All You Have to Do to Fix “irql_not_less_or_equal Windows 10” Error

irql_not_less_or_equal Windows 10

Whenever there is an “irql_not_less_or_equal” Windows 10 issue, you must always make sure that it has not reached a serious stage yet. The irql_not_less_or_equal case on Windows 10 often occurs when a misconfiguration or an error involving a faulty driver happens in the system. Due to the error in the system, your Windows 10 PC will display a notification including the irql_not_less_or_equal message.

Usually, the irql_not_less_or_equal error on Windows 10 comes from a problematic driver among the other types of problems. Due to the problem with the drivers, the irql_not_less_or_equal error can cause a bigger problem. Most problems caused by outdated drivers usually cause the Blue Screen of Death if not fixed immediately.

When it comes to driver errors, you will see many types of problems they can cause. One of the errors that the problematic driver can cause is the irql_not_less_or_equal problem. Because Windows 10 has a lot of drivers, you can always try to maintain your system better. Other than that, you can also perform any methods to fix the irql_not_less_or_equal error on Windows 10 PC.


Irql_not_less_or_equal Error on Windows 10

Irql_not_less_or_equal Error on Windows 10

Errors caused by incompatible drivers or misconfiguration in the settings often happen on any Windows operating system. The most recent version of Windows, which is Windows 10, is not excluded. Due to the numbers of drivers, a Windows system can store, you cannot be sure how many of incompatible drivers there are. When the incompatible driver does not get the update it needs, an error like irql_not_less_or_equal can occur.

Just like many errors caused by outdated or incompatible drivers, the irql_not_less_or_equal error can be fixed if you find the right method. Aside from updating drivers, you can also fix the irql_not_less_or_equal error on your Windows 10 PC by performing some fixing methods in regards to Blue Screen of Death. As many of the errors, like System Thread Exception Not Handled or KMode Exception Not Handled, which cause BSOD comes from the incompatible drivers, some of their fixing methods can do the job to fix the irql_not_less_or_equal error as well.

Perhaps at some point, you may see an error on your Windows 10 PC with a message titled “driver_irql_not_less_or_equal” as well. As the title says, the problem usually comes from the incompatible driver which may also cause the irql_not_less_or_equal too. In terms of the source of error on Windows 10, both irql_not_less_or_equal and driver_irql_not_less_or_equal may actually be categorized as the same type of error. That is why you can fix either one of those two with the same types of methods as presented further down this article.


What Causes the Irql_not_less_or_equal Error

Causes the Irql_not_less_or_equal Error

As you get to know that the outdated drivers can cause the irql_not_less_or_equal to happen, you may want to look deeper into some of the applications which may contribute to the irql_not_less_or_equal error. Usually, the irql_not_less_or_equal error can come from the faulty ntoskrnl.exe kernel file or the audio drivers.

Usually, the irql_not_less_or_equal error can attack your Windows 10 PC from many sectors. Some of the things you do may trigger the irql_not_less_or_equal error to happen. In some cases, the irql_not_less_or_equal error can occur due to the problem relating to the ntoskrnl.exe file. Since it deals with the kernel file, the irql_not_less_or_equal error that it causes may be quite serious.

The other things which can cause the irql_not_less_or_equal error to happen are overclocking PC and overheating CPU. Both of the issues here usually happen to gamers. Since a lot of gamers overclock their PCs, the CPU can overheat as well. Usually, you can disable the overclocking software or use the best CPU temp monitor to save your PC from overheating.

In some cases, the irql_not_less_or_equal error can also happen after the RAM upgrade. When you do not have enough memory space or memory leak occurs on your Windows 10, you opt to upgrade the RAM. In this case, you can cause the irql_not_less_or_equal error to happen. If this is the case, then the incompatible RAM may trigger this issue.

In some rare cases, the irql_not_less_or_equal error can occur after you perform Windows Update. You can immediately uninstall the latest updates and see if it can fix the irql_not_less_or_equal or driver_irql_not_less_or_equal error on your Windows 10.

Last but not least, the irql_not_less_or_equal error can happen due to the error in memory_management. Usually, the irql_not_less_or_equal error will affect the system first then goes to display the Blue Screen of Death when your Windows 10 PC reboots. This should not worry you for we have curated the best methods to fix the irql_not_less_or_equal or driver_irql_not_less_or_equal error on your Windows 10 in this article.


