Fault in any of your drivers, mostly video drivers causes irql_not_less_or_equal error in windows 10 with BSOD (blue screen of death). It can happen mostly while playing graphics-intensive games or during video editing. This error is quite uncertain, but fortunately, it can be fixed easily.
In this guide, there are many possible solutions to fix irql_not_less_or_equal error in windows 10. Follow the steps, and if one method does not work for you, go for the other. But in the end, you will eradicate this error.
1. Remove Faulty Drivers to Fix ‘IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL’
Here is how you can detect the faulty drivers and uninstall them to fix IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL BSOD error in windows 10. Go to the settings for your pc, and open device manager. You can open the device manager directly from the search bar.
In the device manage menu, find the faulty driver that is causing the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL BSOD error and uninstall it. You can detect the defective driver by the looks of it. The defective driver may have no name, and it is assigned to nothing, and it has a yellow mark in front of it.
Here are the steps to remove or uninstall the driver.
- In the device manager menu, select the faulty driver by clicking.
- Now in the driver’s menu, go to the Driver tab.
- Now click on uninstall device as shown above.
- Now click on in the next menu.
- After uninstalling the driver, reboot the computer and reinstall the drivers from the manufacturer’s official website.
- After installing the required drivers, reboot your PC, and the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL BSOD error should have gone.
- If the error persists, try out the next method.
2. Run in Safe Mode (If your PC is not turning on)
If for any chance, after BSOD pc is not turning on and continuously showing the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error, then you have to login in safe mode and uninstall the faulty driver. Here is how you can get into safe mode. You need the installation media to login to the safe mode.
- Insert the USB with bootable windows 10 in it.
- On startup, press f8 to login to the safe mode.
- In a safe mood, the window boot without many drivers and software, thus you can look closely that which driver is causing problems.
- Uninstall that driver and reboot without safe mode.
- The BSOD issue should have gone by this method.
3. Check Memory and Hardware.
Faulty memory hardware can also cause the BSOD with IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error. You can check the memory through the windows official memory diagnostic tool. Here are the steps to check your memory using the memory diagnostic tool.
- Open the search bar and type memory diagnostic tool, click on that and open it.
- You will see two options, one for restart the PC after the scan, and one is restarted it manually.
- Select the 1st one for restart the PC after scan.
- If after the scan you see any error, then IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL BSOD is due to the memory stick non-compatibility.
- Change the stick and restart the computer.
- BSOD IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL should have gone by now.
4. Checking Hardware
To check hardware, remove every peripheral from the PC and turn on the PC. Disable their drivers and check if there is an issue? If not, start installing the components one by one with new drivers and take a close look at the time or driver at which your pc start is showing IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL windows 10 error.
Congratulations! You have found out the culprit.
Change that part of reinstall their driver.
The error should have gone by now.
5. Check for Disk Errors
The corrupted windows file can also cause an IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL windows error. You can check your disk for any faulty file or hardware problem. With Windows 10 you can run a disk checking scan very quickly using the command prompt.
Follow the steps:
- Run CMD as an administrator.
- Enter the command
chkdsk C: /f
and hit enter.
This command only detects the error, but to fix the issue, you have to enter the /r
parameter.
6. A System Restore to Fix IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (Confirmed Solution)
If none of the above solutions worked for you, then this might be the best solution for your PC. In this procedure, you have to restore the PC from the last restore point you created. To initiate the process of system restore, follow the instructions.
- You have to open the system restore menu, for that you can search the system reset in pc, or you can open it by following method.
- Press Win+R key and a dialogue box will be opened.
- Enter rstrui.exe in the box and hit enter, this will open the system restore menu.
- You will see several backup images there.
- Select the restore point you want to adopt.
- This takes your pc setting, drivers and everything to that part of the backup image.
- This will remove the new drivers and software that may have caused the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL BSOD error.
7. Clean, New Windows Install
This is the solution for almost every possible problem ever happen to windows. You should have an installation media in your hand, insert it and install windows on C partition. This will remove the data from C, and you will get a new and smooth windows experience.
Conclusion
Try the above fixes one by one, and find the method that works best for you if any of the processes does not work for you. Directly backup your data and install Windows again. Update the drivers, and avoid the following mistakes not to get IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL windows error.
- Don’t overclock your PC.
- Keep your PC cool.
- Incompatible RAM.