Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is one of the common errors that many window users encounter. However, not many Mac users are aware of this issue, as it is once in a blue moon scenario. Nonetheless, this issue can be fixed easily, so there is nothing to be worried about.
A blue screen (sometimes black, depending on the model and year of your device) on start-up indicates an issue with start-up items or software error. But sometimes, it is none of these. BSOD could also be a scam viewed in a pop-up window that you might get by clicking on a link.
So, you first need to ensure that it is not a scam that you encountered. But, if you are sure that it is BSOD, here’s how you can troubleshoot it.
Disconnect Peripherals
First of all, you need to disconnect the devices such as the printer, microphone, or scanner that might be plugged into your system. There could be a possibility that the error occurred due to one of the peripherals.
Note: If you are using a desktop Mac, you need not unplug the keyboard and mouse.
Try Rebooting
After unplugging all the peripherals, shut down your device for 30 seconds. Try to boot Mac again. If you don’t face the BSOD error again, it means that your peripherals were the culprit. You can try to connect peripherals one by one to check which device caused the error. However, if the issue is still not resolved, it may be a start-up issue.
Boot In Safe Mode
Try starting your Mac in safe mode. Press and hold the Shift Key immediately when you see the brand logo. It can help in fixing the problem. To check whether it worked or not, try rebooting the system normally.
Update Operating System
Another thing you can do is to check whether the system needs any updates.
Go to the Apple Menu on the top left corner > Select About Mac > Software Update.
Click update if your system is outdated. However, if you face an issue of crashing or freezing during download and can’t update it, try resolving this issue first. Check whether there is enough space in the system and retry the download.
Check Login Items
After the system is up to date, check your login items.
Go to System Preferences > Click Users & Groups > Click on your User Account > Select Login Items Tab.
Click the items you don’t need and delete them by clicking on [ – ]. After that, try restarting your Mac.
Note: You can take a screenshot of the login items if you want to add them after the issue is resolved.
Run Disk Utility
To access Disk Utility, press Command + Space and type “Disk Utility”. In case you are facing trouble running Disk Utility in Safe Mode, try doing it in Recovery Mode. For this, Hold Command and the “R” key while starting Mac.
To sum it all up!
Although the error of Blue Screen of Death is very rare for Mac users, it is crucial to know how you can resolve it for “just in case” scenarios. Besides, the troubleshooting methods are effortless, so you won’t face any problem starting your device.
