Question:

How can I resolve the frequent blue screen of death (BSOD) errors on my Windows 10 system caused by driver issues?

I have been experiencing BSOD errors for about a year, even after replacing my RAM, GPU, and SSD. The error code is

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (d1)

, which indicates that a driver tried to access an invalid or pageable memory address at a high interrupt request level (IRQL). Here is an example of a minidump file generated by the system after a crash:

“`

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (d1)

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 kernel debugger is available get stack backtrace.

Arguments:

Arg1:

0000000000000000

, memory referenced

Arg2: 00000000000000ff, IRQL

Arg3: 000000000000004e, value 0 = read operation, 1 = write operation

Arg4:

0000000000000000

, address which referenced memory

Debugging Details:

——————

KEY_VALUES_STRING: 1

Key : Analysis.CPU.mSec

Value: 1

156

Key : Analysis.Elapsed.mSec

Value: 2009

Key : Analysis.IO.Other.Mb

Value: 0

Key : Analysis.IO.Read.Mb

Value: 0

Key : Analysis.IO.Write.Mb

Value: 0

Key : Analysis.Init.CPU.mSec

Value: 1

09

Key : Analysis.Init.Elapsed.mSec

Value: 8173

Key : Analysis.Memory.CommitPeak.Mb

Value: 87

Key : Bugcheck.Code.LegacyAPI

Value: 0

xd1

Key : Dump.Attributes.AsUlong

Value: 1

008

Key : Dump.Attributes.DiagDataWrittenToHeader

Value: 1

Key : Dump.Attributes.ErrorCode

Value: 0

Key : Dump.Attributes.KernelGeneratedTriageDump

Value: 1

Key : Dump.Attributes.LastLine

Value: Dump completed successfully.

Key : Dump.Attributes.ProgressPercentage

Value: 0

Key : Failure.Bucket

Value: AV_CODE_AV_NULL_IP_nt!KiPageFault

Key : Failure.Hash

Value: {4ce35ff9-c5cf-d66d-0323-0f05e33f6692}

BUGCHECK_CODE: d1

BUGCHECK_P1: 0

BUGCHECK_P2: ff

BUGCHECK_P3: 4e

BUGCHECK_P4: 0

FILE_IN_CAB: 021124-4984-01.dmp

DUMP_FILE_ATTRIBUTES: 0x1008

Kernel Generated Triage Dump

READ_ADDRESS: fffff8035451c470: Unable to get MiVisibleState

Unable to get NonPagedPoolStart

Unable to get NonPagedPoolEnd

Unable to get PagedPoolStart

Unable to get PagedPoolEnd

unable to get nt!MmSpecialPagesInUse

0000000000000000

PROCESS_NAME: dwm.exe

BLACKBOXBSD: 1 (!blackboxbsd)

BLACKBOXNTFS: 1 (!blackboxntfs)

BLACKBOXPNP: 1 (!blackboxpnp)

BLACKBOXWINLOGON: 1

CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT: 1

TRAP_FRAME: ffff938369092a30 — (.trap 0xffff938369092a30)

NOTE: The trap frame does not contain all registers.

Some register values may be zeroed or incorrect.

rax=0000000000000001 rbx=

0000000000000000

rcx=83cb79ab56ce0000 rdx=

0000000000000000

rsi=

0000000000000000

rdi=

0000000000000000

rip=

0000000000000000

rsp=ffff938369092bc0 rbp=0000000000000001 r8=

0000000000000000

r9=

0000000000000000

r10=ffff8001f3bee458 r11=ffff938369092b68 r12=

0000000000000000

r13=

0000000000000000

r14=

0000000000000000

r15=

0000000000000000

iopl=0 nv up di ng nz na pe nc

00000000`00000000 ?? ???

Resetting default scope

IP_IN_FREE_BLOCK: 0

FAILED_INSTRUCTION_ADDRESS:

+0

STACK_TEXT:

ffff9383`690928e8 fffff803`53c2c4e9 : 00000000`0000000a 00000000`00000000 00000000`000000ff 00000000`0000004e : nt!KeBugCheckEx

ffff9383`690928f0 fffff803`53c27a34 : 00000000`00000009 00000000`00000001 00000000`00040046 fffff803`53a10c51 : nt!KiBugCheckDispatch+0x69

ffff9383`69092a30 00000000`00000000 : ffff8001`f8db5080 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : nt!KiPageFault+0x474

SYMBOL_NAME: nt!KiPageFault+474

MODULE_NAME: nt

IMAGE_NAME: ntkrnlmp.exe

IMAGE_VERSION: 10.0.22621.3085

STACK_COMMAND: .cxr; .ecxr ; kb

BUCKET_ID_FUNC_OFFSET: 474

FAILURE_BUCKET_ID: AV_CODE_AV_NULL_IP_nt!KiPageFault

OSPLATFORM_TYPE: x64

OSNAME: Windows 10

FAILURE_ID_HASH: {4ce35ff9-c5cf-d66d-0323-0f05e33f6692}

Followup: MachineOwner

“`

What are the possible causes and solutions for this problem?

