Fix Windows 11 Blue Screen and Black Screen

Most blue screens come from a bad driver or update; most black screens are the display driver. Try these in order.

1. Black screen: reset the graphics driver

Press Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B. The screen flickers and the driver restarts.

Win + Ctrl + Shift + B

2. Blue screen: write down the stop code

Search the stop code (for example DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL); it points to the cause.

3. Undo the last update or driver

Settings > System > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Uninstall Updates, or System Restore.

Advanced options > Uninstall Updates / System Restore

4. Repair system files

Open Terminal as administrator.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

5. Update drivers

Get graphics drivers from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel, and chipset drivers from your PC maker.

FAQ

Is a blue screen a hardware failure?

Usually it's software (driver or update). If it keeps happening after repairs, test RAM (Windows Memory Diagnostic) and the disk.

Where are crash details saved?

C:\Windows\Minidump; Event Viewer > Windows Logs > System also shows the error.