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I just had my laptop cleaned up (i.e. reinstalled windows) and I just started putting stuff back in, only a couple of games so far. And whilst surfing the net, out of nowhere the blue screen of death. This is the first time this happened to this particular laptop, it never happened before the clean-up when the laptop was getting real slow. Is there any particular reason why this would happen? A virus maybe?

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  • If you did not reinstall an up-to-date virusscanner? Then yes, that could be a reason. But there can be many other possible reasons, e.g. more modern drivers (either with new bugs in them, or just ones which stress your hardware more). OR just bad luck. All of which means we can not give the one clear answer to this.
    – Hennes
    Dec 21, 2012 at 9:44
  • Were you watching YouTube or a similar site (with video)?
    – Dave
    Dec 21, 2012 at 9:45
  • No i was just going through forums and stuff like that... Hennes what do you mean just bad luck?
    – tk119
    Dec 21, 2012 at 9:50
  • @tk119 - how often does it happen or was it just a one off? It if only happened once, then as per Hennes suggestion, it could have been bad luck. If it happens regularly, then investigate more but if just once, then don't worry about it (IMO).
    – Dave
    Dec 21, 2012 at 10:14
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    It's the Mayans. Getting a running start on the apocalypse. Dec 21, 2012 at 13:52

3 Answers 3

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Install WhoCrashed and you will be able to see what caused the bluescreen.

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If it is not a hardware fault, it is with a very big probability a faulty driver.

Try to actualize your drivers, begin with the graphics-and network-driver, then actualize the audio driver. If you already have installed current drivers from the vendor, try to install generic drivers from Windows.

One thing to check on the hardware: Does the cooling fan work? It's often a problem with elder Notebooks. And overheating may lead to a BSOD.

Another important thing to check ist the installation of the antivirus. Make sure that only one anti-virus is installed. I have oberserved already many people with BSODs, having installed more than one antivirus.

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  • Other than microsoft security essentials, I've got malwarebytes and spybot search and destroy. Those dont count do they?
    – tk119
    Dec 21, 2012 at 17:14
  • I don't know these products, I only have observed such problems on computers with more than one antivirus. Important is the question, if these apps also have real-time protection (on access-scan, autoprotect...). These functions are deeply hooked within windows and if there are multiple products, they could (probably will) interfere.
    – HCL
    Dec 21, 2012 at 18:31
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another option, assuming this is not a hardware issue, would be to install Linux instead of windows depending on your usage needs and if you ran into any hardware troubles you could use freely available open source tools to troubleshoot your issues. I've always found that linux is easier to troubleshoot, and you don’t get those dreadful BSOD.

Since your into gaming, Steam is now on linux also :)

http://www.ubuntu.com

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