Fix driver portion must be nonpaged BSOD

Yes, the “driver portion must be nonpaged” BSOD means a kernel-mode driver tried to access paged memory in a context where paging is not allowed, and the fix is to update, roll back, or replace that driver. This stop code (often seen as 0x000000D1 or 0x0000000A) almost always points to a faulty or incompatible driver, not to failing hardware.

What This BSOD Actually Means

Windows kernel-mode drivers are supposed to access only nonpaged memory during certain operations, like handling interrupts or holding spin locks. Paged memory can be written to disk and loaded back on demand, which is fine for normal code but fatal in those restricted contexts. When a driver violates this rule, the system detects it and halts with a bug check to prevent data corruption.

The exact stop code varies by Windows version. Common ones include:

• 0x000000D1 – DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL, often the same root cause
• 0x0000000A – IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL, a related paging violation
• 0x00000050 – PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA, which can have similar causes

If the error message literally says “driver portion must be nonpaged,” it is typically a verbose version of one of these codes. The system is telling you that a driver referenced an address in paged memory when it was not allowed to.

Most Common Causes

The overwhelming majority of these crashes come from a small set of culprits:

• Outdated or buggy graphics and network drivers – these are the most frequently implicated because they run at high IRQLs and handle lots of I/O.
• Third-party antivirus or security drivers – they hook deep into the kernel and can break after Windows updates.
• Virtual machine or VPN drivers – similar kernel-level integration.
• Corrupted driver files – often after a failed update or disk error.
• Overclocking or unstable memory – less common, but a bad RAM stick can cause a driver to read garbage and trip the check.

Rarely, the problem is a Windows bug, but that is not the first thing to suspect. Always start with the driver.

Step-by-Step Fix to Try First

Do these in order. Stop when the crash stops.

1. Boot into Safe Mode – restart and press F8 (or use Settings > Recovery > Advanced startup) to load with minimal drivers. If the crash does not happen in Safe Mode, it confirms a third-party driver is involved.
2. Open Device Manager – right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
3. Check for yellow warning icons – any device with an exclamation mark is a suspect.
4. Update the most likely drivers – right-click the device, choose “Update driver,” then “Search automatically.” Focus on display adapters, network adapters, and storage controllers first.
5. Roll back a recent driver – if the crashes started right after a driver update, go to the driver’s Properties > Driver tab and click “Roll Back Driver.”
6. Uninstall and reinstall – if no update is available, uninstall the device (check “Delete the driver software for this device”), then reboot so Windows reinstalls a fresh copy.
7. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic – type “Windows Memory Diagnostic” in the Start menu, choose “Restart now,” and let it check your RAM. This rules out hardware.

If you cannot boot to Safe Mode, use Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) and select “Startup Repair” first, then try the driver steps from there.

How to Identify the Exact Faulty Driver

Safe Mode tells you a driver is at fault, but not which one. Use the crash dump to find it:

1. Open Event Viewer (type it in Start) and go to Windows Logs > System. Look for a red error with source “BugCheck” around the time of the crash.
2. Note the bug check code and the four parameters. The fourth parameter often contains the address of the faulting driver.
3. Download WinDbg from the Microsoft Store (free). Open the .dmp file in C:\Windows\Minidump and run !analyze -v.
4. The output will name the driver module, like ndis.sys or nvlddmkm.sys. That is your culprit.

If you do not want to use WinDbg, check the Minidump folder’s most recent file and look at its Properties > Details tab – sometimes the module name appears there. Otherwise, a free tool like BlueScreenView can read the dump and show the driver list without installing a debugger.

When the Driver Is Not the Problem

If you update every driver and the crash persists, the issue may be elsewhere:

• Corrupted system files – run sfc /scannow in an elevated Command Prompt, then DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth.
• Faulty RAM – a bad stick can cause random paging errors. Run MemTest86 overnight for a definitive test.
• Disk corruption – run chkdsk /f /r on your system drive.
• Overheating – check CPU and GPU temperatures; thermal throttling can cause timing issues that trigger driver faults.

In very rare cases, a Windows update itself introduced a regression. If you can identify the update that preceded the crashes, uninstall it from Settings > Windows Update > Update history.

Preventing Future Crashes

Once the immediate crash is fixed, take these steps to avoid a repeat:

• Set driver updates to manual – Windows Update sometimes pushes beta or incompatible drivers. Go to Advanced system settings > Hardware > Device Installation Settings and choose “No” for automatic driver downloads.
• Download drivers only from the manufacturer’s site – never from third-party download portals that bundle adware.
• Create a restore point before each driver update so you can roll back instantly.
• Keep your BIOS/UEFI updated – chipset and firmware updates often fix memory management bugs that manifest as driver crashes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this BSOD caused by a virus? Not typically. Malware can install kernel drivers, but the more common causes are legitimate drivers with bugs. Run a full antivirus scan anyway, but focus on updating drivers first.

Can I just disable the driver instead of fixing it? You can disable a device in Device Manager, but that only works if you do not need the hardware. For a graphics card or network adapter, disabling it makes the system nearly unusable. Better to update or replace the driver.

Why does it say “nonpaged” when I have plenty of RAM? The phrase refers to the type of memory allocation, not the amount of RAM. Paged memory can be swapped to disk; nonpaged cannot. The driver incorrectly accessed paged memory in a context where swapping is forbidden, regardless of how much RAM you have.

Will reinstalling Windows fix it? It often does, because it replaces all drivers with fresh, compatible versions. But it is a last resort – try updating the specific driver first, since a clean install takes hours and you will lose settings and installed programs.

How do I know if it is a hardware problem instead? If the crash happens in Safe Mode (which loads only basic drivers) or during the Windows Memory Diagnostic, suspect hardware. Also run a hard drive health check (CrystalDiskInfo or the manufacturer’s tool). If all drivers are updated and the error still appears randomly, test each RAM stick one at a time.

Does this happen on Windows 11 too? Yes, the same bug check exists in Windows 11. The steps are identical – the error is a core kernel feature, not tied to a specific Windows version.

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