Fix Red Screen of Death in Windows

Windows users are familiar with the Blue and Green Screen of Death, but some have also seen a red screen. Windows Red Screen of Death appears when your BIOS or UEFI is incompatible with the most recent hardware installed or if you have overworked your CPU. This post will suggest multiple ways to fix red screen of death in Windows 11/10.

When Does the Red Screen Error Happen?

When the red screen appears on your PC screen, you cannot do anything and are forced to restart your PC manually. Given below are the typical issues of the red screen of death error:

• Windows Startup Red Screen: It shows up during Windows start-up due to installing faulty files and using out-of-date or incompatible drivers.
• Loading Red Screen: It shows up when the PC hangs on the red screen.
• Red Flashes: Your PC screen frequently flashes, which is a result of overclocking.
• Excel Red Screen Error: When using File Explorer or opening an Excel XLS or XLSX document, it has occasionally been seen that the red screen appears as a conflict with the graphics card or one of its drivers.
• Nvidia Red Screen: If you use graphics cards from this manufacturer, there could be a problem that causes the red screen because of the overclocking that you performed. It can occur due to an outdated or incompatible audio/video driver.

Fix Red Screen of Death on Windows 10/11

There are several possible fixes for the Red Screen Windows infection like there are solutions for any system failure. The secret is to as clearly identify the issue as you can. So given below are ten fixes to solve the problem of the red screen appearing on your screen.

1. Restart Your PC
2. Unplug All External Devices and Reconnect the Power Cable
3. Update your BIOS/UEFI to Fix the RSOD Error
4. Reinstall Your Memory to Fix the Red Screen of Death
5. Remove Overclock Settings to Fix the Error
6. Uninstall softOSD.exe Process
7. Modify the Settings.ini File
8. Reinstall AMD Drivers and Turn On Include Subfolders
9. Uninstall the Recently Installed Software
10. Reinstall Windows to fix the RSOD Error

You may need admin permission for some of these solutions.

1] Restart Your PC 

Restarting your PC and waiting a few minutes patiently is the first and most common solution you can try to fix the Red Screen of Death problem on your Windows PC. Restarting your PC can sometimes solve this problem, so always give it a shot and wait for the best outcome. To restart your PC, follow the instructions below.

2] Unplug All External Devices and Reconnect the Power Cable 

If the first solution is unsuccessful, you should unplug all external devices and reconnect the power cord. The Red Screen of Death problem is sometimes caused by external hardware failure. Use the PC for some time without the external device, and if you don’t get any RSOD, plug them one by one to figure out which caused the problem.

3] Update your BIOS/UEFI to Fix RSOD Error 

Your BIOS/UEFI may occasionally cause a Red screen on Windows, and you will need to upgrade it to resolve the issue.

If you plan to update your BIOS, read the instructions to prevent unwanted damage. Most motherboard manufacturers give instructions on their websites about how to update BIOS. You must visit the company’s website that matches your motherboard and obtain the most recent version if you want to update your BIOS/UEFI.

4] Reinstall Your Memory to Fix the Red Screen of Death 

The memory (RAM) issue on your PC may result in the Red screen of death problem. It would be best if you tried reinstalling your RAM to resolve this problem. To comprehend the entire procedure, adhere to the stages below.

• Start turning off your PC and disconnecting the power cable.
• Now, take off the PC’s cover and the memory from the device.
• Install the memory back into your PC after cleaning the memory (the golden contact part) using an eraser.
• After that, switch on your PC by connecting the cover and power cable.

Check to see whether the problem has been resolved now.

5] Remove Overclock Settings to Fix the Error

Some systems allow overclocking, which is done to improve hardware performance by changing the behavior of the voltage, frequency, or clock multiplier. However, due to high temperature, this setup in the CPU or GPU can result in serious issues.  While the quick resolution is to increase the speed of the Fans, a better solution is to remove the overclocking settings or tweak them.

6] Uninstall softOSD.exe Process

For connected hardware displays, SoftOSD serves as a manager. The softOSD interface, a direct display-control application that can manage and alter display settings independently of the operating system, is run by the softOSD.exe application. This can be safely deleted because it is not a necessary Windows program. Here is how to uninstall softOSD.

• Press the Window key + I and choose Apps > Apps & features.
• Next, under the Apps list, find softOSD by searching the list.
• Click the vertical dot menu to open the advanced option when you locate it.
• Stop the program, and then uninstall it.

Restart your PC and check whether the red screen has disappeared.

7] Modify the Settings.ini File of the Game

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (BFBC 2), a shooter game, is often known to create the red screen of death error on Windows. Although the reasons are unknown, you can fix the error by modifying the settings.ini file related to the game. Here is how to go about it:

• Open File Explorer and go to Documents.
• Open BFBC 2 by double-clicking on it. For some users, the game is found inside the My Games sub-folder.
• Find the settings.ini file, right-click on it, and choose Open With > Notepad.
• Once the file opens up, find the line that says DxVersion=auto and replace it with DxVersion=9. Make sure you do not change any other lines, as it may cause your game to stop working.
• Go to File > Save to save the changes.

Now, run the game and check whether you solved the red screen of death error.

8] Reinstall AMD Drivers 

On some systems, the AMD graphics drivers might occasionally cause the red screen of death problem. If so, you must obtain the most recent AMD Windows drivers, install them, and update the driver if one is available.

9] Uninstall Recently Installed Software

Sometimes installing new programs causes the red screen problem. You should uninstall those programs if they caused your PC to display a red screen problem after recently installing any new programs. Follow the steps given below to uninstall recent programs.

• Press the Windows key + I to open Settings and choose Apps > Apps & features.
• Next, under the Apps list, click on the drop-down option next to Sort by and choose the Install date option.
• It will detect recently installed apps. Now, click on the three dots next to the app and choose Uninstall.

Check whether your problem has been resolved after deleting the most current apps installed.

10] Reinstall Windows to Fix the RSOD Error

Users regularly upgrade or change the PC’s motherboard but cannot reinstall the operating system. Windows files can occasionally become severely corrupted or infected by malware. So, your PC screen turned red for this reason. The best course of action at this time is to reinstall Windows. Make sure to take a backup of your files before doing it.

Conclusion 

In other words, the Red Screen of Death on Windows prevents you from performing any actions and forces you to restart your PC. However, you are fortunate because you are already aware of the excellent fixes for this issue.

How Many Screens of Death Are There in Windows?

While the most common screen of death for Windows PC is blue, aka BSOD, there are various colors of screen death. The list includes Black, Red, Green, White, Purple, Gray, Yellow, and Brown. Every screen of death includes a code and the reason for the error that stays for a while on the screen unless the PC reboots. Note the code and search for the same to find how others resolved the problem.

What Is The Reason for The Green Screen of Death on Windows?

The Green Screen of Death on Windows is because of the critical failure of Windows. Most of the time, it is either due to the failed hardware or the low-level software operating in the kernel of Windows. The stop screen should show you Stop Code: CRITICAL PROCESS DIED or a similar message. To fix the problem, you will need to check on connected peripherals, followed by other hardware on your PC.