This article is part of a continuing series on Blue Screen of Death errors. A Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) is the error screen you see when Windows has a major issue. It halts the PC and displays some very important information.

Depending on the error message you get, the steps you need to take are different.

Error Name:
DATA_BUS_ERROR

You may also see this error under a different name, but with the error code STOP 0x0000002E at the bottom.

This one is related to a hardware failure, and almost always results from bad memory: either system memory, or memory on your video card.

If you recently installed memory or a new video card, it may be faulty. Put in your old memory or video card and see if the problem goes away. If it does, you may need to return your bad hardware.

This may also be caused by existing memory that has gone bad over time. If you are able to do so, boot into Windows and run a memory test.

Testing Memory

1. Click Start
2. Click Control Panel
3. In the search box, type Memory
4. Click Diagnose your Computer’s Memory Problems

In the Memory Diagnostic Tool, you can either choose to restart immediately and check for problems, or check the next time the PC reboots. If there are problems, Windows will tell you about them at that time, and you’ll know whether you need new memory.

Upgrading Memory