Fix the DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL Error
Windows 10 features a substantial array of error messages, and therefore the DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error is one among them.
If you encounter this stop code, here’s what to try to do.
What Is the DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL Error?
The DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error relates to your system drivers and carries the stop code 0x000000D1. The error indicates “that a kernel-mode driver attempted to access pageable memory while the method IRQL was too high.”
Breaking that cryptic message down, the error stems from a communication issue between your hardware and your processor.
When your hardware wants to inform the CPU that something is close to happening, it makes an interrupt. If too many bits of hardware plan to communicate simultaneously, or rather, there’s a faulty configuration somewhere, the interrupt request level (IRQL) rises.
In this case, a bit of hardware is attempting to access a neighborhood of your system memory that it doesn’t have access to because the CPU is processing other things. Drivers aid hardware communication, allowing your GPU to speak to the CPU, and so on. If the driving force attempts to access a memory address it doesn’t have proper access to, it can cause your system to crash.
One of the foremost common drivers involved in the 0x000000D1 error is your network driver, specifically the system file ndis. sys, which you’ll see in mentioned the crash reference on the bluescreen of death.
How to Fix the DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL Error
As the DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error relates to your system drivers, there are several easy fixes available.
1. Check for Updates
It seems obvious, but you ought to check for any outstanding updates. There might be a bug fix in an upcoming update concerning your faulty driver, and installing the update might make everything okay.
Hit Windows Key + I to open the Settings panel. Now, head to Update & Security then checks under Windows Update for any pending updates. If there’s an update, save any important files, then press Restart now. Your system will reboot during the method.
2. Update Your System Drivers
Windows 10 takes care of your driver updates, but that does not mean the occasional driver doesn’t slip internet. It also doesn’t stop driver corruption, where the driving force becomes buggy or corrupt over time. Driver faults are less common on Windows 10 than with older versions of Windows, but they absolutely still happen.
If you would like to look at any recent driver updates, Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings panel, then select Update & Security > View update history. You’ll find any driver that needs an update here.
If the driving force update history page doesn’t reveal anything, it’s time to see out the Device Manager. Type device manager within the Start Menu search bar and choose the simplest Match. Check down the list for any yellow error indicators. If there are not any, it’s unlikely a driver is that the source of the difficulty.
However, because the DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL frequently relates to the system file ndis.sys, you ought to perform a manual network adapter driver update here.

Unfurl the Network adapter section, right-click the driving force for your Wi-Fi adapter or Ethernet adapter (or both), and choose Update driver. Now, select Search automatically for updated driver software, and Windows will automate the method for you.
The network adapter section in your Device Manager probably won’t look as busy as mine, so it should be relatively easy to work out which adapter to settle on.
3. Clean Install Your Network Driver
If updating Windows 10 doesn’t work and updating your driver fails, you’ll always choose a clean installation of the driving force. meaning that you simply delete the driving force from your system, then install the newest version without assistance from Windows.
As this relates to your network adapters, you would like to download the right driver before time, as after you delete your network adapter driver, your internet connection may cease to figure.
Head back to the Device Manager and unfurl the Network adapter section. Now, copy and paste the driving force name into an online program. for instance, I might run an inquiry for “Realtek pcie gbe family controller” to seek out the newest drivers for my Ethernet adapter.
Browse to and download the newest version of the network adapter available for your hardware. Most drivers accompany an automatic installation file named setup.exe, which you will find somewhere within the downloaded driver files.
Once you’ve got the right network adapter drivers downloaded, you’ll plow ahead and uninstall the prevailing network adapter driver. within the Device Manager, right-click your existing network adapter driver and choose Uninstall. Follow the onscreen instructions.
After the driving force finishes uninstalling, locate the new network adapter driver and run the installation program, again following the onscreen instructions. After the installation completes, restart your computer.
4. Run SFC and CHKDSK
Windows 10 includes several integrated system tools which will fix broken file systems. If the driving force update and replacement don’t work, it might be a corrupt file elsewhere on your system. The DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error can relate to your paging file, which may be a sort of virtual system memory. Running SFC and CHKDSK can fix any corruption concerning the paging file.
The Windows System File Check (SFC) fixes errors concerning Windows system files, automatically scanning for and fixing errors.
Before running the SFC command, it’s important to see it’s working properly. to try to do this, we use the Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool, or DISM.
Like SFC, DISM is an integrated Windows utility with a good range of functions. during this case, the DISM Restorehealth command ensures that our next fix will work properly.
Work through the subsequent steps.
- Type Command Prompt (Admin) in the Start menu search bar, then right-click and select Run as administrator to open an elevated Command Prompt.
- Type the following command and press Enter:Â DISM /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
- Wait for the command to complete. The process can take up to 20 minutes, depending on your system’s health. The process seems stuck at certain times, but wait for it to complete.
- When the process completes, type sfc /scannow and press Enter.
CHKDSK is another Windows system tool that checks your file structure. Unlike SFC, CHKDSK scans your entire drive for errors, whereas SFC scans your Windows system files specifically. Like SFC, run the CHKDSK scan from the prompt to repair your machine.
- Type command prompt in your Start menu search bar, then right-click the best match and select Run as administrator. (Alternatively, press Windows Key + X, then select Command Prompt (Admin) from the menu.)
- Next, type chkdsk /r and press Enter. The command will scan your system for errors and fix any issues along the way.
Resolving the 0x000000D1 Error on Windows 10
One of these fixes will resolve the 0x000000D1 error. While the DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error is frustrating, it is not a very difficult issue to get rid of from your system. run through the steps one by one, and your system are going to be copy and running properly in no time in the least.
The important thing to recollect is to download new network adapter drivers before deleting the old ones. If you are doing it the incorrect way around, e.g., delete the driving force first, you would possibly struggle to download a replacement network adapter driver, especially if you do not have a backup device available.
Mustafa Al Mahmud is the Founder and CEO of Gizmo Concept and also a professional Blogger, SEO Professional as well as Entrepreneur. He loves to travel and enjoy his free moment with family members and friends.