Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting topics
Symptom-first guides — the problems we expect to be asked about most, each following the same six-step method. Every guide below is planned and will be published with the launch library.
Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)
Read the stop code, find the usual suspect, and stop the crash loop — a 12-part series.
availableHow to read a BSOD stop code
Decode the stop code, bugcheck and parameters, and use Event Viewer and minidumps to turn the code into a real clue.
availableCommon Windows BSOD stop codes explained
What each common stop code usually points toward, what it doesn't prove, and the first diagnostic to run.
availableBoot loop & failed startup
Reach WinRE and Safe Mode, remove the problematic update, and break the restart cycle.
availableBSOD after an update
Windows, driver, or new software change? Build a timeline, rank the suspects, and roll back the right change first.
availableInvestigating repeated BSODs with minidumps
Find the dumps, read the bug check and the blamed module — and don't treat the named driver as a verdict.
availableBSOD Recovery Checklist
When the usual fixes won't break the crash loop: a safe escalation from System Restore to the last-resort clean install.
availableBlack screen problems
No signal, blank login or stuck cursor — separating display from GPU from software.
plannedRandom restarts & shutdowns
Heat, power and the causes behind machines that reboot on their own — a 36-part series.
availableFreezing & unresponsiveness
Where to look before you pull the plug — and what a frozen drive really means.
plannedWindows Update problems
Stuck, failed or endless updates: the repair, pause and reset paths.
plannedSlow startup & long login
Boot times, startup apps and the services eating your login.
plannedOverheating & thermal shutdowns
Dust, paste, fans and throttling — from warm to genuinely hot.
plannedMalware & suspicious behaviour
Recognising real threats, running the right scans and cleaning up safely.
plannedStrange noises
Fan whine, drive clicks and coil whine: what each one usually means.
plannedFile corruption & missing files
Recovery, repair tools and how to prevent the next occurrence.
plannedPC dies under load
Crashes only during games or heavy work — isolating GPU, PSU and heat.
plannedWon't wake from sleep
Sleep and hibernate failures, and reviving a machine that won't budge.
plannedStartup beep codes
What POST beeps mean, per manufacturer, and what to do next.
plannedKeyboard or mouse stops mid-session
Input dropouts, USB power settings and driver resets.
plannedHigh CPU usage
Finding the culprit in Task Manager and stopping what's eating the CPU.
plannedDisk usage stuck at 100%
The usual suspects behind an always-spinning drive.
plannedRAM errors & memory test failures
Memory-related BSODs: repeated tests, module and slot isolation, and XMP/EXPO instability — a full series.
availableDriver-caused BSODs
Find, roll back, update, or remove the suspect driver — a 12-part series.
availableCan an SSD or hard drive cause a BSOD?
SMART health, disk errors, file-system corruption, and how to tell a dying drive from a bad cable — back up first.
availableCorrupted system files
SFC, DISM and the repair passes — in the right order.
plannedNew monitor not detected
Cables, ports and the setting that hides a connected display.
plannedWi-Fi keeps disconnecting
Drivers, power saving and the router-side causes.
plannedDNS & "can't find server"
When the site won't load but everything else works.
plannedInternet is slow
Measuring where the bottleneck actually is.
plannedPrograms won't install
Installer failures, permissions and the blocked-update trap.
plannedPrinter offline & stuck queues
Clearing the jam between driver, spooler and network.
plannedBluetooth device won't pair
Pairing failures, range and radio conflicts.
plannedTime & date keep resetting
CMOS battery, BIOS and the sync chain.
plannedFan noise: normal or failing?
Reading fan behaviour and knowing when it's a warning.
plannedNothing matches your current filters.
Can't see your problem? Tell us about it — the most common requests get written first.