IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL Windows High severity

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL — Blue Screen Fix

A kernel-mode driver accessed paged memory at too high an IRQL — typically a buggy or mismatched device driver, or faulty RAM.

Last reviewed 2026-08-29 by the Tech Issue Guide team.

Symptoms

Blue screen reading IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL, often naming a .sys file.
Crashes when connecting to Wi-Fi, waking from sleep, or launching a specific app.
Fresh crashes that began right after a driver or Windows update.

A recently updated or mismatched device driver (network, GPU, audio, antivirus).
Faulty or unstable RAM, or an overclock that is not stable.
A corrupt system file or a filter driver from security software.

Boot into Safe Mode and uninstall or roll back the most recently updated driver — start with network, GPU and antivirus drivers.
Run Driver Verifier against non-Microsoft drivers (command below), reboot, and reproduce the crash to capture the faulting module in the minidump.
Test RAM with mdsched or MemTest86, and if you overclock, return to stock speeds; update BIOS and chipset drivers.

verifier /standard /all

Elevated Command Prompt. If Verifier causes boot loops, start in Safe Mode and run: verifier /reset

How to confirm the fix: After removing the offending driver, the system runs normally for several days with no blue screen.

Install drivers from the device or PC maker rather than third-party updater tools, and keep only one security suite installed.

How do I read the minidump?

Use WhoCrashed or WinDbg to open C:\Windows\Minidump\*.dmp. The “probably caused by” line usually names the culprit .sys file.

Verifier made things worse — how do I undo it?

Boot Safe Mode and run verifier /reset, then reboot normally. Verifier deliberately stresses drivers, so only run it while actively diagnosing.