Consider the Causes of Irql_not_less_or_equal Error on Windows 10

You may have heard of incompatible drivers being the cause of the irql_not_less_or_equal error in the previous section. While the incompatible driver may often cause this type of error, many things can actually trigger the irql_not_less_or_equal on your Windows 10 PC.

If you have already checked the drivers on your Windows 10 PC and found nothing wrong on them, then the problem may come from somewhere else. More often than not, faulty hardware can cause the irql_not_less_or_equal error to happen. Usually, the bad memory sector of RAM can trigger this issue. On the other hand, you can also check on Windows upgrade. With the upgrade, some of the applications in your Windows 10 PC may not have the time to adjust to the new environment. In this case, the irql_not_less_or_equal error may happen.

Another cause you may want to consider is the rogue kernel server which drives to access the unauthorized files. In this case, the system will warn you of the behavior the rogue kernel configuration exhibits. Thus, you will see the irql_not_less_or_equal error on your Windows 10 screen along with the Blue Screen of Death.


What You Can Do to Fix Irql_not_less_or_equal Error in Windows 10

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Before we jump to the methods to fix the irql_not_less_or_equal error on Windows 10 PC, we can try to perform the quick fixes which may stop the error altogether. Under the right circumstances, the irql_not_less_or_equal error can be fixed after you perform some quick fixes. Compared to the methods to fix the irql_not_less_or_equal or driver_irql_not_less_or_equal error, the quick fixes are quite simple to do.

What you can do to fix the irql_not_less_or_equal or driver_irql_not_less_or_equal error on Windows 10 is to update the Windows system first. Along with it, you can also update every driver you find incompatible with the operating system to fix the irql_not_less_or_equal on your Windows 10 PC. This way, you may fix the source of the problem of the irql_not_less_or_equal error.

Aside from performing updates on the drivers and the system, you can also check for the hardware on your Windows 10 PC. Make sure the RAM has enough space to run every single application on your PC. You can try to perform troubleshooting on the disks to help fix the irql_not_less_or_equal error.

If all the quick fixes above do not work, then you can try to update the BIOS of your PC. While this may fix all the problems in your Windows 10 PC, this method requires certain things which you must take note of. If you do not have enough knowledge of operating a computer system, then you may ask for an expert’s help.

In case you wish to look for the information regarding the driver problem which causes irql_not_less_or_equal or driver_irql_not_less_or_equal error, you can use “Event Viewer”. Simply search for the program on your Windows 10 PC. Run it and see the logs for the irql_not_less_or_equal or driver_irql_not_less_or_equal error you see on your Windows 10 PC. Since the log comes with the timestamp, you can see what causes the irql_not_less_or_equal or driver_irql_not_less_or_equal error to happen.


Methods to Fix the Irql_not_less_or_equal Error on Windows 10

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If you see a Blue Screen of Death error on your Windows 10 PC, you can see the details that come with it. Usually, you can see the source of the problem at the last line of the notification. With it, you may see the irql_not_less_or_equal or driver_irql_not_less_or_equal message on your Windows 10 PC’s screen.

Take note of the cause of the irql_not_less_or_equal or driver_irql_not_less_or_equal error on your Windows 10 PC first. Once you do that, you can choose which method you can use to fix the error. Without further ado, let’s take a look at each one of the methods to fix irql_not_less_or_equal error on Windows 10 below.


Getting Into the Safe Mode

Getting Into the Safe Mode

Whenever your Windows 10 PC experiences the irql_not_less_or_equal or driver_irql_not_less_or_equal error, you can always access your Windows from Safe Mode first. In the Safe Mode, you will minimize the potential of the third-party programs interfering with the repairing method. By using the Safe Mode, you can also boot your Windows 10 PC away from the irql_not_less_or_equal or driver_irql_not_less_or_equal which may be caused by a problematic driver from a third-party app.

Keep in mind that performing this method may not give you the best outcome. Some possibilities it may present are quite similar to the other methods you will see below. If the Safe Mode can get you to a safe environment away from the irql_not_less_or_equal error, then it works. In case your operating system still crashes, either way, it means your Windows 10 PC suffers a more complex problem than you may realize.

In order to get to the Safe Mode, you can follow the steps below.

