Is Your PC Crashing? Windows Is Getting Smarter at Finding the Cause
There are few digital experiences more frustrating than the infamous Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). One moment you’re working on an important document or deep into a gaming session, and the next, your screen flashes blue with an error code, forcing a system restart and potentially causing you to lose unsaved work. While these crashes can have many causes, a common and often elusive culprit is faulty hardware—specifically, your computer’s memory (RAM).
Diagnosing a hardware issue like bad RAM has traditionally required manual intervention, forcing users to search for and run specific diagnostic tools. For many, this is a daunting task. However, a significant quality-of-life improvement is on the way that aims to automate this critical troubleshooting step.
Automated Memory Diagnostics After a Crash
To help users pinpoint the root cause of system instability, Windows is introducing a new intelligent feature. Soon, after your system experiences certain types of BSOD crashes, Windows will automatically trigger a Memory Diagnostic scan upon rebooting.
This proactive approach is a game-changer for troubleshooting. Instead of leaving you to guess what went wrong, the operating system will take the first logical step in diagnosing a potential hardware failure. By checking the integrity of your RAM immediately following a critical failure, this feature can save you hours of frustration and help you determine if a hardware replacement is necessary.
How it Works and Where to Find the Results
The process is designed to be seamless. After a qualifying BSOD, your computer will restart as usual. You will then see a notification in the Windows Action Center informing you that a memory scan has been performed.
The crucial information, of course, is the result of that scan. Did it find any errors? To check the outcome, you won’t have to hunt for a complex log file. The results will be logged directly in a familiar and accessible location:
- Open the Windows Event Viewer (you can search for it in the Start Menu).
- Navigate to Windows Logs > System.
- Look for events with the source name MemoryDiagnostics-Results.
Here, you will find a clear summary of the scan, indicating whether your RAM passed the test or if errors were detected. If errors are found, it is a strong indication that one or more of your RAM sticks are failing and should be replaced to restore system stability.
Actionable Advice: How to Manually Check Your RAM Today
You don’t have to wait for this new feature or a system crash to check the health of your memory. If you are currently experiencing random freezes, reboots, or general instability, you can run this powerful tool yourself at any time.
Running the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool is simple:
- Press the Start button and type “Windows Memory Diagnostic.”
- Select the application from the search results.
- You will be prompted to either “Restart now and check for problems” or “Check for problems the next time I start my computer.”
- For immediate results, choose the first option. Your computer will restart and begin the diagnostic process, which may take some time to complete.
Once the scan is finished, your PC will boot back into Windows, and the results will be waiting for you in the Event Viewer, just as they would be with the new automated feature. Proactively running this scan is an excellent first step in troubleshooting any persistent stability issues with your PC.
Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/windows-will-soon-prompt-for-memory-scans-after-bsod-crashes/
