The most common cause is a bad or outdated driver, especially for the graphics card, motherboard, or built-in audio. Other causes are unstable overclocking, bad RAM, or problems from third-party programs like emulators or undervolting tools.
1. Install Pending Updates
Often, outdated operating system components are the cause of this problem, so it’s important to keep your Windows operating system up to date at all times.
2. Disable Overclocking Software
The aim of overclocking is to boost your computer’s performance by making certain components run faster than their recommended speeds. However, overclocking can sometimes make your system unstable, which can lead to issues like this BSOD. To address the problem, disable any overclocking tools you’ve installed and avoid using programs that put extra stress on your hardware, such as some browsers or resource-heavy applications.
3. Update Realtek Audio Driver
The BSOD may also be triggered by an outdated Realtek audio driver. To fix this, download and install the latest version of the Realtek audio driver. Many users have resolved the issue by updating their audio drivers, so we recommend trying this step.
4. Repair Disks
Over time, your hard drive can develop errors due to unexpected shutdowns, software crashes, or other issues. These errors not only affect your hard drive’s life but can also cause problems like the BSOD we’re discussing here. You can use Windows’ built-in tools to check and repair these errors. When your computer restarts, CHKDSK will detect and fix errors or bad sectors on your hard drive.
5. Check Your System’s RAM
You might be facing the BSOD due to problems with your system’s RAM. You can check for memory issues with the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool, which helps identify issues like freezing, slowdowns, or blue screens. This tool lets you check if any applications on your computer are experiencing memory errors. If no memory errors are found, your RAM is likely working fine. In that case, continue with the next troubleshooting step. If errors are detected, you should contact your PC manufacturer, as memory errors often point to hardware problems. You can also use Passmark Memtest 86 freeware to further check and diagnose your RAM.
6. Repair Install or Clean Install
If none of the steps above resolve the BSOD with ntoskrnl.exe+3f73b0, your last option might be to reinstall Windows. There are two main approaches: Repair Install and Clean Install. Clean installing – This will install a fresh copy of Windows. Choose this option if you want to start over completely. Be aware that it will erase all files on the same partition as Windows, so make sure to back up your data first. Repair installing – This in-place repair process replaces corrupted or missing Windows files without deleting your personal files, apps, or games. It takes a bit longer, so be sure to allow some extra time for the process.
