Details
If configured to do so, the computer will perform a "core dump" and save all data in memory in raw form to a disk file (known as a "dump file") for later retrieval, to assist in the analysis by an expert technician of the causes of the error. It is also possible to manually initiate a BSoD by using a keyboard sequence.
Blue screens are typically caused by software errors in device drivers: in NT-based Windows systems by poorly written device drivers, and in the Windows 9x family of operating systems by incompatible DLL driver files or bugs in the software kernel of the operating system. They can also be caused by physical hardware faults, such as faulty RAM memory or power supplies, overheating of components, or hardware which is run beyond its specification limits ("overclocking").
These errors have been present in all Windows-based operating systems since Windows 3.1. OS/2 suffered from the Black Screen of Death (also BSoD), and early builds of Windows Vista displayed a Red Screen of Death caused by a boot loader error.
Read more about this topic: Blue Screen Of Death
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