Windows 7 / Getting Started

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Stop Message Checklist

Stop messages provide diagnostic information, such as Stop codes and driver names, that you can use to resolve the problem. However, this information disappears when you restart your computer. Therefore, for future reference, it is important to record the information displayed. When a Stop message appears, follow these steps before restarting the system:

1. Record any data found in the Bugcheck Information and Driver Information sections for future reference.
2. Record and evaluate suggestions found in the Recommended User Action section. Stop messages typically provide troubleshooting tips relevant to the error.
3. Check the Stop message Debug Port and Dump Status Information section to verify that Windows successfully dumped memory contents to the paging file. Then proceed with your troubleshooting efforts.
4. After you resolve the problem or can at least start the computer, you can copy the memory dump file to another location, such as removable media, for further evaluation. Analyzing memory dump files can assist you with identifying root causes by providing you with detailed information about the system state when the Stop message occurred. For more information about creating and analyzing memory dump files, see the section titled "Memory Dump Files" earlier in this tutorial.

By following the preceding steps, you can save important information to which you can refer when using the resources listed in the section titled "Stop Message Overview" earlier in this tutorial. Stop messages do not always point to the root of the problem, but they do provide important clues that you or a trained support technician can use to identify and troubleshoot a problem.