PC keeps blue-screening or restarting: first steps

First steps when a Windows PC shows a blue screen and restarts on its own: what to do first, how to tell a whole-computer crash from a single program, the BitLocker recovery-key prompt, and when to contact IT.

 

Who this is for

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business faculty and staff whose Windows computer shows a blue screen (sometimes called a “blue screen of death”) and then restarts on its own — especially when it happens more than once. This article covers the safe first steps you can take yourself, and how to tell when it is time to contact IT.

First, is it the whole computer or just one program?

• The whole screen turns blue and the computer restarts — that is what this article is for; continue below.
• Only one program (for example Excel, Word, or Outlook) freezes or closes while the rest of the computer keeps working — that is a different problem. Close and reopen the program, and if it keeps happening, contact IT and tell us which program it is.

Do this first

1. Save your work often. If the blue screen is happening repeatedly, save whatever you can right away and keep saving as you go, so a restart does not cost you work.
2. If you can, note what the blue screen says. There is often a short message or a code (for example, “CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED”). If you can read it or take a photo with your phone before the computer restarts, that helps IT a great deal.
3. Install all available updates and restart. Many of these blue-screen problems are fixed by installing pending Windows and device updates through Software Center and then doing a full restart. 
4. Do a full restart (not just close the lid or let it sleep). Choose Restart, let it fully shut down and start again, and sign back in.

If you are asked for a BitLocker recovery key

After a crash, your computer may start up and ask for a BitLocker recovery key (a 48-digit number) before it will finish loading Windows. This is a security feature, not a sign your computer is broken — and you are not expected to have the key. Do not wipe or reset the computer to get past it.

Follow the steps here, which walk you through exactly what to do: My Computer Is Asking for a BitLocker Recovery Key.

When to stop and contact IT

Contact IT rather than continuing on your own if any of these are true:

• The blue screen keeps happening after you have installed updates and restarted.
• The computer will not start up at all, or gets stuck and keeps spinning.
• You hear a loud fan, beeping, or other unusual noise, or the computer is hot — these can indicate a hardware problem that updates will not fix.
• You are stuck at the BitLocker recovery key screen and cannot get in — see My Computer Is Asking for a BitLocker Recovery Key.
• Others on your team are seeing the same thing — let us know, as it helps us identify a shared cause quickly.

When you contact us, please include: what the blue-screen message or code said (or a photo), how often it is happening, and whether you had just installed an update or plugged in anything new.

Still stuck?

If your computer keeps blue-screening or will not start, contact the SC Johnson College of Business help desk and we will help you get it working.

Still need help? Contact the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business Helpdesk at itrequests@business.cornell.edu.

[edited via Jane by kdf52 on 2026-08-27 18:53 UTC]