How to Recover Data after Blue Screen of Death

Recoverit Editorial Team

Oct 23, 2026 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions

Has your Windows computer’s screen suddenly turned blue and you can't restart it? Popularly known as ‘blue screen of death’ or BSOD error, when your PC’s screen turns blue, it shows Windows has encountered a major error such as hard disk failure, or some hardware is faulty. You can learn how to recover data after blue screen of death through the steps we have highlighted below or by using a data recovery software such as Wondershare Recoverit. A blue screen of death in a Windows PC can lead to data corruption or loss.

When a blue screen of death appears, Windows automatically restarts a PC when such an error occurs, putting your data at risk of loss. Before trying the methods below, get in touch with Data Recovery experts to secure your data.

Part 1. What causes the blue screen of death?

1. Damaged computer hardware
2. Low level or low quality software. System applications can crash but will not affect the computer’s operating system.
3. A Windows ‘STOP error’. This error forces you to restart your computer which can lead to data loss
4. Computer malware

Related Article: Step-by-Step Guide to Resolve Windows 10 Orange Screen of Death

Part 2. How to Recover Data after the Blue Screen of Death

By taking the assistance of Recoverit data recovery software, we can recover data after blue screen of death. This recovery tool can create a bootable media that can help you resolve an issue related to your system. The application supports a Windows Preinstallation environment that works as a source to boot the system, and you can retrieve the lost data on the PC.

How to Create WinPE Bootable Disk with Wondershare Recoverit

Download Recoverit data recovery software on another computer that’s working then connect a blank USB drive or CD/DVD to it. Launch Recoverit data recovery software to to create bootable media.

Select "Recover from Crash Computer" option to start creating bootable media.

An interface will pop up that allows you to select a mode to create bootable drive: create USB bootable drive or create CD/DVD bootable drive. Select then click on the "Create" button.

You will see a popup which informs you to format your USB drive. Please make sure that you have back up your data and then click "Format now" to process.

The software will start creating a bootable drive, this process takes a while. Please do not eject USB drive or CD/DVD drive during the process of creating bootable media.

After you create the USB bootable drive, set your computer’s BIOS and then start to restore your data back. Restart your crashed computer and enter the BIOS with the BIOS function keys. The assigned keys for launching BIOS are F2, F10, F12 or Del. You can check out this page to learn how to set computer to boot from USB drive.

Recover Data after Blue Screen of Death

Restart your computer and entry the Windows Preinstallation environment to recover data from your computer.

1. With data recovery WinPE bootable media. You can copy you data from hard disk or recover data from your computer.
2. After a deep scan your computer, you can preview your data and click "Recover" button to save.

The blue screen of death can happen unexpectedly whenever there is a problem in the system. A malware attack, crashed system, overloaded memory, etc. are some common causes for the blue screen of death. Recoverit data recovery software supports the creation of a bootable Windows PE media, learn how to fix blue screen death and create a bootable media, insert it, and recover data after blue screen of death.

Video Tutorial on How to Fix the Blue Screen of Death on Windows 10/11

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Part 3. How to fix blue screen of death

Use the system restore to remove recent updates

Once you secure your data with Wondershare Recoverit, use system restore to remove any recent updates that could have caused the blue screen.

• Start by powering down your computer. As you restart your PC, press the F8 key at the same time and select repair your computer. Select advanced options in the automatic repair window.

  

• In the advanced options window, select system restore from the menu and press enter. This process will remove any recent updates and restart your computer.

  

Check for computer malware

Computer malware can cause the blue screen of death. To check for malware, boot your PC through Safe Mode with Networking and launch the antivirus you have installed to scan your computer.

To boot your PC though safe mode, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Click the start icon and select the power button

Press the shift key and click restart at the same time

The advanced boot options menu will appear. Click on troubleshoot, then select Advanced Options the click on Startup Settings.

Click the restart button under the startup settings window.

The computer will reboot, and the window below will appear. Navigate to no. 4 and click on it to boot your computer in safe mode. Select no. 5 if you need to boot with the internet.

Create space in your hard disk drive

Blue screen of death error can also be caused by not having enough space in your hard disk drive. Always try to have more than 100MBS of free space to avoid this error.

To free up space, start by uninstalling old programs and apps you no longer use. Delete old files and folders.Consider using a tool such as Disk Cleanup tool, available for free in Windows operating system. The clean up tool will scan for any files that are no longer in use, then remove the unnecessary data and apps.

Reinstall Windows

If all the methods above do not work, consider reinstalling Windows. Make sure to back up your data before reinstalling because your computer will be formatted during the re-installation process.

To reinstall Windows OS, go to Start > Settings > Update & security > Recovery', choose 'Get started' under 'Reset this PC' then select 'Remove everything' to reinstall the OS.

Uninstall drivers

If you install a driver and the ‘STOP’ error comes up, you can uninstall the driver with these steps:

• Press the Windows and X keys to launch the Power User Menu
• Select the device manager and navigate to the driver that’s causing the ‘STOP ’ error.
• Right-click on the driver and Uninstall. Click OK to confirm.
• If this solution works, make sure to block Windows from installing drivers automatically.

Remove non-essential hardware

A blue screen of death could caused by hard ware issues. Remove any hardware you’re not using at the moment e.g. USB flash drive, monitors, hard drives, printers, etc, and only remain with a keyboard, mouse, monitor and CPU. This will reduce the amount of workload on the computer

Summary Checklist: BSOD Data Rescue

• Prioritize Data: Never "Reset this PC" until you have secured your files using Wondershare Recoverit.
• Hardware Check: Unplug non-essential USB devices (printers, webcams) as they often cause driver conflicts leading to BSODs.
• Safe Mode First: If you can't create a USB, try booting into Safe Mode with Networking to run an antivirus scan.
• BIOS Awareness: Remember that F2, F12, or DEL are the standard keys to change boot priority to your recovery USB.

Conclusion

By using Recoverit data recovery software, you can recover data despite getting a blue screen of death. This recovery tool can create a bootable media that can help you resolve an issue related to your system. The application supports a Windows Pre-installation environment that works as a source to boot the system, and you can retrieve the lost data on the PC.
Also try to fix the blue screen of death issue with the methods above. If the issue persists, our data recovery professionals will fix the error while safeguarding your data.