and performance. If it is more than 90%, your hard is alright. Some other hardware in your computer is causing you to get these annoying BSODs.

The other computer hardware that can cause such issues includes faulty memory modules, solid-state drives, malfunctioning motherboards, CPU, and PSU. To detect the culprit, you must check each piece of hardware using testing software and physical inspections. Replacing such hardware is crucial.

Can Low Disk Space Cause BSOD?

Yes, it can cause you to repeatedly see Blue Screens of Death, especially when your C drive is full. It is the most important drive of your storage device because it has your operating system installed on it and the virtual memory. Virtual memory forms when your RAM runs out of space.

In this case, your operating system, such as Windows 10/11, makes some space on your storage device that acts like RAM. Similarly, the apps, games, and services that an operating system runs with the help of your computer processor or other hardware are also stored in the C drive.

If you cannot afford a new storage device, consider making space in your current storage. To do this, delete all the unnecessary data and apps you do not use. Your main focus must be the “Downloads” folder. This folder contains everything we download from the internet, including setups.

Conclusion

A failing microcontroller of your HDD can be a reason behind the Blue Screen errors. It is like the brain of a storage device, and any fault in it can make the storage buggy. Similarly, the faulty memory IC chips on your digital storage, like SSD or NVMe, can also cause your storage device to fail and crash.

The hard disk drives have a unique problem: some storage units become unreadable. It means you cannot open your data stored on them. Such units are also known as bad sectors. An HDD having a lot of bad sectors can cause the issue you are experiencing.

Your computer motherboard must also be the latest for the latest type of storage media. It is because older motherboards have older firmware which contains older versions of UEFI/BIOS. Such firmware can show annoying errors and restart your PC repeatedly.

Hard disk drives have motors and read/write heads that are electromechanical parts of these storage devices. If either becomes faulty, your operating system shows you errors about your faulty hard disk. You must immediately replace such an HDD with better media to protect your data.

Computer viruses can also cause the Blue Screen error to appear. The only way to get rid of them is to enable the Windows Defender application. It will automatically scan your computer for viruses and delete them. You can also do this manually. Installing a valid antivirus will also do the same.