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BSOD DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL — Blue Screen Driver Memory Access Error

Criticalbsod

Overview

Fix the DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL blue screen error caused by a driver attempting to access an invalid memory address at an elevated interrupt level.

Key Details

  • Stop code DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (0x000000D1) indicates a driver accessed invalid memory at a high IRQL
  • IRQL (Interrupt Request Level) is the priority level at which a driver's code runs in the kernel
  • Drivers at elevated IRQL can only access non-paged memory — accessing paged memory causes this BSOD
  • The BSOD message usually names the offending driver file (.sys) that caused the crash
  • This is one of the most common blue screen errors and is almost always caused by a faulty driver

Common Causes

  • Network adapter driver (commonly ndis.sys, tcpip.sys, or manufacturer drivers) accessing invalid memory
  • Recently installed or updated driver incompatible with the current Windows version
  • Faulty RAM causing memory access errors that trigger the IRQL check
  • Overclocked system causing memory instability at elevated interrupt levels

Steps

  1. 1Note the driver file name shown on the BSOD screen (e.g., ndis.sys, igdkmd64.sys)
  2. 2Boot into Safe Mode: hold Shift while clicking Restart > Troubleshoot > Startup Settings > Safe Mode
  3. 3Update or roll back the identified driver: Device Manager > right-click device > Update driver or Roll Back
  4. 4Run memory diagnostic: Win+R > mdsched.exe > Restart now and check for problems
  5. 5If caused by overclocking, reset CPU and RAM to default clock speeds in BIOS

Tags

bsoddriver-irqlblue-screendrivermemory

More in Bsod

windows-0000000A-irql-not-less-or-equalWindows Error 0x0000000A — IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL
Critical
windows-00000050-page-fault-in-nonpaged-areaWindows Error 0x00000050 — PAGE FAULT IN NONPAGED AREA
Critical
windows-0000007E-system-thread-exception-not-handledWindows Error 0x0000007E — SYSTEM THREAD EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED
Critical
windows-0000007A-kernel-data-inpage-errorWindows Error 0x0000007A — KERNEL DATA INPAGE ERROR
Critical
windows-000000EF-critical-process-diedWindows Error 0x000000EF — CRITICAL PROCESS DIED
Critical
windows-00000133-dpc-watchdog-violationWindows Error 0x00000133 — DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION
Critical

Frequently Asked Questions

Interrupt Request Level (IRQL) is the priority at which kernel code runs. Higher IRQL code has restricted memory access. If a driver at high IRQL tries to access memory that has been paged to disk, Windows crashes to prevent data corruption.