IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (0x0000000A / 0xD1)? Find the Driver Touching Bad Memory

Your PC blue-screens with IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (stop code 0x0000000A), or its close cousin DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (0xD1).

What it means: a kernel-mode driver tried to access memory it shouldn’t have, at a raised interrupt level (IRQL). Microsoft is clear it’s a specific driver bug — not a vague “update everything” situation. The good news: the 0xD1 variant typically names the offending .sys right on the screen/in the dump.

Fix 1: Identify and fix the driver

• 0xD1 / a named .sys (e.g. a network driver like rt640x64.sys, GPU nvlddmkm.sys): update that driver from the vendor, or roll it back if it’s recent.
• Network and GPU drivers are the most frequent 0xA/0xD1 culprits — get the latest from the hardware maker.
• Started after a driver update? Roll it back (Device Manager → device → Driver → Roll Back).

Fix 2: Remove conflicting low-level software

Antivirus, VPN, and packet-filter drivers commonly cause 0xA. Temporarily uninstall third-party AV/VPN to test; if the crash stops, update or replace it.

Fix 3: Test RAM

Bad memory can surface as 0xA too — run Windows Memory Diagnostic (mdsched.exe).

Fix 4: Read the dump for the exact module

If no .sys is named on-screen, the dump has it. Use find the driver behind a Blue Screen; the bug check’s Parameter 1 also distinguishes a null-pointer bug from a pageability issue, helping localize it.

FAQ

0xA vs 0xD1? Same root family (driver hits invalid memory at high IRQL). 0xD1 is the driver-specific form and usually names the culprit directly — easier to fix.

Sources: Microsoft Learn — Bug Check 0xA IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL