If your Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC keeps crashing with a blue screen that says PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA, it means Windows tried to access a piece of memory that should always stay in physical RAM (the nonpaged area), but it wasn’t there or couldn’t be read correctly.
This stop code is usually linked to memory and storage problems such as faulty RAM, incorrect virtual memory (page file) settings, buggy or incompatible drivers, or disk/file system errors.
In this article, we’ll explain what the Page Fault in Nonpaged Area error means and practical steps to fix this Blue Screen of Death Error on both Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Page Fault in Nonpaged Area Error on Windows 11/10 – What It Means
The “Page Fault in Nonpaged Area” (STOP code 0x00000050) is a Windows Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) error indicating that the system attempted to access data that was not present in the nonpaged area of memory (RAM). Let’s understand it:
When Windows or a program accesses memory, it uses two types of memory pages:
- Paged memory – can be moved temporarily to the page file (virtual memory) on your hard drive or SSD when it’s not being used.
- Nonpaged memory – must always stay in physical RAM, because it stores critical data and drivers that Windows cannot safely swap to the hard disk.
The “nonpaged area” is a critical segment of RAM that holds kernel-level data and is never swapped to the hard disk. If Windows or a driver tries to access a memory page that should be in this nonpaged area but is missing, corrupted, or mapped incorrectly, Windows displays the stop code PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA and crashes to prevent further damage.
This usually points to problems with RAM, virtual memory (page file), drivers that touch memory, or disk/file system issues affecting the page file and system files.
What Causes PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA in Windows 11/10
This error is generally caused due to issues with hardware (specifically RAM or storage) or corrupted system files/drivers.
- Faulty or Incompatible RAM: A defective RAM stick is the most common cause. Even if the RAM works sometimes, it might have faulty cells that cause failures under load.
- Corrupted or Incompatible Drivers: Outdated, faulty, or corrupt drivers (especially graphics or network drivers) can attempt to access invalid memory addresses.
- Corrupt File System or Disk Errors: A corrupted NTFS volume, damaged HDD, or failing SSD can prevent Windows from reading files correctly, triggering this error.
- Faulty System Service or Program Update: A recently installed application, Windows update, or anti-virus software might be corrupt or incompatible with the current system.
- Virtual Memory (Page File) Misconfiguration: Incorrect page file (swap file) settings can also cause this error.
- Unstable Overclocking: Excessive CPU, RAM, or GPU overclocking can cause signal integrity issues on the motherboard, leading to memory errors.
Before you start troubleshooting, think about recent changes:
- Did you install new RAM or change BIOS/UEFI memory settings?
- Did you tweak virtual memory, or use a system “optimizer” that changed it?
- Did you install or update antivirus, VPN, backup software, or storage drivers?
- Did BSODs start right after a Windows or driver update?
Reversing or undoing the most recent change is often the fastest way to stop this error.
Whenever you experience a Blue screen error on Windows 11 and 10, the first thing you need to do is disconnect external devices and reboot your PC. If Windows 11 restarts frequently due to this blue screen error, start your computer in safe mode and perform the solutions listed below.
Start Windows in safe mode
Safe Mode starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and services. If the PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error does not appear in Safe Mode, it’s a strong sign that a third‑party driver, service, or software is causing the problem, not Windows itself.
- Hold the shift key and restart Windows 11 from the Start menu -> Power Options.
- When the PC restarts, click Troubleshoot, then Go to the Advanced option
- Click on Startup Settings, then click on Restart. Now press F4 to enter safe mode, and F5 to enter safe mode with networking.
Once Windows starts in Safe Mode, follow the steps below to reset virtual memory, check RAM and disk, and update or remove problematic drivers to resolve this BSOD error.
Reset Virtual Memory (Page File) to System Managed Size
Because PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA is closely related to how Windows manages memory, wrong virtual memory (page file) settings can trigger this error. If the page file is disabled, set too small, or heavily tweaked by a tuning tool, Windows may fail to keep critical data in memory and crash with this stop code. Resetting the page file to System managed size lets Windows decide the best settings and often fixes this problem.
- Press Windows key + R, type SystemPropertiesAdvanced.exe, and click ok to open System Properties.
- Ensure you are on the Advanced tab. Under the Performance section, click on the “Settings” button.
- In the Performance Options window, go to the Advanced tab. Under the Virtual Memory section, click on the “Change” button.
- First, Uncheck the option “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.”
- Next, select C: and ensure the ‘System managed size’ option is selected. Then, click on ‘OK’ to save the changes.
After changing the virtual memory settings, restart your computer and check if the PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error still occurs.
Check for Hardware Issues
Because this error means Windows could not read data it expected to be present in RAM, faulty memory modules or problems with your system drive are common causes. Next, we check the memory and the disk drive for errors.
Run the Memory Diagnostic tool to check RAM for Errors
Faulty hardware, such as defective RAM or a failing hard drive, can trigger memory-related errors. To check for Memory errors, you can use built in windows memory diagnostic tool:
- Press Windows key + R, type “mdsched.exe” and press Enter to open the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool.
- Select “Restart now and check for problems” to initiate the memory test.
