If you are using a Windows PC, you may be well aware of BSOD or Blue Screen of Death. BSOD errors are annoying because they restart the computer when a malfunction is detected. Similar to BSOD, there is an RSOD or Red Screen of Death error that you may encounter on Windows. The Red Screen of Death error is very similar to a BSOD, but is less common and you generally won’t experience it. The RSOD error occurs when trying to play games, watch videos, or even when updating Windows.
It’s annoying to see a red screen on a PC that won’t go away on its own. If you are facing a similar issue and are looking for a solution, this article will walk you through the troubleshooting steps.
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Cause of Red Screen Error in Windows 10
There are different types of red screens of death on your PC and the cause can be different. For example, a red screen error on startup is caused by problems with drivers and corrupted system files. Similarly, there is Excel red screen error, laptop red screen, cursor and sound red screen, boot red screen, and Nvidia red screen. Figuring out the actual cause of the red screen error can be difficult, but there are several common causes for this error to occur, such as:
- Issues with graphics cards usually cause this problem. You may encounter this issue when you play games or perform other tasks that stress your graphics card.
- You may also receive this error if your BIOS is incompatible with the hardware you are using.
- Using new hardware without proper drivers can also cause this issue.
- Another reason for this problem to occur is GPU or GPU overclocking.
How to Fix Red Screen of Death (RSOD) in Windows 11/10
Boot your computer into a safe
When you boot your computer in safe mode, only essential services and programs will be loaded. Your PC will not download third-party programs and services. This problem can often occur due to programs consuming your PC resources causing it to overheat resulting in the red screen of death. You can follow our guide to booting Windows in safe mode . Follow the instructions to make sure you are running Safe Mode with Networking.
In safe mode, you can analyze your computer for software and programs that might be causing the problem. If the error does not occur, the problem is with the software on your PC. You will have to check which software is causing this issue manually. You will have to uninstall and then reinstall the software manually.
Update BIOS or UEFI
You need to update the BIOS/UEFI timely in order for the hardware to work on your PC without any problems. If the BIOS hasn’t been updated in a very long time, your hardware can cause issues such as a red screen. Keeping the BIOS or UEFI alive is extremely important for your device to function properly. The BIOS or UEFI update process varies for different devices. You should refer to your motherboard manual (or your laptop if you have a laptop) to update the BIOS.
Provide enough power for PC
When performing intensive tasks that require a huge amount of your PC’s resources, you must provide enough power. You may encounter this issue when more power is required when performing tasks such as video or game rendering.
In the case of a laptop, you need to connect it to a charger when doing some heavy tasks that can drain the battery faster. Tasks such as video editing and rendering require that your computer is always connected to a charger for constant power so that the battery does not run out and the task runs smoothly.
If you are experiencing a red screen error, it may be due to insufficient power. Make sure you have enough nutrition so you don’t run into this problem.
Bring back overclocking
As we discussed above, overclocking your hardware can also cause this problem. Many people choose to overclock their CPUs and GPUs to improve performance, but if not done properly, it can make your system unstable. If you have overclocked your hardware and have been facing this red screen of death on Windows 10 ever since, then overclocked hardware is probably the cause of this issue. You can cancel overclocking for system stability and check if you are facing a problem.
Check for faulty hardware
Most likely, you will encounter this error due to faulty hardware. This usually happens when the computer you are using is quite old. You will have to manually check the faulty hardware and then replace it with new one.
You can use the event viewer to check the crash report to see what hardware caused the problem. You can check recent crashes and why they occurred. To do this, follow the steps given below:
- Press the Windows key on your keyboard. From the Start menu , find Event Viewer and click on the very first option that appears.
- On the left sidebar, go to Custom Views > Administrative Events.
- Here, note the ROS error and select the error.
- Here, scroll down to the section with the General and Details tab .
- Click on the Details tab .
- Check the name of the device that caused the error.
The problem was likely caused by the hardware listed here. You can try downloading the hardware driver from the manufacturer’s website and update the driver. If the problem is due to an outdated hardware driver, updating the driver should fix the problem. However, if the problem is still not resolved after updating the hardware, it means that the hardware is faulty and you will have to replace it.
Final words
We know how annoying it can be to see the red screen of death error in Windows. Do not worry; we discussed the various troubleshooting steps to fix this issue in the article above. If you are facing a red screen error on Windows 10/11, you can follow the steps above to fix this error. If you run into any issues with the above steps, you can leave a comment below and we will guide you through the process.