Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET
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The Black Screen of Death is incredibly annoying, but often easily diagnosed.
The most common culprits are outdated software or faulty drivers.
With a few quick fixes and basic maintenance, you can restore your computer and avoid costly repairs.
Why is it that your computer always decides to crash at the worst possible time? You could be in the middle of a productive work session when suddenly the Black Screen of Death rears its ugly head (or Blue Screen, if you're still running an older OS than Windows 11). Even the most well-maintained isn't immune.
Also: How much RAM do you need in 2025? My expert advice for Windows and Mac users
Usually, these problems are caused by something simple, like running too many processes in the background, causing your computer to run out of RAM and crashing under the heavy duress.
Restarting your computer and closing extra apps is often the easiest solution, but sometimes, you'll need to take a more hands-on approach with your Windows PC.
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