Answer:

Blue screen of death (BSOD) errors are one of the most frustrating and common problems that Windows users face. They occur when the system encounters a fatal error that causes it to crash and display a blue screen with an error code and a message. One of the possible error codes is

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (d1)

, which indicates that a driver tried to access an invalid or pageable memory address at a high interrupt request level (IRQL). This is usually

caused by drivers using improper addresses.

In this article, we will explain what this error means, what are the possible causes and solutions, and how to prevent it from happening again.

What is

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (d1)

error?

The

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (d1)

error is a type of BSOD error that occurs when a driver tries to access a memory address that is either invalid or not accessible at the current IRQL. The IRQL is a number that represents the priority of the interrupt requests that the processor handles. The higher the IRQL, the more urgent the interrupt request. The IRQL ranges from 0 to 31, with 0 being the lowest and 31 being the highest.

Drivers are software components that allow the operating system to communicate with the hardware devices, such as the keyboard, mouse, printer, graphics card, etc. Drivers operate at different IRQLs depending on the type and function of the device. For example, a keyboard driver may operate at IRQL 1, while a network driver may operate at IRQL 9.

When a driver tries to access a memory address that is either invalid or not accessible at the current IRQL, the system detects a violation and triggers a BSOD error. The error code is d1, and the error message is DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. The error message also shows four parameters that provide more information about the error:

• Arg1: The memory address that the driver tried to access
• Arg2: The IRQL that the driver was running at
• Arg3: The type of operation that the driver was performing (0 for read, 1 for write)
• Arg4: The address of the driver that caused the error

For example, in the minidump file provided by the user, the error message is:

“`

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (d1)

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 kernel debugger is available get stack backtrace.

Arguments:

Arg1: 0000000000000000, memory referenced

Arg2: 00000000000000ff, IRQL

Arg3: 000000000000004e, value 0 = read operation, 1 = write operation

Arg4: 0000000000000000, address which referenced memory

“`

This means that a driver tried to read from the memory address 0x0000000000000000, which is invalid, at IRQL 255, which is the highest possible IRQL. The address of the driver that caused the error is 0x0000000000000000, which is also invalid.

What are the possible causes of

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (d1)

error?

There are several possible causes of

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (d1)

error, such as:

• Corrupted, outdated, incompatible, or missing drivers
• Faulty, damaged, or incompatible hardware devices
• Malware infection, virus attack, or rogue software
• Registry errors, system file corruption, or disk errors
• Overclocking, overheating, or power supply issues
• Memory leaks, fragmentation, or allocation errors

What are the possible solutions for

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (d1)

error?

Depending on the cause of the error, there are different possible solutions that can help resolve the

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (d1)

error, such as:

• Update, rollback, reinstall, or uninstall the drivers that are causing the error
• Replace, remove, or reseat the hardware devices that are causing the error
• Scan, clean, and repair the system for malware, viruses, or rogue software
• Fix, restore, or optimize the registry, system files, or disk
• Reset, restore, or reinstall the operating system
• Adjust, lower, or disable the overclocking settings
• Cool, clean, or replace the cooling system or the power supply
• Increase, free, or defragment the memory

How to prevent

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (d1)

error from happening again?

To prevent the

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (d1)

error from happening again, it is important to follow some best practices, such as:

• Keep the drivers and the operating system updated and compatible
• Use only trusted and verified hardware devices and software applications
• Perform regular scans and backups of the system
• Avoid unnecessary changes or modifications to the system settings or components
• Monitor the system performance and temperature
• Maintain adequate memory and disk space

Conclusion

The

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (d1)

error is a common BSOD error that occurs when a driver tries to access an invalid or pageable memory address at a high IRQL. The error can be caused by various factors, such as corrupted, outdated, incompatible, or missing drivers, faulty, damaged, or incompatible hardware devices, malware infection, virus attack, or rogue software, registry errors, system file corruption, or disk errors, overclocking, overheating, or power supply issues, memory leaks, fragmentation, or allocation errors. The error can be resolved by different methods, such as updating, rolling back, reinstalling, or uninstalling the drivers, replacing, removing, or reseating the hardware devices, scanning, cleaning, and repairing the system, fixing, restoring, or optimizing the registry, system files, or disk, resetting, restoring, or reinstalling the operating system, adjusting, lowering, or disabling the overclocking settings, cooling, cleaning, or replacing the cooling system or the power supply, increasing, freeing, or defragmenting the memory. The error can be prevented by following some best practices, such as keeping the drivers and the operating system updated and compatible, using only trusted and verified hardware devices and software applications, performing regular scans and backups of the system, avoiding unnecessary changes or modifications to the system settings or components, monitoring the system performance and temperature, maintaining adequate memory and disk space.