Since the release of Windows XP, Microsoft designed Windows to automatically reboot when errors occur, such as a BSoD. Although this may be nice for errors that do not occur often, users who have a re-occurring error may want to identify the error to troubleshoot it. Below are the steps on how this feature can be disabled and enabled in Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10.
1. From the desktop, right-click on My Computer. In Windows 8 and 10, open File Explorer and right-click on This PC in the left navigation pane.
2. Select the Properties option in the pop-up menu.
3. In the System Properties window, click the Advanced tab or the Advanced system settings link.
4. On the Advanced tab, click the Settings button under Startup and Recovery.
5. In the Startup and Recovery window, unchecked the Automatically restart check box.
6. Click OK.
Now if the computer generates an error, it should not automatically restart and should display an error message, most likely a BSoD.