Helping people with computers... one answer at a time.
While there are many reasons your computer could blue screen, there are some things you can look into to help determine the cause.
I keep getting a "blue screen of death" and the following error message: PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA and a bunch of other lines and the computer locks up. What is causing this and how can I fix it?
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Unfortunately with only that to go on, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of possible answers. To really diagnose, we'd need a lot more information about the system it's happening on, the software and hardware installed, and what was happening at the time the problem happened.
I'll throw out some guidelines, so perhaps you can narrow down the diagnosis.
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New Hardware - while the hardware can sometimes be bad, the real culprit is typically outdated, or just buggy, drivers. If you've just installed new hardware then it's likely to be related to the problem. Make sure you're running the latest drivers for that device that you can, and check with the manufacturer's support site for specific information. Conversely, if you've just updated drivers, that would also be something to be suspicious of.
New Software - it's rare these days, but occasionally software can cause this as well. If you've just installed new software then I'd be very tempted to uninstall it and see if the problem goes away. I'd also make sure that your Windows is as up-to-date as possible by visiting Windows Update.
Viruses and Malware - Since they're written specifically to cause damage, this is occasionally the result. Make sure your virus and spyware scanning software is up to date with the latest databases and scan regularly.
Old or Broken Hardware - If you're positive nothing's changed and you've been using your system like always and these problems just started happening without any real cause, then you do need to consider that you're experiencing a hardware malfunction. One of the most common is a stuck or broken power supply fan which is now allowing your computer to overheat. However, everything from memory to your add-on cards to the motherboard itself could all cause issues here. It may be time for some hardware diagnostic work.
The bottom line when experiencing blue screens and reporting the problem to anyone is to include enough information to at least narrow down the problem. Items to include:
operating system version and how up to date you are
your computer model and what additional hardware is installed
what software is running at the time of the crash
what you were attempting to do, if anything, at the time
if the problem happens randomly, or if you can make it reoccur somehow
any changes you made to your hardware or software recently
any other problems or suspicious issues you've been experiencing recently
Article C2128 - July 17, 2004 « »
Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he
was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed.
After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers
to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.
December 1, 2011 10:45 AM
@Amir
It might be time for a repair reinstall of windows
How should I reinstall Windows?
March 19, 2012 10:48 PM
Well I`ve tried everything! no issues were found with hardware diagnostics,no corrupt files,no viruses, no malware I`ve even restored my computer to factory condition and it still gives me the dreaded blue screen of death.
March 20, 2012 1:36 AM
@Marlie
If reinstalling to factory condition doesn't fix it, that sounds very much like it could be a hardware problem.
April 7, 2012 11:19 AM
I built my computer 2 1/2 yrs. ago and started getting Blue Death Screen a year ago. It went from a couple times a month to several x a day. Intel replaced the i5 a month ago, but that did not solve the problem. I downloaded freeware to monitore core temps & found they ran @ 159f-205f with 5 fans! Intel replaced the motherboard a couple days (all warranty parts, I had to rebuild) and it happens alot less frequently. I'm going to reinstall Windows 7 64 bit when I have time to reinstall 45+ prgrams and all updates and service packs. the core temps now range from 98f-150f under heavy load.
April 5, 2013 12:05 AM
It could be a malaculous software virus because I know that I'm 8 used computers for 6 years but I HAVE ANTI VIRUS