Hey everyone! My wife's computer (MSI, Windows 11 Pro) has been crashing lately with Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors. I've seen three different error codes: PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA, MEMORY_MANAGEMENT, and IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL mentioning ntoskrnl.exe. I tried running the Windows memory test, but it didn't seem to work after leaving it for 10 hours. So, I used memtest86, which froze after a few minutes and reported 9 errors with the test. I'm not very tech-savvy and could really use some help interpreting this. I can't take the computer to a repair shop at the moment, so any advice on what to check or do next would be greatly appreciated! Sorry for any mistakes in my English!
2 Answers
To figure out what's going on with your BSODs, we really need to analyze the dump files that your system generates when it crashes. If you can start Windows normally or in Safe Mode, check the directory C:WindowsMinidump for any files. If there are some, zip them up and upload them to a file-sharing site like catbox.moe or mediafire.com. Having multiple dump files is ideal for a thorough analysis. Also, follow this guide to set up your system for creating small memory dumps if you haven't done that yet.
From what you've described, it seems pretty clear that your memory is defective based on the errors from memtest86. If you're comfortable with it, try removing the RAM sticks and testing them one at a time to identify which one may be faulty. If this sounds too complicated, I recommend taking the computer to a shop to have new memory installed. Your current setup seems to have 2 x 8 GB DDR4 3200 MHz, so you'll want to replace those if they're the culprit!
Yes, it really sounds like your memory is in bad shape. I know it can be a hassle, but if you can replace those sticks, it should solve the problems you're facing!