I've been struggling with frequent BSOD errors, notably the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL, ATTEMPTED_EXECUTE_OF_NO_EXECUTE MEMORY, and INTERRUPT_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED, all linked to ntoskrnl.exe. This started happening throughout June, and I suspect it might be related to a problematic RAM stick since I replaced one of my 8GB RAM modules recently. I've attempted a couple of hard resets, but the issues persist. Strangely, my PC crashes mostly while playing a specific game on Steam after about 3 hours, and sometimes at random when it's idle. I'm unsure whether the original RAM stick or a driver issue might be the cause. Any advice would be appreciated!
2 Answers
Those errors usually indicate a problem with hardware or drivers. My usual approach is: First, update all your drivers to the latest versions—if that doesn't work, reinstall Windows and go back to driver updates. If you're still getting crashes, it's often because of faulty RAM. Try running a memory test if you have spare RAM to swap out; that can be a good way to see if it's the RAM or something else like your graphics card or motherboard.
To figure out what's causing those BSODs, you need to check your minidump files. If you can access Windows normally or through Safe Mode, look for files in C:WindowsMinidump. If you have some, zip them up and upload them somewhere like catbox.moe. Multiple dump files will help diagnose the issue better. You can also follow this guide to set up your PC to create Small Memory Dumps if you haven't got many.
I've updated what I could in the Device Manager, but they all show as updated. I usually only update my GPU manually. Any specific updates you recommend?