I have an HP ENVY that recently showed the PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA (0x50) stop code. I started Windows Memory Diagnostic after seeing it recommended by Microsoft, but the test has been running for more than three hours and is only about 15% complete. The F1 key does not seem to do anything, and I need to use the laptop for assignments today. Is it safe to power it off or restart it, and will doing so cause any damage?
3 Answers
The test runs outside Windows, so shutting down mainly means losing the unfinished scan. It is unlikely to cause damage or affect your files. If the blue-screen error happened only once, you may not need to investigate immediately; if crashes keep happening, run the test again and consider checking drivers, system files, and the RAM.
Try pressing Esc first to cancel the test. If the system does not respond, restarting it is fine. You can run the diagnostic again later, preferably overnight while the laptop is plugged in.
Yes, you can force a shutdown or restart. It will stop the memory test, but it should not damage the laptop. The diagnostic simply will not finish and may not produce a useful result.
Esc did not work, so I restarted it. Everything seems to be working normally now.