Windows BSOD documented errors

Browse Windows BSOD error messages, error codes, troubleshooting explanations, and practical fixes with exact wording and search-friendly reference pages.

This Windows BSOD error reference is designed for users searching exact Windows BSOD error messages, error codes, and clear how-to-fix guidance.

Blue Screen of Death searches are almost always exact-stop-code searches. Users need to know whether the crash points to storage, drivers, memory, kernel structures, or hardware signals before they can even begin proper troubleshooting.

This hub keeps BSOD stop codes in one reference area so Windows crash investigations can start with the exact code and then branch into the most likely system-level causes.

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Runtime

Runtime errors

APC_INDEX_MISMATCHWindows blue screen APC_INDEX_MISMATCHWindows stopped with an APC_INDEX_MISMATCH bug check because a kernel routine or driver created an invalid asynchronous procedure call state. This usually points to a buggy driver, filter driver, or low-level system component mismanaging APC disable and re-enable behavior.

CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIEDWindows blue screen CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIEDWindows stopped with a CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED bug check because a critical system process terminated or became corrupted.

CRITICAL_STRUCTURE_CORRUPTIONWindows blue screen CRITICAL_STRUCTURE_CORRUPTIONWindows stopped with a CRITICAL_STRUCTURE_CORRUPTION bug check because the kernel detected critical corruption in protected kernel code or data. This usually indicates a rogue or broken driver, memory corruption, unsupported kernel patching behavior, or failing hardware.

DRIVER_VERIFIER_IOMANAGER_VIOLATIONWindows blue screen DRIVER_VERIFIER_IOMANAGER_VIOLATIONWindows stopped with a DRIVER_VERIFIER_IOMANAGER_VIOLATION bug check because Driver Verifier detected an I/O verification violation in a kernel driver. This stop code is usually seen while Driver Verifier is enabled and points strongly to a buggy driver.

DRIVER_VIOLATIONWindows blue screen DRIVER_VIOLATIONWindows stopped with a DRIVER_VIOLATION bug check because a driver called a function at an invalid IRQL or broke another driver-contract rule. This points to a faulty kernel-mode driver rather than a user-space application problem.

INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICEWindows blue screen INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICEWindows stopped with an INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE bug check because it lost access to the system partition during startup. This usually points to storage-controller changes, disk failures, boot configuration issues, or a driver problem that prevents the boot volume from being mounted.

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUALWindows blue screen IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUALWindows stopped with an IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL bug check because kernel-mode code accessed invalid or paged memory at an elevated interrupt request level.

KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERRORWindows blue screen KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERRORWindows stopped with a KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR bug check because kernel data requested from the paging file could not be read into memory. This commonly points to failing storage hardware, bad sectors, I/O path problems, defective RAM, or a low-level disk configuration fault.

KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLEDWindows blue screen KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLEDWindows stopped with a KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED bug check because kernel-mode code raised an exception that no error handler caught.

MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTIONWindows blue screen MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTIONWindows stopped with a MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION bug check because the processor reported a fatal machine check exception. This is typically a hardware-level failure signal involving the CPU, motherboard, memory, thermals, or power delivery rather than an ordinary application or user-mode software fault.

MEMORY_MANAGEMENTWindows blue screen MEMORY_MANAGEMENTWindows stopped with a MEMORY_MANAGEMENT bug check because it detected corruption or serious inconsistency in memory management structures.

PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREAWindows blue screen PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREAWindows stopped with a PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA bug check because invalid system memory was referenced in a region that should always remain resident.

PFN_LIST_CORRUPTWindows blue screen PFN_LIST_CORRUPTWindows stopped with a PFN_LIST_CORRUPT bug check because the page frame number list became corrupted. This usually points to memory-management corruption caused by a buggy driver, repeated page-lock misuse, DMA-related corruption, or failing RAM.

REFERENCE_BY_POINTERWindows blue screen REFERENCE_BY_POINTERWindows stopped with a REFERENCE_BY_POINTER bug check because a kernel object’s reference count became illegal for its state. This usually indicates a faulty driver mishandling object references or broader kernel memory corruption.

SYSTEM_LICENSE_VIOLATIONWindows blue screen SYSTEM_LICENSE_VIOLATIONWindows stopped with a SYSTEM_LICENSE_VIOLATION bug check because the operating system detected a licensing or product-configuration state that violates its software licensing rules. This stop code is uncommon on ordinary consumer systems and often points to offline product-type changes, evaluation-period tampering, or inconsistent license state.

SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTIONWindows blue screen SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTIONWindows stopped with a SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION bug check because an exception occurred while the system was transitioning from user mode to privileged kernel execution.

SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLEDWindows blue screen SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLEDWindows stopped with a SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED bug check because a system thread raised an exception that no error handler caught.

THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVERWindows blue screen THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVERWindows stopped with a THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER bug check because a driver thread became stuck in an endless loop, usually while waiting for hardware to become idle. This commonly points to graphics drivers or the underlying hardware they manage.

WDF_VIOLATIONWindows blue screen WDF_VIOLATIONWindows stopped with a WDF_VIOLATION bug check because the Kernel-Mode Driver Framework detected that a framework-based driver violated a WDF rule or power/locking requirement. This almost always points to a faulty KMDF driver rather than normal application behavior.

Windows BSOD Errors | Error Atlas