Question

a user reported that a pop up from a website appeared on the screen just before the system blue screen of death(BSOD) crash producing a memory dump. Post a proposed steps, actions, processes, procedures and/or recommendations on how to respond to the incident.

Answer 1

A blue screen memory dump is an error screen that comes up just before the system gets rebooted. This happens because the operating system is no longer able to function properly due to a variety of reasons.

This problem is encountered in various versions of Windows OS and is popularly called as Blue Screen of Death (BSoD).

Fixing a blue screen memory dump will be based on the specific error which is displayed on the screen. Sometimes it is difficult to figure out the particular error based on the information specified on the screen, and therefore we perform specific correction strategies.

This are few steps which which address frequently encountered problems in BSoD.

1. ​​​​​Check Recently Installed Hardware and Device Drivers Drive: It has been found that many times BSoD occurs because of a faulty device driver or there is a conflict with the recently installed hardware. In such cases, try the latest version of the driver and reinstall the hardware, but before that make sure the hardware is compatible with your system. Sometimes the problem also could be that the device driver has not been properly configured to meet the requirements of the system.
2. Repair your Registry: The second most common cause of BSoD is a Registry that has become corrupted or has a lot of invalid entries. The best course of action would be to buy special software which automatically scans and fixes problems in the Registry.
3. Check CMOS and Memory Modules: If the error message on the BSoD reads "UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP," then it indicates you have problem with the memory of your computer. You need to check whether the SIMMs (Single Inline Memory Modules) are compatible and have the same speed. Secondly, also check whether you have set the CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) to the right amount of RAM. If these solutions do not work, you might have to replace memory in your computer.
4. Rectify a Damaged Hard Drive: Sometimes the cause of BSoD is a faulty hard disk. Most Windows operating systems have a diagnostic scan for the hard drive, and you need to run this to figure out the problem. Sometimes the operating system will encounter a problem where it is unable to read from the hard disk, and in such cases apart from the hard disk, you also need to check out the SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) terminator.
5. Scan for Virus: BSoD problem can also be caused by a virus which has infected crucial files in the hard drive that might disrupt the flow of information between the operating system and hard drive. If you have already installed antivirus software, you might have to scan your computer with a new one.