Investigating the cause of IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL blue screen error

Question

I encountered a blue screen error with a message stating IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. Could someone please help me identify what caused this error? Below is the debugging information:

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (a)
An attempt was made to access a pageable (or completely invalid) address at an
interrupt request level (IRQL) that is too high.  This is usually
caused by drivers using improper addresses.
If a kernel debugger is available get the stack backtrace.

Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

Hello,

The blue screen error code "IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL" usually refers to the memory address that the driver is trying to access at a permission level that is too high for the current run level.

Further confirm your device environment: Is your device a newly enabled device? Has this blue screen fault occurred before? Does it specifically occur when a particular software program is running?

We can try the following steps to troubleshoot the problem:

1. Check all hardware for driver updates.
2. In Windows, start the computer in safe mode for testing, troubleshooting problem drivers and interference from third-party applications or services.
3. Some programs may cause memory access errors due to improper coding. Try to uninstall the software or use the system recovery point to return to the previous state.
4. This error occurs when the memory module is incompatible, damaged, or the system overheats. Make sure all hardware components are compatible and that there are no signs of overheating or damage.
5. Use the built-in Windows memory diagnostic tool CHKDSK to check for RAM problems, and the SFC tool to check for software conflicts and system file corruption.

Right-click the Start button and select Command Prompt (Administrator) to bring up the promoted command prompt. At the command prompt, run the following commands:

sfc /scannow

chkdsk /f /r

Then restart the computer.

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