Blue screens: stop codes, dumps and driver suspects
Turn a stop code and a crash dump into a short list of suspects, and test them safely.
- Level
- Advanced
- Length
- About 45 minutes
- Contents
- 3 lessons · 1 video · final exam
- Status
- Published · updated 1 Oct 2026
Skills you'll practise
- Interpret common stop codes and what class of problem each usually indicates.
- Locate crash dumps and extract the key facts (stop code, parameters, probable driver).
- Plan tests that separate driver, hardware and firmware causes without making things worse.
Course outline
- 1.Blue screens: stop codes, dumps and driver suspectsVideo · 5 min
- 2.Reading a stop codeLesson · 8 min
- 3.Testing the suspectsLesson · 8 min
- 4.Dump types, dump settings and a first read of !analyze -vLesson · 10 min
- 5.Blue screens: stop codes, dumps and driver suspects: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 23 questions
- 6.Blue screens: stop codes, dumps and driver suspects: practical exerciseKnowledge check · 1 question
- 7.Blue screens after a graphics driver updateScenario
- 8.Final exam5 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out
Sources it draws on
The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.
- Microsoft Learn: Bug check code reference
- Microsoft Learn: Analyze crash dump files by using WinDbg
- Microsoft Learn: Windows memory dump file options
- Microsoft Support: Troubleshoot blue screen errors
See it with your own jobs and topics
Tell us about your team and we'll walk you through setup, from choosing jobs to your first skills check.