computer suddenly blanks out to blue screen

[BA1313]

Sometimes when I am on my computer, my screen suddenly goes to a solid blue screen and I have no control over my cursor. The only way to "recover" is to ctrl + alt + del and sign out.

However, sometimes, I cannot sign out because before I can arrow down to sign out, it goes back to the solid blue screen. Then I have to do a hard turn off.

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @BA1313,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.
 

Thank you for posting your query. I will be glad to help you.

That sounds frustrating, especially when the screen locks up and forces a hard shutdown. A solid blue screen (not the typical BSOD with error codes) often points to:

Possible Causes

• Display driver crash (GPU driver freezing the UI)
• Windows Explorer or Shell hang
• Faulty hardware acceleration in apps
• Corrupted system files or outdated drivers

Steps to Fix It

1. Update Graphics Drivers

• Open Device Manager → Display adapters → Update driver.
• Or use HP Support Assistant to install the latest drivers for your desktop.
   

2. Disable Hardware Acceleration

• In browsers (Chrome/Edge) and apps like Office, turn off hardware acceleration.
• This prevents GPU-related freezes.
   

3. Run System File Checker

Open Command Prompt (Admin) and run:

sfc /scannow

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

This repairs corrupted system files.
 

4. Check Event Viewer

• Press Win + X → Event Viewer → Windows Logs → System.
• Look for critical errors around the time of the freeze (often display driver or explorer.exe).
   

5. Update BIOS & Windows

• Use HP Support Assistant for BIOS updates.
• Ensure Windows is fully updated.
   

6. Test Hardware

• Run HP PC Hardware Diagnostics (press F2 at startup).
• Check memory and GPU health.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have an amazing day!
 

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Regards,

VikramTheGreat