IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL BSOD error

[kernlsandrs]

I have a Surface Pro 4 which I recently performed a factory reset on, and then after reinstalling all of my programs (of which there were few) I then downloaded the Windows Media Creation Tool and updated my SP4 to the Anniversary Update. Since then, when I initially boot up my SP4, after the login screen appears and Windows Hello initiates and looks for my face, Windows crashes, giving me IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. When it reboots, it works just fine. It's only during the initial startup.

After some brief googling, I found out this error is almost always caused by bad drivers. I have very few applications installed on here, so the list of culprits is very short. What program do you recommend to track down the bad driver?

 

[Chintan Gohel]

I have a Surface Pro 4 which I recently performed a factory reset on, and then after reinstalling all of my programs (of which there were few) I then downloaded the Windows Media Creation Tool and updated my SP4 to the Anniversary Update. Since then, when I initially boot up my SP4, after the login screen appears and Windows Hello initiates and looks for my face, Windows crashes, giving me IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. When it reboots, it works just fine. It's only during the initial startup.

After some brief googling, I found out this error is almost always caused by bad drivers. I have very few applications installed on here, so the list of culprits is very short. What program do you recommend to track down the bad driver?

the drivers are usually for hardware -so check in device manager if there are any errors with the driers there

 

[gpobernardo]

I have a Surface Pro 4 which I recently performed a factory reset on, and then after reinstalling all of my programs (of which there were few) I then downloaded the Windows Media Creation Tool and updated my SP4 to the Anniversary Update. Since then, when I initially boot up my SP4, after the login screen appears and Windows Hello initiates and looks for my face, Windows crashes, giving me IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. When it reboots, it works just fine. It's only during the initial startup.

After some brief googling, I found out this error is almost always caused by bad drivers. I have very few applications installed on here, so the list of culprits is very short. What program do you recommend to track down the bad driver?

There is no apparent one-problem-one-solution approach to this, at least based on my experience. I won't recommend any "program" to track down bad drivers other than the default Device Manager (as mention by Chintal Gohel) and by using Windows Update. Other "programs" may download drivers from unknown sources, which may put your data (and your privacy) at risk.

However, in certain rare cases, having the latest drivers (as determined by Windows Update) could be the cause of the problem. For instance, in my PC, one of the driver versions spawns the BSOD as soon as I connect through a mobile hotspot. But reverting back to an older version prevents that from happening. Unfortunately, because of Windows Update, it will always have the latest driver and thus I can't connect my PC to any mobile hotspot.

Setting that aside but not disregarding it, you may just need to check for driver updates... or simply wait for an Update (which normally turns out to be the solution (unfortunately?)).

 

[speccy]

In my experience, this message is nearly always related to a bad memory module. If you have two modules in your PC, take one out, and see if the problem goes away, If it doesn't, put it back and take the other one out. Also if you can't solve it that way, try a single module still, but in a different slot, I have seen motherboards before where a module would work fine in one slot but not in another.

By doing the above, you may be able to work out where the issue is by process of elimination. I too would not recommend purchasing any diagnostic software. You could start Windows and run MSCONFIG, and then disable all NON-Microsoft services, and turn off all startup items to see if it helps. If ti does help, then re-enable a few things at a time until the issue returns, then back track a little until you find the culprit.

Good luck.