> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://techbytefix.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # How to Fix PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA Blue Screens - URL: https://techbytefix.com/fix-page-fault-in-nonpaged-area/ - Published: 2026-10-23T00:13:20.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T00:13:20.000Z - Author: Jake Whitman - Tags: Troubleshooting PAGE\_FAULT\_IN\_NONPAGED\_AREA means Windows tried to access memory that should have remained available but found an invalid or inaccessible address. Common causes include faulty RAM, a bad or recently changed driver, antivirus or other low-level software, storage or system-file corruption, and unstable hardware settings. Start with reversible changes and Safe Mode, then test drivers, Windows files, storage, and memory before replacing hardware or reinstalling Windows. ## What PAGE\_FAULT\_IN\_NONPAGED\_AREA usually means Windows keeps some data in a region called nonpaged memory because parts of the operating system and its drivers may need that data immediately. The blue screen appears when Windows detects that a driver or system component requested an address in that region and could not access it safely. The stop code identifies a type of memory-access failure, not the exact failed component. A driver may have supplied a bad address, RAM may have returned corrupted data, or a storage problem may have damaged code or data before Windows used it. Antivirus, disk-encryption, virtualization, monitoring, and hardware-control software also run at a level where a bug can cause this stop code. Look for these clues: - The crash began after installing or updating a graphics, chipset, storage, network, or security driver. - The PC crashes during games or other demanding work, which can expose unstable RAM, overclocking, heat, or power problems. - The error appears during startup after a Windows update or hardware change. - Different driver names appear in different crashes. That often points more toward memory or hardware than one consistently broken driver. - File-checking tools report damaged system files or disk errors. Don’t assume the RAM is bad just because the stop code mentions a page fault. Test memory, review recent changes, and compare crash evidence before buying replacement parts. ```text PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA ``` Error ## What changed just before the crashes started? This procedure applies to Windows 10 and Windows 11 desktop and laptop PCs. Administrator permission is needed for system repair commands, driver changes, and disk checks. Some tests require a restart, so save your work first. If Windows is still usable, back up important files before changing hardware, using System Restore, or starting a reset or repair process. First, record when the crashes occur. A failure only during gaming suggests graphics drivers, heat, power, RAM, or overclocking. A failure during startup points more toward a boot driver, recent update, storage trouble, or damaged system files. Crashes during ordinary light use can still be hardware-related, especially when the pattern is inconsistent. Check these recent changes: - A graphics, chipset, storage, network, audio, or peripheral driver update. - A Windows update or firmware update. - New RAM, a graphics card, storage drive, USB device, dock, or adapter. - New antivirus, anti-cheat, disk-encryption, tuning, RGB, monitoring, or virtual-machine software. - BIOS settings such as XMP, EXPO, memory overclocking, CPU overclocking, or undervolting. Disconnect nonessential USB devices, docks, external drives, and adapters. Leave the keyboard, mouse, display, and network connection you need. If the crashes stop, reconnect devices one at a time. If the error began immediately after a change, undo that change first. Roll back a driver instead of repeatedly installing unrelated drivers, and return firmware settings to their default values before judging the machine stable. ## Try these fixes in the safest order Work through these steps in order. Stop when the crashes disappear, but verify the result under the activity that originally triggered the blue screen. 1. Remove a recent software or hardware change. Uninstall newly added low-level software from `Settings > Apps > Installed apps`, shut down, and disconnect newly installed hardware. If the problem began after a driver update, use the previous driver from `Device Manager` when **Roll Back Driver** is available. Don’t remove a device’s driver if you need it to start Windows unless you have another way to recover. **Expected result:** The crashes stop after the change is undone. If they continue, the change may not be the cause, or a second problem may exist. 