I was recently working on a client PC and had to restart it due to a new application being installed. However, after rebooting, the computer showed a blue screen and displayed the PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error.
At first I thought it had something to do with the app I just installed, so I decided to restart my computer in Safe Mode and uninstall the app. It seemed to work because the BSOD was gone, but only for a short time.
PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
STOP: 0x00000050 (0xCD3DD628, 0x00000001, 0x804EFC9A, 0x00000000)
After a few more restarts, the message came back again! After doing a little research, I found that this error message basically means that Windows is trying to find a chunk of data in memory and cannot be found.
According to Microsoft, this error can be caused by faulty hardware (RAM, hard drive), antivirus software, damaged NTFS volume, or bad drivers. In this article, I will guide you through various solutions, some of which are easier than others.
Please note that bad memory (RAM) is the main cause of this error, but I will not mention it until I mention it just because it might require opening the computer and adding / removing RAM chips. I suppose most people would like to avoid this, so I listed the simpler solutions first, if one works.
Method 1 – Set the page file
For starters, you can try a simple swap file trick that fixes the problem for some people. If the issue is not hardware related, then this paging file solution might work.
First, open Control Panel and click System. You can also right-click “Computer” or “This PC” and select “Properties.”
Now click on the Advanced System Settings link on the left.
In the “Performance” section, click the “Settings” button.
Click the Advanced tab and then click the Change button under the Virtual Memory heading.
Finally, we have achieved what we should have been. Uncheck “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives” and select “No paging file”.
Click OK several times to close all dialog boxes, and then restart your computer. Back in the system, follow the exact steps above again, but this time select System Managed Size and select the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives check box.
As I said earlier, this works for some people but not others, so your experience will be different. If you still get blue screens, keep reading.
Method 2 – Check Disk
This error can also occur if your hard drive fails or has disk errors. One quick way to check your hard drive is to run the chkdsk command in Windows.
To do this, click Start and type cmd. Right click on the top result and select “Run as administrator”.
At the command prompt, enter the following command:
chkdsk / f
If you get a message that the disk is locked and if you want to schedule chkdsk to run on the next restart, enter Y to get yes. Restart your computer and let chkdsk run, which could take a long time on Windows 7 and earlier. This process is much faster on Windows 8 and Windows 10.
The third way – a bad driver
If you’ve recently updated the driver for the hardware on your computer, it might be a faulty driver causing the blue screen issue. Drivers are essential for Windows, but sometimes the latest drivers can cause more problems than they fix.
If you are using third-party software to automatically update your PC’s drivers, it is probably a good idea to tune the software so that you can preview each driver that will update in advance.
Anyway, you can try to fix this problem by clicking “Start” and entering “Device Manager”. Right-click the device for which you updated the driver and select Roll Back Driver. You can also select Properties, then go to the Driver tab and click the Roll Back Driver button.
If the button is disabled, or you don’t see this option when you right-click on a device, it means that the current driver is the only driver ever installed for that device.
One last thing you can try is to click the Uninstall button and restart your computer. Windows will automatically try to install the driver for the hardware when Windows restarts. If that doesn’t work, try the next method.
Fourth method – last known configuration
In some cases, the problem is more than just a driver and will require the use of the last known good configuration feature in Windows.
This basically brings back an older version of the entire Windows Registry that was working. On Windows 7 and earlier, you just need to press the F8 key to open the advanced options screen at startup.
On Windows 8 and Windows 10, check out my post on how to load the system recovery options screen as the F8 key no longer works on these two operating systems.
In addition to the last known one, you should also try to perform a system restore if the last known one doesn’t work. Check out my previous post on how to perform a system restore
Fifth method – check RAM
As mentioned above, RAM is usually the main culprit for this error. This usually means that the RAM is out of order. Most computers have multiple RAM chips installed, and sometimes you can fix the problem simply by removing the faulty chip and leaving the rest inside.
But before you do that, read my post on how to check for bad memory on your computer. If you think there is a memory problem, visit your computer manufacturer’s website and download a guide to update the RAM on your computer.
The manual usually tells you how to open your computer and where to look for RAM. If you have more than one RAM chip, remove one of them and turn on the computer. If the blue screen disappears, then you removed the bad one. If not, switch over and try again.
If you only have one RAM chip, you will need to purchase another RAM chip, as the computer cannot run without at least one RAM chip.
Method 6 – Antivirus program
In some rare cases, blue screen errors can be caused by antivirus software. I recommend completely uninstalling your antivirus program and then restarting your computer.
The chances of any software causing this error is very small, but it’s worth a try at this stage, especially if you’re using an antivirus product from a small, lesser known company.
Conclusion
If none of these methods fixed your problem, you may have a more serious problem with your computer. At this point, it will probably be a good idea to ask a professional to check other hardware like motherboard, CPU, etc. If you have any questions, feel free to comment. Enjoy!
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