IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL after new SSD and Winows 11 install

Question

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL after new SSD and Win 11 install

I’m stuck with constant Blue Screens (BSOD) and need help. The errors always point to ntoskrnl.exe with the code IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL.

My Specs:

CPU: Ryzen 5 3600

GPU: RTX 3060 12GB

Mobo: MSI B450M MORTAR

SSD: 512GB ADATA Legend 710 (Brand New)

Wifi Card: wi-fi 6e ax210 160mhz

What I’ve already tried:

• Fresh Windows 11 install on the new SSD.
• Update Windows 11
• Updated BIOS to the latest version and reset to defaults.
• Re-seated the GPU, RAM, and CMOS battery.
• Passed MemTest86 with zero errors.
• Applied new thermal paste to the CPU.
• run SFC and DISM. Nothing Happend.

++ Despite this, the crashes continue. The specific offsets are +24865b, +58a74a, +4fba80, and +6bece9.

+++Is this a failing CPU or a weird RAM issue even though MemTest passed? Could it be the new ADATA drive? I’m out of ideas on what to test next. Any advice is appreciated.

My minidump can be found here https://files.catbox.moe/sgt3ql.rar

Answer 1

Your minidump files just indicate generic memory (RAM) corruption no specific cause of the crashes is listed

If clean installing Windows did not result in a stable and responsive system, that usually indicates there is an underlying hardware fault causing the crashes.

1

If you are overclocking your CPU, disable that, if there is an XMP profile set on your RAM in BIOS, disable that

Wait to see if your system is stable.

2

If not, to try to force Windows to show any faulting drivers... etc., the best option would be to turn on Driver Verifier, let your PC crash 3 times, then you must turn off Driver Verifier, and finally, upload any newly created minidump files

Before you run Driver Verifier, please create a new System Restore Point

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/4377096/(article)-driver-verifier-tracking-down-a-mis-beha?forum=windows-windows_10-update&referrer=answers

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Note, if you have any difficulty getting into Windows with Driver Verifier enabled:

Start your PC, just as Windows attempts to load (spinning dots), press and hold Power Button for 5 - 10 seconds to perform a Hard Shut Down

Do this twice

On the third start Windows will boot into the Recovery Environment and from there you can access System Repair, Safe Mode, Command Prompt... etc.

Go to Troubleshoot - Advanced Option - Startup Settings and click Restart

Upon restart, press 4 to enter Safe Mode

Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run these two commands, then restart your PC.

verifier /reset

verifier /bootmode resetonbootfail

Answer 2

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (0xA) is a Blue Screen (stop code) that typically indicates a driver, memory, or kernel‑mode software problem.

Given that Windows 11 is freshly installed and SFC/DISM and MemTest86 show no issues, the next steps should focus on:

1. Check for device/driver issues in Device Manager
   1. Right‑click Start and select Device Manager.
   2. Look for any devices with a yellow exclamation mark (!).
   3. For any such device, right‑click → Update driver.
   4. If updating does not help, temporarily Disable or Uninstall the device and test system stability.
   Pay particular attention to:
   • Chipset drivers (for the B450 motherboard).
   • Storage/SATA/NVMe controller drivers.
   • Wi‑Fi 6E AX210 card drivers.
2. Boot and test in Safe Mode
   1. Use the steps in Start your PC in safe mode in Windows 11 (linked from the Windows stop‑code article).
   2. In Safe Mode, use the PC for a while:
      • If BSODs stop, this strongly points to a third‑party driver or service.
      • Then re‑enable drivers/services gradually (for example, uninstall third‑party antivirus, RGB tools, overclocking utilities, vendor utilities) until the crashes reappear.
3. Basic stop‑code troubleshooting for Windows 11 Follow the general guidance for repeated stop‑code errors:
   1. Remove any new hardware temporarily (if possible):
      • If the Wi‑Fi 6E card was added recently, remove it and test.
   2. Check free disk space on the SSD:
      • Ensure at least 10–15% free space so Windows can create paging/swap files and crash dumps.
   3. Install all Windows Updates:
      • Go to Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates and install everything offered.
   4. If the problem persists after these steps, consider Recovery options such as a repair/restore as described under Recovery options in Windows 11.
4. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic as an additional RAM check MemTest86 passing is good, but Windows’ own diagnostic can still be useful:
   1. Save work and close apps.
   2. Right‑click Start → Run (or press Windows key + R).
   3. Type mdsched and select OK.
   4. Choose Restart now and check for problems (recommended).
   5. Let the Standard test complete. If no issues are found, optionally run an Extended test:
      • On the blue Windows Memory Diagnostic screen, press F1.
      • Under Test Mix, change Standard to Extended using the arrow keys.
      • Press F10 to apply and continue.
   6. After Windows restarts and signs in, check the notification area for the test result.
   7. If no notification appears, view results in Event Viewer:
      • Right‑click Start → Event Viewer.
      • Navigate to Event Viewer (Local) > Application and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > MemoryDiagnostics‑Results > Debug.
      • Look for events; Event ID 2001 indicates no memory errors were detected.
5. If BSODs persist after all of the above
   • Use the stop code and any driver/module names shown on the BSOD to narrow down the offending driver.
   • If repeated crashes continue even after:
     • All drivers are current,
     • Safe Mode is stable but normal mode is not, and
     • Memory diagnostics show no errors, then the likely causes are:
       • A faulty or incompatible driver (chipset, storage, Wi‑Fi, GPU), or
       • Less commonly, a hardware issue (motherboard, CPU, or SSD controller).
   • At that point, follow the broader guidance in Resolving Blue Screen errors in Windows for additional advanced steps.

These steps help distinguish between driver/software issues and underlying hardware faults without assuming the CPU or SSD is bad.

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References:

• Troubleshooting Windows unexpected restarts and stop code errors
• How to fix Error 0xA: IRQL_not_less_or_equal