Games randomly crashing to desktop and BSODs every now and then.

Understanding and Troubleshooting Random Game Crashes and System Blue Screens: A Technical Guide

Experiencing stability issues during gaming sessions can be frustrating and disruptive. When a computer crashes randomly to the desktop or encounters Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors intermittently, it often indicates underlying hardware or software conflicts. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of common causes and effective troubleshooting steps for such issues, tailored for users equipped with a mid-range system featuring AMD Ryzen processors.

System Configuration Overview
– Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 4600G
– Memory: 16GB (2x8GB) RAM
– Storage: 256GB M.2 SSD
– Motherboard: ASRock B450M-HDV R4.0
– Operating System: Windows 11 (Version 24H2, Build 26100.3149)
– Graphics Software: AMD Radeon Adrenaline 25.8.1

Common Symptoms
– Random game crashes to the desktop without error messages
– Occasional BSODs with various error codes, e.g., DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
– System instability during gaming or intensive tasks

Initial Troubleshooting Steps

1. Verify Hardware Stability
2. Memory Testing:
3. Use MemTest86 to perform thorough RAM diagnostics.
4. Recommended: Run multiple passes over several hours; a clean pass generally indicates RAM stability.
5. Check for Overheating:
6. Monitor CPU and GPU temperatures using utilities like HWMonitor or Ryzen Master.

7. Ensure cooling solutions are adequate and fans are functioning properly.

8. Investigate Driver and Software Issues

9. Graphics Driver:
10. Confirm that AMD Radeon Adrenaline Software is up to date.
11. To update drivers:
    a. Download the latest driver package directly from AMD’s official website.
    b. Use ‘Display Driver Uninstaller’ (DDU) in Safe Mode to remove existing drivers completely before installation.
12. Rolling back to a previous driver version:
    a. Open Device Manager.
    b. Locate your display adapter.
    c. Right-click and select ‘Properties’.
    d. Under the ‘Driver’ tab, choose ‘Roll Back Driver’ if available.
13. Windows Update:

14. While updates are currently disabled, consider installing the latest Windows updates to fix known bugs and improve system stability once ready.

15. Check for Power and BIOS Settings

16. Power Management:
17. Adjust Windows power plan to ‘High Performance’.