If you’re getting the blue screen of death (BSOD) error DATA_BUS_Error, try not to panic. You can fix the issue on your own, and this post will show you what you need to do.

The DATA_BUS_Error typically occurs due to one of these reasons:

• Hardware issues
• Driver issues
• Memory problem

Like with most BSOD errors (if not all), it’s not possible determine the root cause of DATA_BUS_ERROR right off the bat. Therefore, we recommend you try the following solutions one-by-one.

Solution #1 – Resolve any hardware problems

Have you recently installed new hardware? If so, it could be the reason your Windows screen has turned blue all of a sudden with the DATA_BUS_ERROR message on it. Remove the new hardware and check if things return to normal. If not, perhaps an old hardware is the culprit.

Windows Event Viewer’s System log could help you pinpoint the old hardware that’s misbehaving. Here’s what you need to do to view it:

• Type event viewer in the Search bar in the taskbar and hit Enter
• Expand Windows Logs in the left-side pane and then click System

• Right-click System and choose Filter Current Log

• In the Logged drop down menu, specify the period in which the error occurred
• Check Error and Critical checkboxes and then click the OK button
• Go through the log details to find out the device that’s malfunctioning. Next, remove it and the error should be fixed

If all hardware are in good shape, move on to the next solution.

Solution #2 – Resolve Driver Issues

If you recently installed a new driver or updated an existing one, there’s a good chance the DATA_BUS_Windows error could be because of it. Uninstall this driver and check if that fixes the error.

Here’s what to do:

• Type device manager in the Search bar in the taskbar and hit Enter
• Click the device whose driver you had installed or updated and then select Uninstall device
• Check the Delete the driver software for this device checkbox and then click Uninstall

Now, check if the error is fixed.

Just like a recently-installed driver can cause issues, an old driver too can also trigger various errors. This is why experts recommend keeping your device drivers up-to-date. With a large number of device drivers installed on an average Windows computer, keeping track of what hardware device require an update can be an uphill task, not to mention manually updating drivers. For this reason, we recommend using a third-party tool such as Driver Updater. It updates all outdated drivers on your computer with a single-click. Cool, eh? For more information on this amazing software, check out the last section.

Coming back to the title BSOD error, if uninstalling a recently installed driver or updating old drivers doesn’t do any good, it’s time to run memory diagnostics.

Solution #3 – Run Memory Diagnostics

Here’s what you need to do to run memory diagnostics:

• Type memory in the Search bar in the taskbar and select Windows Memory Diagnostic in the Best Match field
• Windows will run memory tests now. Wait for some time for the tests to complete
• After the tests complete, you can check the results in System log by opening Event Viewer, right-click System and selecting Find. Next, type MemoryDiagnostics-Results in the Find what textbox and click Find Next
• Close the dialog box and go through the logs

If the tests report no errors, you can safely assume RAM is not the culprit. But if it is, try these solutions:

• Test RAM modules: Do you have multiple RAM modules installed? If so, take out all of them and then install one module at a time and check if the system runs fine. If one of the RAM modules is malfunctioning, you’ll be able to identify it this way.
• Test RAM slots: If the issue is not because of RAM modules, the problem could lie with one of the RAM slots. To identify the problematic RAM slot, insert a RAM stick into one slot, boot the computer, and check if it’s working properly. If the DATA_BUS_ERROR is because of a memory slot, contact your local computer hardware technician to get it fixed.

Note: To test RAM modules and RAM slots, you’ll need to open up the computer. If you’re not sure that is something you can handle, have a technician do it for you.

Solution #4 – Resolve hard drive issues

Another thing that often causes the titled error is bad hard drive sectors. Fortunately, Windows computers come pre-installed with a utility called CHKDSK, which scans for and fixes bad sectors.

To run CHKDSK, perform these steps:

• Type command prompt in the Search bar in the taskbar, right-click Command Prompt in search results, and select Run as administrator

• Type chkdsk C: /f/r/x in the Command Prompt and hit Enter

• Wait for the scan to complete

Reboot your computer and check if the issue is resolved.

Solution #5 – Run a malware scan

Run a full system scan using your antivirus tool to ensure there are no virus or malware on your computer. If the scan finds anything fishy, delete or quarantine it. Next, reboot Windows and check if you’re still getting the error.

Solution #6 – Update BIOS

The solution in the list is updating BIOS. However, before you proceed with updating BIOS, we strongly recommend back up important data and system settings. Even though a BIOS update usually doesn’t impact data stored on the hard drive, creating a backup acts a safety net if unforeseen complications arise.

Once you’ve backed up important data, it’s time to identify your motherboard and BIOS model. Here’s what to do:

• Press Windows + R keys to launch the run dialog box
• Type msinfo32 and hit Enter
• In the right-side pane, you’ll find important information about your system, including motherboard manufacturer and model and BIOS version

Now that you have the required details, go to the manufacturer’s website to check if a new BIOS update is available. If it is, download the file (it’ll be a zip file) and copy it onto a flash drive. Next, perform these steps to update the BIOS:

• Go to Start > Power and then click Restart while pressing Shift to access Advanced Startup Options. Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings and then choose Restart to boot into UEFI BIOS.
• Go to UEFI firmware update tool and choose BIOS update file that you copied to the flash drive to initiate the update process

Restart Windows normally after BIOS update completes and check if the problem is fixed.

That’s it! Which method worked for you? Let us know by leaving a comment and share the post so others can benefit from it.

Now, as promised earlier, here’s more information on Driver Updater

Automatic driver update tools offer many benefits, the most important ones being:

• You can update device drivers automatically
• The software scans and updates all outdated or missing drivers at one go
• The tool picks the right drivers for your device and operating system, so you won’t have to worry about installing an incorrect driver by mistake
• Automatic driver updates are 100% safe

Driver Updater is one of the best driver update tools out there. Outbyte Driver Updater will give you access to a database of over 1 million drivers. It will regularly scan your PC, suggesting new driver versions to install. Driver Updater contains drivers for a variety of Windows devices. With just one click, you can update drivers in your system.

Step 1
Click here to Install and launch the app

Step 2
Scan all devices

Step 3
Install or update drivers automatically

 

Start Download