2. Start Windows in Safe Mode. Safe Mode loads a limited set of drivers and services. From Windows, hold `Shift` while selecting `Restart`, then choose `Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart`, and press `4` for Safe Mode or `5` for Safe Mode with Networking. If Windows cannot reach the sign-in screen, interrupt startup several times to enter Windows Recovery Environment, then use the same path. **Expected result:** The PC remains stable in Safe Mode. That points toward a normal-startup driver or service. If it still crashes in Safe Mode, hardware, core system files, or storage deserve more attention. 3. Update or roll back the driver most closely related to the crashes. Use the PC or component manufacturer’s support page for chipset, storage, network, and graphics drivers when possible. In `Device Manager`, open the device, choose `Properties > Driver`, and use **Update Driver** or **Roll Back Driver**. Avoid third-party driver-updater tools. If a security product or system utility was installed just before the issue, temporarily uninstall it using its normal uninstaller while testing. Windows Security can provide basic protection during that test. **Expected result:** The suspected device no longer appears near the crash in later dump files, and the triggering activity completes without a blue screen. If the crash names different drivers each time, test RAM before changing more drivers. 4. Repair Windows system files. Open `Terminal (Admin)` or `Command Prompt (Admin)`. Run DISM first, then System File Checker: ```cmd DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth sfc /scannow ``` Command Prompt (run as Administrator) DISM normally reports that the restore operation completed successfully, and SFC may report that it found no integrity violations or repaired corrupted files. Restart after the commands finish. If DISM cannot complete, note its error and check the network connection and Windows Update status; a failed scan does not prove that the hardware is defective. 1. Check the system drive. In an elevated Command Prompt, start with an online scan: ```cmd chkdsk C: /scan ``` Command Prompt (run as Administrator) The expected result is a report that Windows scanned the file system and either found no problems or identified repairs. If repairs are requested, schedule them with: ```cmd chkdsk C: /f ``` Command Prompt (run as Administrator) Windows may ask to run the check at the next restart. Accept only after saving work. `/f` changes the file system; don’t begin with a surface scan or repeated forced checks unless the basic scan and other evidence justify it. Back up important data first if the drive is noisy, unusually slow, or showing signs of failure. 1. Test the memory. Press `Win+R`, enter `mdsched.exe`, and choose **Restart now and check for problems**. Windows Memory Diagnostic runs during the reboot and displays a result after Windows starts; you can also inspect it in Event Viewer under `Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > MemoryDiagnostics-Results`. A clean Windows Memory Diagnostic result is useful but does not prove that RAM is perfect. For a more demanding test, create a MemTest86 bootable USB using its current instructions, boot from it, and let the test complete its available passes. Use a second computer to create the USB if the affected PC is unreliable. Any reported memory error should be treated as significant. Power off, reseat the memory modules, and test one module at a time in the motherboard’s recommended slot. If errors follow one module, replace it. If they occur only with multiple modules or only under an XMP or EXPO profile, use default memory settings and check the motherboard’s supported capacity and memory list. 2. Install pending Windows updates after the basic repairs. Open `Settings > Windows Update`, select **Check for updates**, install available updates, and restart. If the blue screens began immediately after a particular update, use `Update history` and the available uninstall option rather than repeatedly reinstalling it. 3. If the PC is stable enough, inspect crash evidence. Small dump files are usually stored in `C:\Windows\Minidump`. A dump viewer such as WinDbg can show the stop code, the named module, and the call stack. A repeated third-party driver name is stronger evidence than one isolated name. A different driver in every dump, memory corruption in the stack, or no usable dump file makes RAM, motherboard settings, storage, or power more likely. **Expected result:** The repaired component remains stable through several restarts and through the workload that caused the original crashes. If a command reports errors it cannot repair, or memory testing reports failures, move to the deeper steps rather than repeating the same command. ## How to tell whether the fix worked Restart normally after each meaningful change. Don’t judge the repair from one successful boot; repeat the activity that used to trigger the blue screen, such as a game, a large file transfer, sleep and resume, or a normal work session. Check Windows’ reliability history for a pattern. Press `Win+R`, enter `perfmon /rel`, and look for red failure marks on the dates of the crashes. Select an event to see the application, driver, or Windows failure details. Reliability Monitor is a timeline, not a diagnosis, so use its entries as clues. If minidumps exist, compare several of them. Repeatedly seeing the same vendor driver after a rollback or clean update supports a driver fix. Different random drivers, corrupted-looking stacks, or crashes that continue after drivers and system files are repaired point toward memory or hardware instability. A successful verification looks like this: - Windows starts normally without another stop code. - The original workload completes repeatedly. - Reliability Monitor shows no new blue-screen events during the test period. - Memory testing reports no errors. - `sfc /scannow` no longer reports unrepaired corruption, if corrupted files were part of the cause. - `chkdsk` does not continue reporting file-system problems. If the exact error returns, record the time, activity, recently loaded driver, and any code shown with the blue screen. Don’t keep changing several components at once; that removes the evidence needed to identify the cause. ## When the blue screen keeps coming back If Windows cannot start normally, use Windows Recovery Environment. From the recovery menu, try `Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings` for Safe Mode. **System Restore** can return system files, drivers, and settings to an earlier restore point without normally removing personal files. It does not undo every hardware or firmware change, and it may not be available. From the same menu, **Startup Repair** can address some boot problems. If the issue began after a recent update, use the option to uninstall the latest quality or feature update when offered. Back up files from a working Safe Mode session or from another computer before using reset, reinstall, or hardware-replacement procedures. For persistent crashes, return BIOS settings to their defaults. Disable CPU and memory overclocks, XMP, EXPO, undervolting, and aggressive automatic tuning. Confirm that the installed RAM type, speed, capacity, and module arrangement are supported by the motherboard and its firmware. Reseat RAM only with the PC powered off, unplugged, and discharged according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Replace RAM when a reliable memory test reports errors that follow a module, or when crashes stop after removing a particular module. If errors remain with known-good compatible memory, the motherboard, memory slot, CPU memory controller, power supply, or firmware may be involved. A storage drive that reports repeated file-system errors, disappearing devices, or health warnings also needs urgent backup and possible replacement. If system files remain damaged and hardware tests pass, an in-place Windows repair install can preserve personal files and installed applications while replacing Windows components. Follow Microsoft’s current installation guidance and confirm the edition and language match. A full reset or clean installation is more disruptive and should come after a backup, not before. Seek professional repair when the machine crashes even in Safe Mode or from a bootable memory test, cannot keep a drive connected, shows physical damage, overheats, or produces memory errors with known-good modules. Stop using a failing drive for unnecessary work and copy important data before further testing. ## Conclusion Undo the most recent change, test Safe Mode, and then work through drivers, DISM and SFC, CHKDSK, and memory diagnostics. If crashes continue with default BIOS settings and known-good compatible RAM, back up your files and have the motherboard, storage, power supply, or another hardware component inspected. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Can a Windows update cause PAGE\_FAULT\_IN\_NONPAGED\_AREA? Yes. An update can expose an incompatible driver or security component, especially after graphics, chipset, storage, or antivirus changes. Check \`Update history\`, try Safe Mode, and roll back the specific driver or update when the timing matches. ### Does PAGE\_FAULT\_IN\_NONPAGED\_AREA always mean bad RAM? No. RAM is a common cause, but faulty drivers, antivirus software, damaged system files, storage corruption, and unstable BIOS settings can produce the same stop code. Windows Memory Diagnostic and MemTest86 help separate memory faults from software causes, although a clean result does not prove that RAM is perfect. ### Should I replace RAM immediately? Not usually. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic and, if needed, a bootable MemTest86 test. Reseat or replace RAM when errors are reported, especially if the errors follow one module or disappear when memory overclocking is disabled. If errors remain with known-good compatible memory, have the motherboard, memory slot, power supply, or firmware checked.