How to Fix a White Screen of Death on Windows

Updated by

Sherly 

Written by

Linda 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

The “Blue Screen of Death” is a term that strikes fear into every Windows user. It's an error message that indicates a problem with the operating system. In this case, a white screen prevents users from accessing the login menu, displaying the Windows screen, or any boot options. It's a terrible experience for anyone who has gone through it.

How do I fix the "white screen of death" on my computer?

There can be numerous reasons for the WSOD (Windows Screen Freeze) to occur on your system. However, it is usually temporary and can be fixed using various methods. Most often, it is caused by malware, faulty graphics card drivers, external devices, issues with the latest Windows update, and more. In this article, we will discuss solutions and remedies for all the major issues that might lead to WSOD, so make sure to read until the end.

1. Shut down the computer

The White Screen of Death can appear suddenly due to issues with the operating system. If you encounter WSOD on the regular Windows login screen, you should first perform a hard reset of your device. To do this, press and hold your device's power button for a few seconds. Once your computer has fully shut down, wait a few moments, then press the power button again to restart it completely.

2. Remove all external devices

If a restart doesn't work, try another fix for the white screen of death that involves disconnecting all external devices connected to your computer via USB. A faulty printer, mouse, or keyboard can cause this issue. Unplug all external devices, including hard drives, then force-restart your system and power it back on. If the problem is fixed, reconnect each device one at a time to determine which one is causing issues.

3. Start Safe Mode

There's also a troubleshooting method called Safe Mode, which allows you to identify any additional applications that might be harming your operating system or causing hardware issues. If this is the case, you'll need to start your OS without third-party apps. Here's how to enter Safe Mode and troubleshoot problems: 1. **Restart Your Computer**: First, shut down your computer and then restart it. While it's booting up, pay close attention to the screen. 2. **Access the Boot Menu**: As your computer starts (usually when the manufacturer's logo appears), press a specific key to enter the boot menu. This could be F2, F8, F10, F12, Esc, or Delete, depending on your computer brand. 3. **Select Safe Mode**: In the boot menu, find and choose "Safe Mode" or "Safe Mode with Networking." The latter is recommended if you need to download any repair tools from the internet. 4. **Log into Your System**: Your computer will start in a simplified version, loading only the most basic drivers and services. Now, log into your operating system. 5. **Inspect the Issue**: In Safe Mode, try performing the operations that might be causing the problem to see if it still persists. If the issue is resolved, it could be due to a third-party app or driver. 6. **Uninstall the Problematic App**: If you've identified an application as the source, uninstall it from the Control Panel or Settings. If it's a driver causing the issue, try updating or rolling back the driver. 7. **Restart and Test**: After uninstalling or fixing the problem, restart your computer and run it in normal mode. Check if the issue has been resolved. Remember, Safe Mode is a diagnostic tool and shouldn't be used for extended periods. If the problem continues, professional technical support may be necessary.

Step 1: Press ⊞ Win+R to open the "Run" dialog. Type msconfig, then press ↵ Enter to open the System Configuration window. Go to the "Boot" tab.

Step 2: This will open the "Boot" tab, where you should check the box for "Safe Boot." If you want to use an internet connection in Safe Mode, also check the "Network" option.

Step 3: Restart your computer to boot into Safe Mode. If everything runs fine in this mode, you'll need to check your list of recently installed apps or third-party drivers to pinpoint the problem.

4. Update the display adapter driver

If you haven't updated your graphics driver for some time, this could be the main reason for the white screen of death. You need to check whether your graphics card driver is up to date.

The best way to update your graphics driver is to download it directly from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)'s website. Windows Update no longer updates graphics drivers. Most OEMs provide an installer that will put the driver and any additional patches on your system.

5. Recover Data with Partition Master

If you've lost data while partitioning in a Windows system, the Partition Master tool is an excellent choice. It features a useful utility called "Partition Recovery Wizard" that can help you quickly restore accidentally deleted or lost partitions. Apart from this, the disk management tool offers various beneficial functions.

Aside from these, it excels in resizing partitions, moving partitions, migrating partitions, renaming partitions, defragmenting partitions, and exploring partitions. With these utilities, you can even convert MBR to GPT, and even merge non-contiguous partitions. If you want to transfer your operating system to a new storage device, this tool can help you do that swiftly. If you're running into disk space issues, you can also merge small partitions into larger ones. Download this tool to reclaim precious data lost accidentally.

Step 1: Launch Partition Master and click “Partition Recovery”. Select the hard drive which contains the lost partition, then click “New Scan”.

Step 2: Wait patiently for the software to perform the “Quick Scan” and “Deep Scan”. The deleted partition will be marked as “Lost” under the “Status” tab. Select the lost partition and click on “Recover”.

You can also double-click on the partition to preview its content, and then click “OK” to confirm.

Step 3: Wait for the partition to be restored and then click “Finish”.

6. Restore Windows Updates

A faulty or corrupted Windows Update can also cause the White Screen of Death. It's not uncommon for users to experience WSOD issues after installing a specific Windows update. If you suspect this might be the case, follow these steps:

Step 1: Press Win + I to open Settings. Go to Windows Update.

Step 2: Click on “Update history” then “Uninstall updates.” This will open a classic Windows window where you can see all recently installed updates.

Step 3: Right-click the update that you think is causing the problem, and select Uninstall.

7. Check for Pending Windows Updates

Check for available Windows updates

If you missed an important Windows update, this could be the cause of the problem. Check for available updates, as you might need to download a patch to fix this issue. Here are the simple steps you can follow:

Step one: Open Settings and go to Windows Update. Check for any available updates; if none are listed, click the Check for updates button to download them.

Step 2: If there are any, install them. Afterwards, look for driver updates under "Optional Updates" and install those as well.

Step 3: Install any available updates, and then restart your computer.

Conclusions

The White Screen of Death is a common issue that every user encounters once in a while. However, the experience can be quite scary. To prevent that, we've listed the simplest ways to fix the WSOD issues.

These issues might occur mainly due to various faults in the computer system. You can try any of the following steps, or proceed in order from top to bottom, to address your problem. Usually, these issues are quite common, and with the assistance of this application, you should find your solution. Good luck with your future endeavors, and keep shining!