Stop the dreaded Windows 11 reboot loop. Our guide fixes "the computer has rebooted from a bugcheck" error with step-by-step instructions.
Encountering the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is one of the most frustrating experiences for any Windows user. Suddenly, your work is interrupted by a stark blue screen, and after a hasty restart, you're greeted with an error message in the Event Viewer: "The computer has rebooted from a bugcheck." This error is Windows' way of indicating that it encountered a problem it couldn't handle and had to shut down to prevent damage.
If you're dealing with this issue on your new operating system, you're not alone. The "the computer has rebooted from a bugcheck Windows 11" error can stem from various sources, ranging from software conflicts to hardware failures. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the common causes of this error and provide five effective solutions to get your PC back to a stable and reliable state.
Before diving into the fixes, it's essential to understand what's causing the problem. This section will explore the common culprits behind the bugcheck error.
A "bugcheck" is essentially a system crash. It generates a stop code (like 0x000000EA, 0x0000003B, etc.) that provides a clue about the underlying issue. When you see this error, it means a low-level problem occurred that compromised the integrity of the entire system.
Sometimes, the problem becomes persistent, and you might feel like your screen is just flashing the message, "the computer has rebooted from a bugcheck" in your logs, indicating a critical issue that needs immediate attention.
Corrupt or Outdated Device Drivers: This is the most frequent cause. A faulty driver for your graphics card, network adapter, or other hardware can cause system instability.
Faulty RAM (Random Access Memory): If your computer's memory sticks are failing, they can corrupt data in real-time, leading to unpredictable crashes.
Hard Drive or SSD Errors: Bad sectors or file system corruption on your primary drive can prevent Windows from reading critical system files.
Corrupted System Files: Essential Windows files can become damaged due to improper shutdowns, malware infections, or disk errors.
Recent Hardware or Software Changes: Installing new hardware or a new application can sometimes create conflicts that trigger a bugcheck.
Overheating: Components like the CPU or GPU running too hot can cause system instability and force a shutdown.
Now that you have an idea of the potential causes, let's move on to the solutions. Here are five step-by-step methods to troubleshoot and resolve this error.
Since faulty drivers are a primary suspect, addressing them is the best first step. You can do this by booting your PC into Safe Mode, which loads Windows with a minimal set of drivers.
Boot into Safe Mode:
Step 1. Restart your PC. As it boots up, hold the Shift key and click the Power icon on the login screen, then select Restart.
Step 2. This will take you to the Windows Recovery Environment. Navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
Step 3. After your PC restarts, press 5 or F5 to select Enable Safe Mode with Networking.
Open Device Manager:
Step 4. Once in Safe Mode, right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
Update or Roll Back the Driver:
Step 5. Look for any devices with a yellow exclamation mark, which indicates a problem. These are often under "Display adapters" or "Network adapters."
Right-click the problematic device.
Step 6. Choose Update driver to let Windows search for a new one automatically.
▎If you recently updated the driver, choose Properties > Driver tab > Roll Back Driver to return to a previous, more stable version.
▎If neither works, you can choose Uninstall device. Then, restart your computer normally. Windows will attempt to reinstall a default driver.
This built-in tool will test your RAM for errors that could be causing the crashes.
Step 1. Click the Start button, type Windows Memory Diagnostic, and press Enter.
Step 2. You will be given two options. Choose Restart now and check for problems (recommended).
Step 3. Your computer will restart and begin the memory test. This process can take some time.
Once completed, Windows will boot up normally. The results of the test will be displayed after you log in. If any errors are found, you will likely need to replace the faulty RAM module(s).
The Check Disk utility (CHKDSK) scans your hard drive for file system errors and bad sectors and attempts to repair them.
Step 1. Click the Start button, type cmd, right-click on Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
Step 2. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter:
chkdsk /f /r C:
(Replace C: if your Windows is installed on a different drive).
Step 3, The system will likely tell you that it can't run the scan because the drive is in use. It will ask if you want to schedule the scan for the next restart. Type Y and press Enter.
Step 4. Restart your computer. The CHKDSK process will begin before Windows loads. Be patient, as this can take a significant amount of time, depending on the size and health of your drive.
If the bugcheck errors started appearing after a specific installation or update, using System Restore can revert your system's software and settings to an earlier point in time without affecting your personal files.
Step 1. Click the Start button, type Create a restore point, and press Enter.
Step 2. In the System Properties window, click the System Restore... button.
Step 3. Click Next. You will see a list of available restore points.
Step 4. Choose a restore point dated before you started experiencing the bugcheck error.
Step 5. Click Next and then Finish to begin the process. Your computer will restart and apply the changes.
If the above methods fail, the issue might be boot-related files. In this case, a powerful third-party tool is your best bet. AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional is a comprehensive and reliable disk management software designed for Windows users. It provides a suite of tools that go far beyond Windows' built-in utilities, offering a user-friendly interface to solve complex disk and boot issues.
For the "computer has rebooted from a bugcheck" error, its "Boot Repair" feature is particularly useful. This function can repair the master boot code without destroying any data. First, since your PC may not be bootable, you'll need to create a bootable USB on another working computer.
Step 1. Install AOMEI Partition Assistant on a working PC and connect a USB drive with enough storage to this PC.
Step 2. Open this software and select the Boot Repair tool below the Recover section.
Step 3. Click the create a bootable disk option to create a WinPE Boot Repair USB drive.
Step 4. Plug the created drive into the non-booting computer, then enter the BIOS settings to change the boot order so that the computer boots from it. It will automatically load the Boot Repair tool and perform a scan of boot entries.
Step 5. Once the process completes, you will see all scan results, including system paths, system versions, and boot status. Select the repairable boot entries you want to repair and click the Repair button.
Step 6. Wait for the repair process to finish, then remove the bootable USB drive and boot the PC from the original system drive.
Facing the "the computer has rebooted from a bugcheck" error on Windows 11 can be alarming, but it's almost always solvable. By working through these solutions systematically—from checking your drivers and hardware to repairing system files—you can identify and fix the root cause.
Start with the simplest built-in Windows tools, and if the problem persists, don't hesitate to use a powerful utility like AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional to handle more complex boot-related corruption. With a little patience, you'll have your PC running smoothly again in no time.