Quick Summary
The Green Screen of Death (GSOD) in Windows is a critical system error, similar to the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), indicating that Windows has encountered a problem it can't recover from. It typically signifies a more serious system issue, often related to hardware or driver incompatibility, or a critical system process failure.
Common Causes
- Driver Issues: Incompatible, outdated, or corrupted drivers, especially display drivers or network card drivers, are a frequent culprit. Newly installed drivers are prime suspects. This is especially common with Insider builds of Windows.
- Hardware Problems: Faulty RAM, a failing hard drive, an overheating CPU or GPU, or other hardware malfunctions can lead to system instability and GSOD errors.
- Software Conflicts: Conflicting software, especially security software, system utilities, or newly installed applications, can cause crashes.
- Overclocking: Aggressive or unstable overclocking of the CPU or GPU can push the hardware beyond its limits, resulting in system crashes.
- Windows Update Issues: A failed or incomplete Windows update can corrupt system files and lead to GSOD errors, especially in Insider Preview builds.
- Insider Preview Build Bug: Since the GSOD is (or was) largely a feature of Insider Preview Builds, it is possible there is an uncaught bug in the version of Windows a user is using.
Step-by-Step Fixes
Method 1: Update or Roll Back Drivers
Step 1: Boot into Safe Mode. Restart your computer and repeatedly press F8 (or Shift+F8) as it boots to access the Advanced Boot Options. Select Safe Mode.
Step 2: Open Device Manager (search for 'Device Manager' in the Start Menu).
Step 3: Look for devices with a yellow exclamation mark. Right-click on the device and select 'Update driver'. Choose 'Search automatically for updated driver software'.
Step 4: If updating doesn't work, or if the driver was recently updated, try rolling back the driver. Right-click on the device, select 'Properties', go to the 'Driver' tab, and click 'Roll Back Driver' (if the button is available).
Step 5: Restart your computer normally to see if the issue is resolved.
Method 2: Run Memory Diagnostics
Step 1: Search for 'Windows Memory Diagnostic' in the Start Menu and run it.
Step 2: Choose 'Restart now and check for problems (recommended)'.
Step 3: The computer will restart and perform a memory test. Allow it to complete, and then Windows will boot normally.
Step 4: After logging in, check the Event Viewer for the results of the memory test (search for 'Event Viewer', then look under Windows Logs > System for events related to MemoryDiagnostics).
Step 5: If memory errors are found, the RAM may be faulty and needs to be replaced.
Method 3: Check Hard Drive for Errors
Step 1: Open Command Prompt as an administrator (search for 'cmd', right-click and select 'Run as administrator').
Step 2: Type 'chkdsk /f /r C:' (replace 'C:' with your system drive if it's different) and press Enter.
Step 3: You'll be prompted to schedule the check to run on the next restart. Type 'Y' and press Enter.
Step 4: Restart your computer. The disk check will run before Windows loads. Let it complete, as it can take a while.
Method 4: Perform a Clean Boot
Step 1: Press the Windows key + R, type 'msconfig' and press Enter.
Step 2: In the System Configuration window, go to the 'Services' tab.
Step 3: Check the box 'Hide all Microsoft services' and then click 'Disable all'.
Step 4: Go to the 'Startup' tab and click 'Open Task Manager'.
Step 5: In Task Manager, disable all startup items.
Step 6: Close Task Manager and click 'Apply' and 'OK' in the System Configuration window. Restart your computer.
Step 7: If the GSOD disappears after the clean boot, then re-enable services and startup programs one at a time to identify which one is causing the issue.
Method 5: System Restore
Step 1: Boot into Safe Mode with Command Prompt. Restart your computer and repeatedly press F8 (or Shift+F8) as it boots to access the Advanced Boot Options. Select Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
Step 2: In the Command Prompt, type 'rstrui.exe' and press Enter.
Step 3: The System Restore wizard will open. Choose a restore point before the GSOD errors started. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the restore process.
Method 6: Consider Reinstalling Windows
Step 1: Back up all of your important files. This process will erase the entire drive.
Step 2: Acquire a Windows installation medium from Microsoft's website.
Step 3: Follow the instructions to boot from the medium and reinstall Windows. Be sure to erase the drive completely when prompted.