Computer Blue Screen on Startup Windows 10: Complete Fix Guide (BSOD at Boot)

Understanding the Blue Screen on Startup in Windows 10

A Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) at startup — also known as a stop error — means Windows has encountered a critical error it cannot recover from, so it halts to prevent damage. On Windows 10, the blue screen displays a sad face emoji and a stop code like:

• CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED
• INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE
• DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
• SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION
• PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
• MEMORY_MANAGEMENT
• KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE
• BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO

The stop code is your most important clue. Always note the full code before proceeding.

Step 1: Record the Stop Code and Boot Into Safe Mode

If Windows 10 loops through BSODs and cannot start normally:

1. Force-restart your PC three times during boot (hold the power button). Windows will automatically enter WinRE (Windows Recovery Environment).
2. Navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart.
3. Press F4 for Safe Mode or F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.

If you can reach the login screen briefly before a BSOD:

• Hold Shift and click Restart from the Start menu → Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings.

On Dell computers specifically, you can press F8 during POST to access the boot menu, or F12 to reach Dell's one-time boot menu and select the Windows Recovery partition.

Step 2: Check Event Viewer for the Exact Error

Once in Safe Mode, open Event Viewer to find what triggered the BSOD:

1. Press Win + X → Event Viewer.
2. Navigate to Windows Logs > System.
3. Filter by Critical and Error events.
4. Look for entries from BugCheck, Kernel-Power, or disk sources around the time of the crash.

Alternatively, open a Command Prompt as Administrator and run:

wevtutil qe System /q:"*[System[(Level=1 or Level=2)]]" /f:text /c:10

This outputs the last 10 critical/error events from the System log.

Step 3: Run System File Checker and DISM

Corrupted Windows system files are a leading cause of startup BSODs. Run these commands in an elevated Command Prompt (Run as Administrator):

sfc /scannow

Wait for the scan to complete. If it reports "Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them," follow up with DISM:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

After DISM completes, run sfc /scannow again. Restart normally.

Step 4: Roll Back Recent Drivers or Windows Updates

If the BSOD started after a Windows Update or driver installation:

Roll back a driver:

1. In Safe Mode, press Win + X → Device Manager.
2. Expand the category (e.g., Display Adapters, Network Adapters).
3. Right-click the device → Properties > Driver > Roll Back Driver.

Uninstall a Windows Update:

1. Press Win + I → Update & Security > View Update History > Uninstall Updates.
2. Sort by date, right-click the most recent KB update → Uninstall.

For Dell-specific systems, also check Dell SupportAssist for pending driver updates that may conflict with the current Windows build. Common culprits on Dell hardware include Intel Management Engine drivers and Dell Audio drivers.

Step 5: Run Windows Memory Diagnostic

For errors like MEMORY_MANAGEMENT, PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA, or IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL on a new computer, test your RAM:

1. Press Win + R → type mdsched.exe → Enter.
2. Choose Restart now and check for problems.
3. The tool runs automatically before Windows loads. Results appear in Event Viewer after reboot (look for MemoryDiagnostics-Results in Windows Logs > System).

For more thorough testing, use MemTest86 (bootable USB), especially on new builds or after adding RAM sticks.

Step 6: Run CHKDSK to Fix Disk Errors

For stop codes like INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE or NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM, check the hard drive:

From an elevated Command Prompt:

chkdsk C: /f /r /x

If Windows says it cannot run because the volume is in use, type Y to schedule it on next reboot, then restart.

On NVMe drives (common in newer Dell Inspiron/XPS models), also check the NVMe driver version — outdated NVMe drivers frequently cause INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE on Windows 10.

Step 7: Use Startup Repair from WinRE

If the system still will not boot after the steps above:

1. Boot from Windows 10 installation media (USB) or trigger WinRE via three forced reboots.
2. Select Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Repair.
3. Let Windows automatically detect and repair boot issues.

You can also manually rebuild the BCD (Boot Configuration Data) if startup repair fails due to BCD corruption:

bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /scanos
bootrec /rebuildbcd

Step 8: Perform a System Restore

If you have a restore point created before the BSOD started:

1. In WinRE: Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > System Restore.
2. Choose a restore point dated before the issue began.
3. Confirm and allow the process to complete.

Step 9: Reset or Reinstall Windows 10 (Last Resort)

If all else fails and the system is still blue-screening:

1. In WinRE: Troubleshoot > Reset this PC.
2. Choose Keep my files to preserve personal data, or Remove everything for a clean slate.
3. Follow the prompts to reinstall Windows.

For new computers experiencing a BSOD on first startup, contact the manufacturer — the unit may be DOA or have a hardware defect covered under warranty (especially Dell's next-business-day onsite support).