Blue Screen of death is a pretty common and unwanted error on Windows. To learn how to fix DRIVER IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL, you will get some instructions from this article. It is a very common blue screen error on Windows 10.
Many reasons may cause Driver IRQL Not Less Or Equal BSOD. But, In most cases, It occurs when there is a problem with the network driver. In some cases, Antivirus or third-party firewalls like Bitdefender, Kaspersky, ESET, etc., may create a conflict, and you encounter this type of problem. Sometimes, This error includes code like “STOP 0xD1, But, How can you troubleshoot it? Fortunately, It is effortless to solve your problem.
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How to Fix DRIVER IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL on Windows 10
You have several options to get rid of this problem. I recommend you to follow these methods one by one.
Method 1: Update or Roll Back Network Drivers
Corrupted network drivers are mainly responsible for this type of BSOD errors. For some users, rt640x64.sys, which is a Realtek Network Adapter driver, causes the problem. So, As your first attempt to fix driver IRQL not less or equal, you should update it. If you don’t know how to do it, follow this article: How to Update Drivers
However, To update network drivers or any other drivers, I recommend using the Driver Booster, Driver Easy, Driver Talent, OutByte Driver Updater, etc. These tools can regularly update your drivers automatically and help your PC to run smoothly. Especially, the Driver booster has some cool features that allow you to do much more things. It also can help you to uninstall or roll-back drivers.
However, You also can roll-back drivers manually. To do it, follow these instructions.
- First of all, Open the start menu, type devmgmt.msc, and hit enter. It will open Windows Device Manager.
- Now, Expand Network Adapters.
- Then, Right-click on the network drivers and go to their properties one by one.
- Go to the Driver tab and click on Roll Back.
- Follow on-screen instructions.
- After that, Restart Windows.
It may fix your problem.
Method 2: Re-Install Network Driver
In case the first method fails, try to uninstall the network drivers. Then, Install it again to solve your problem. It may work for you. To do it, follow these instructions.
- At first, Open the Device Manager like method 1.
- Then, Expand Network Adapters.
- Then, Right-click on the Network Drivers and choose “Uninstall device.”
- Follow onscreen instructions.
- Now, Restart your computer.
Windows will automatically re-install the driver. If you are lucky, it will solve DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL.
Method 3: Delete epfwwfp.sys/bddci.sys (For Bitdefender/ESET Antivirus User)
In some cases, the first two methods may fail. It is because something else is causing a blue screen error on your PC. You can find it out, but that would be a bit long process. The most common culprits are epfwwfp.sys or bddci.sys. So, You can delete them and see if it solves the problem. To do it, you can simply go to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\ and find these .sys files. If you use ESET, you will see epfwwfp.sys. Bitdefender users will see bddci.sys. Just delete it.
Some users, May not be able to access Windows. Because The DRIVER IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL may appear before Windows starts properly. In this case, You can boot into recovery mode and delete these files. To do it, follow these instructions.
- At first, Boot into recovery mode. You can either follow the method one from here or use a bootable Windows media. In this case, Insert bootable pendrive, choose repair your computer when windows setup window appears. Then, Follow the instructions from that link.
- Make sure, In recovery mode, you have navigated to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
- Then, Run these commands.
c: cd Windows cd system32 cd drivers ren bddci.sys bddci.sys.bak
or
ren epfwwfp.sys epfwwfp.sys.bak
- Now, Restart your PC. It should resolve the problem.
Method 4: Disable Antivirus/Firewall or Run Clean Boot
As you are not sure what is causing that BSOD, you can temporarily disable or uninstall the antivirus or firewall program to see if it helps. You also can boot into clean boot to identify the problematic programs and solve your problem.
Method 5: Run Chkdsk Tool
Sometimes, Disk problems may lead your PC to have this “Driver IRQL Not Less Or Equal” error. In this case, As a first step, you can run the chkdsk tool. It automatically detects and fixes common disk problems. So, It has a good chance to fix this BSOD too. To run it, follow these instructions:
- At first, Open the command prompt as administrator.
- Now, Type chkdsk and press enter.
It may take a while to complete the process. However, If you want to know about more disk related problems, read: How to Find and Fix Hard Disk Problems
Method 6: Disable Write Caching
This method is not recommended for most situations. If you don’t find other ways, you can consider disabling write caching of your hard disk or SSD. Then, See if it fixes the driver IRQL not less or equal BSOD or not. Here are the instructions:
- At first, Open the Device Manager as shown in method 1.
- Then, Find disk drives and expand it.
- Double-click on the disk drive where Windows is installed.
- Now, Go to Policies tab.
- Then, Uncheck “Enable write caching on this device” and click on OK.
- At last, Restart Windows 10.
If it fixes the problem, you can leave it unchecked. However, If not, you may enable the write caching again.
Method 7: Run Memory Diagnostic
This blue screen of death also may be a result of your RAM problem. So, You should run Windows Memory Diagnostic tool and take more steps to fix memory issues. To learn more, read: How to Troubleshoot RAM Problems
Method 8: Disable Over-Clocking
If you have enabled over-clocking in your PC, you probably should disable it. Then, See if it fixes the driver IRQL not less or equal problem.
Method 9: System Restore
The system restore is one of the most effective ways to fix BSOD if it has started appearing recently. You can restore your PC to a previous restore point when everything was OK. If you don’t know how to do it, follow this article: How to Do System Restore
Method 10: Update BIOS
To fix DRIVER IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL, updating BIOS can be an effective method. In many forums and sites, experts suggested this to solve this BSOD. If you don’t know the way to update BIOS, Read: How to Update Motherboard BIOS or UEFI
Method 11: Analyze Minidump File
The best way to identify the actual reason behind any blue screen of death is by analyzing the minidump file. It will help to find the problematic driver that is causing any BSOD. So, To fix DRIVER IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL, it can be a perfect option. To analyze the minidump, find the corrupted driver, follow the instructions from this article.
These are the most effective methods. Else, you can try to disable PageFile and see if it helps. As the last option, you can re-install Windows. Hopefully, these tips will help to troubleshoot DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL on Windows 10. If you want to add your opinion or know something, you can comment.
