I have an HP ENVY that recently showed the stop code PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA (0x50). After looking up the error, I started Windows Memory Diagnostic, but it has been running for more than three hours and is only about 15% complete. The test also isn't responding when I press F1, 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
A PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error can be related to faulty memory, but it can also come from drivers, corrupted system files, or other software issues. If this happened only once, you don’t necessarily need to panic. If crashes keep happening, rerun the memory test for several hours and investigate other possible causes too.
Restarting is fine if the diagnostic has become unresponsive. You may lose the test results or leave an incomplete diagnostic log, but that’s generally harmless. If you want to stop it normally, try Esc first; if that does nothing, holding the power button is the practical option.
Yes, you can force a shutdown or restart. The memory test simply won’t finish, and interrupting it shouldn’t damage the laptop or erase your files. You can run the test again later, preferably overnight while the charger is connected.
Esc didn’t cancel it, so I restarted the laptop. It seems to be working normally now.