Sudden blank blue screen with cursor

[teahouse]

Hello. I have an Asus A455L Notebook laptop.
Lately, since two weeks ago I have noticed this problem. Sometimes during restart or whenever I'm using my laptop, the desktop screen would suddenly turn into blue with a cursor. Just blank, no words on the screen. I am not able to navigate to 'start' even when I press windows key.

So the only choice I have is to press off button and restart.. but when the screen turned blue, my music was still playing, I just couldn't see anything on the screen. and if it crashes while I'm browsing the web, I notice the task bar also turns blue and when I minimize my browser, the screen is blue but I can still view my browser..

Specs:

• Memory: 4GB
• Local Disk (C: ) : 782 GB free of 910 GB
• OS: Windows 8
• Processor: Intel CORE i5
• NVDIA GEFORCE 820M

with Intel HD Graphics Card. I'm not very familiar with drivers and computers but this is all I can list down so far.. I attach a list of programs I've installed lately below . Help please?

 

[The Owl]

Doubt if its a program sounds like either a driver or a "Windows" update not correctly taken

 

[bazz2004]

Rather than tackling this directly I'd consider simply updating your OS to Windows 10. That will solve the problem if there is a Windows error. You will be in with a good chance of solving the problem for nothing as the upgrade is free. Windows 8 has little to recommend it. If the problem persists in Windows 10 it's most likely a hardware issue. If it's the graphics chip and updating the drivers doesn't work you will be shortly looking for a new laptop.

 

[The Owl]

I would agree if your on 8 but try 8.1 they cured most of the problems in that as for W10 good luck it will probably come as no surprise but I am sticking with 7

 

[Cycloid Torus]

Several similar reports indicate this may be a problem of corruption in the user profile or failing hard drive or heat (which you will not feel if it is under a blanket of dust). Please make good notes of your activity and of the symptoms of the problem as they appear.

Your first step, open a new 'administrator' user for if you only have one and that is corrupt it is harder to recover.

Since malware is nasty, please clean boot in safe mode into your new administrative account and run your anti-virus and anti-malware. Restart in the new administrative account and download and run the free Malwarebytes Anti-malware if you do not already have it. Please report those results.

Please give some more information. OS: 8 or 8.1? What region of the world are you in (120v or 240v; hot/cold environment, etc)? How long have you been using the machine? When did you last clean it (sometimes a can of air blows the problems away)? Action Center warnings? SMART report on HDD? Checkdisk? Event Viewer: critical errors?

If there is no indication of any other problem (especially hardware issues), then please run System File Checker:
( https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/929833 )

If still experiencing the problem, please search web on "windows 8 blank blue screen after login" and read through them to identify the symptoms closest to what you are experiencing - details like error messages, etc can help shape the correction.

 

[bazz2004]

It's never good to shut down from the power button so first press control, alt, delete. If Task Manager comes up log off and then see if you can log back in. I used to do that with my XP desktop which would boot to just the background picture.

 

[teahouse]

Edit: I'm sorry my OS is Windows 8.1. (I'll fix that in my post)
RAM : 8.00GB, 64-bit OS

I don't think it is heat-related problem because then, my pc should suddenly shut down itself rather than have its screen turn blue. the screen turns blue sometimes just after it normally restarts to normal desktop screen briefly. I have not yet tried Malwarebytes...is it free?

it is 81 °F today, and environment is cloudy...we live in sunny climate. I've had this laptop since a year ago. it is new and the laptop model has an area for ventilation at the back. (not under)

I haven't updated to Windows 10 in fear of losing features on Windows 8.1,...is it good? if there are many good feedback, I might try upgrading my OS one day. maybe thats the problem or an update didn't take place correctly. I'm not sure if it is a driver problem.. I hope not.
!!! UPDATE: when the screen turned blue again, I pressed ctrl+alt+delete, I chose "Task Manager". then it appeared, the desktop came back to normal

@bazz2004 : thank you! and yes I know its not good to shut down like how I did before,... I just realized the function of ctrl+alt+delete. oops

 

[Cycloid Torus]

If you haven't cleaned out dust after a year, you should.

What were the results from running AV ? Anti-malware?

Action Center warnings? SMART report on HDD? Checkdisk? Event Viewer: critical errors?

 

[bazz2004]

It's dangerous to generalise but my desktop behaved as I described for a considerable time. I just control, alt, deleted logged out and then logged back in to complete the boot up. I never found the reason but it no longer seems to have this problem. In fact I didn't spend much time looking because the workaround only added a few seconds to boot up times.

I reckon Windows 10 is a big improvement although to my surprise there is strong resistance to it in some quarters. If you decide to upgrade I suggest sooner rather than later because there will be a big panic just before the deadline for the fee upgrade kicks in in the summer. Download the Media creation tool from Microsoft, allow a few hours with a good internet connection and the system will update and activate W10 automatically. You can opt to keep all your programs and documents so it's pretty straightforward.

 

[Cycloid Torus]

Possibly failing back light on display. Can you connect to external monitor?

 

[The Owl]

I'd be looking at a memory fault from what you are saying I.e. a "Slab" breaking down if you have more than one "Slab" in your machine take out one try it (it will be slow) but might still work without the BSOD if it does work you have found your problem first go if it does and you have two "slab" put the first back and take the second out and try if that cure it the second "slab" is buggered but which ever just buy a new slab or better yet get two new (bigger?) one's.

but don't forget to shut down while inside "Playing"

This is a simple way to check memory with out any test software and sometimes just unplugging and re plugging the memory can also help in that the connections might be "iffy" and the movement can cure iot.