- The tool will run a comprehensive scan of your computer’s RAM for errors. It may take several minutes to complete.
- After the scan finishes, your computer will restart automatically. Check if the error persists.
If you want an even more thorough memory test, you can also use a dedicated tool like MemTest86 from a bootable USB drive to stress‑test your RAM.
Check Hard Drive for Errors Using the Chkdsk Utility
- Press Windows key + S and type cmd, right-click on the command prompt, select run as administrator,
- In the Command Prompt window, type “chkdsk C: /f /r” and press Enter.
Tip: CHKDSK is the short of Check Disk, C: is the drive letter you want to check, /F means fix disk errors, and /R stands for recover information from bad sectors.
- You may be prompted to schedule a disk check for the next system restart. Type “Y” and press Enter.
- Restart your computer, and this will start checking the disk drive for errors, and try to repair them if possible.
- Let the scan complete, as it may take some time. After the scan finishes, your computer will restart automatically. Check if the error persists
Disable Fast Startup on Windows 11
The Fast Startup feature allows the system to boot faster by saving the kernel session to the hard drive and restoring it upon startup. However, it can sometimes cause conflicts with certain hardware or drivers, which may trigger memory‑related errors, including PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA.
Disabling Fast Startup can be a helpful step in troubleshooting the “Page Fault in Nonpaged Area” error in Windows 11.
- Press the Windows key + R, type powercfg.cpl, and click ok to open Power Options.
- In the Power Options window, click on “Choose what the power buttons do” on the left-hand side.
- Click on “Change settings that are currently unavailable.”
- Scroll down to the “Shutdown settings” section and Uncheck the box next to “Turn on fast startup (recommended).”
- Click on the “Save changes” button to apply the settings.
Update Device Drivers on Windows 11
Outdated or incompatible drivers can cause memory-related errors. It is important to keep your drivers up to date. You can check and update the device driver in Device Manager, or visit the device manufacturer’s official site to download and install the latest driver on your PC.
For this particular stop code, pay special attention to drivers that work closely with memory and storage, such as storage/SATA/NVMe drivers, chipset drivers, graphics drivers, antivirus/VPN/backup tools, and any software that installs low‑level disk or filter drivers.
- Press the Windows key + X and select Device Manager from the menu.
- This will display a list of devices and peripherals connected to your computer.
- Expand each category and locate the devices with a yellow exclamation mark indicating driver issues.
- Right-click on the device and select “Update driver.” Choose the option to search automatically for updated driver software.
Also, you can Visit the manufacturer’s website and navigate to the support or downloads section. Locate the driver download page for your specific device and download the latest driver compatible with your version of Windows.
Scan for System File Corruption
Corrupted or missing system files can cause Windows to access invalid memory addresses or fail to read data that should remain in the nonpaged area. This can directly trigger PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA. You can use built-in Windows tools, such as System File Checker (SFC) and Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM), to scan and repair system files.
Run the Windows SFC utility to fix and make sure corrupted system files not causing this blue screen error.
- Press Windows key + S and type cmd, right-click on the command prompt, select Run as Administrator.
- In the Command Prompt window, type “DISM /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth” and press Enter.
- The DISM will scan the system image and repair any issues it finds.
- Next, run the system file checker utility command “sfc /scannow” to scan for corrupted system files and attempt to repair them.
- Once the scan and repair process is complete, restart your computer and check if the error persists.
Keep Windows 11 Updated
Regularly update Windows 11 and install the latest patches, bug fixes, and security updates to ensure system stability.
- Press the Windows key + X and select Settings
- Open Windows Update, then click Check for updates.
- If pending updates there allow them to download and install
- Once done, reboot your PC to apply them, and this probably fix the blue screen error on Windows 11.
If the error started right after installing a specific Windows update or driver update, you can also try uninstalling that recent update from Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates to see if the problem goes away.
Use System Restore (if available)
If the PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error started after installing a driver, app, or Windows update, and you have System Protection enabled, you can use System Restore to roll your PC back to an earlier working state.
- Press Windows + R, type
sysdm.cpland press Enter. - Go to the System Protection tab and click System Restore.
- Select a restore point from a date before the blue screens started, then follow the wizard.
- Your PC will restart and restore system files and settings.
System Restore does not delete your personal files, but it may remove apps and drivers installed after the restore point was created.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Faulty RAM is a common cause, but this error can also be triggered by incorrect virtual memory settings, buggy drivers, corrupted system files, or disk/file system problems.
In most cases yes. Resetting the page file, testing RAM, checking the disk, updating or rolling back drivers, and repairing system files usually resolve the issue without a full reinstall.
If the blue screen shows a file name like ntfs.sys, it often points to disk or file system issues. In that case, running chkdsk and checking storage drivers and antivirus can be especially important.
No, and it can make things worse. Disabling the page file can lead to more memory errors and crashes. It’s safer to set virtual memory to System managed size and let Windows manage it.
If you still get PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA after trying all the steps above and testing your hardware, it may be faster to use Reset this PC (keeping your files) or a clean install of Windows. Always back up important data first.
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