Step 1: Proceed to press and hold the Shift button.

Step 2: Then, you can click the power button on the Windows start menu.

Step 3: Afterward, you can choose the “Restart” option, all while pressing the Shift button.

Step 4: Next, you can select the option “Troubleshoot”.

Step 5: Proceed to choose the option “Advanced options”.

Step 6: Then, you can select the option “Startup Settings”.

Step 7: Afterward, you can choose the option “Restart”.

Step 8: You can wait until the Windows 10 system reboots.

Step 9: Then, you can choose the option “Safe Mode”.

Step 10: See if the irql_not_less_or_equal error along with the Blue Screen of Death appears again or not.


Checking the Windows 10 PC Memory

In case you want to check on the deeper state of your computer to fix the irql_not_less_or_equal error, you can start from the memory first. As previously mentioned, the irql_not_less_or_equal error can happen when a rogue file tries to get to a memory file it does not have authorization to. The legal activity then triggers the irql_not_less_or_equal to happen. Thus, it can cause your Windows 10 PC to stop operating and revealing the Blue Screen of Death.

In order to check the memory of your Windows 10 PC, you can use the Memory Diagnostic tool from Windows. To perform this method, you can follow the steps below.

Step 1: Proceed to go to the Windows search bar on the Start menu.

Step 2: There, you can type “Memory Diagnostic”.

Step 3: Choose the option “Windows Memory Diagnostic” to open it.

Step 4: Afterward, you can choose one of the two options which are displayed on the next window. Choose the option which can restart Windows immediately and start the system scan on your Windows 10 PC’s RAM.

Step 5: In case the diagnostic tool finds an error, then you will need to replace the RAM of your Windows 10 PC.

Step 6: If the diagnostic tool does not find any driver errors, then the cause of the irql_not_less_or_equal error maybe somewhere within the system of your Windows 10.


Repairing Corrupted Files from System Registry

Repairing Corrupted Files from System Registry

If you have a corrupted driver in your Windows 10 PC, then it is possible that the irql_not_less_or_equal or driver_irql_not_less_or_equal error may be the result of it. In order to fix it, you can repair the corrupted files from the System Registry.

To do so, you can open the System File Checker command from the Command Prompt. Follow the steps below to do the operation.

Step 1: Proceed to head to the Windows Start menu.

Step 2: Then, you can type cmd in the search bar.

Step 3: From there, you can right-click on the option “Command Prompt”.

Step 4: Afterward, you can choose the option “Run as Administrator”.

Step 5: Next, you can type sfc /scannow command on the Command Prompt window.

Step 6: Wait until the command finishes its run.

Step 7: Then, you can restart your Windows 10 PC.

Step 8: Once your Windows 10 PC turns back on, check if the irql_not_less_or_equal or driver_irql_not_less_or_equal error has been fixed or not.

In case you want an automatic fix, you can try to use registry cleaner to fix the corrupted files in your Windows 10 PC. Try to use CCleaner to clean and repair all of the damaged files in your Windows 10 PC’s system.


Checking Disks for Errors on Windows 10 PC

Other than the corrupted driver, the damaged disks can also cause the irql_not_less_or_equal error to happen. You can try to check the RAM first by using the method above, but you can also extensively check on the disks within your Windows 10 PC. To do so, you can run a specific command from the Command Prompt.

Follow the steps below to perform this method.

Step 1: Proceed to head to the Windows Start menu.

Step 2: Then, you can type cmd in the search bar.

Step 3: From there, you can right-click on the option “Command Prompt”.

Step 4: Afterward, you can choose the option “Run as Administrator”.

Step 5: Once the Command Prompt appears, you can type “chkdsk C: /f” on it and press Enter. Make sure to use the letter of the drive you wish to make a hard partition of.

Alternatively, you can follow the steps below to perform disk checks.

Step 1: Proceed to go to the hard drives in your Windows 10 PC.

Step 2: Then, you can right-click on the drive you wish to perform the scan on.

Step 3: Afterward, you can choose the option “Properties”.

Step 4: Next, you can select the option “Tool”.

Step 5: Then, you can click on the option “Check” under the “Error-checking” section.


Performing A System Scan

If your Windows 10 PC has malware roaming around, then it may cause the irql_not_less_or_equal or driver_irql_not_less_or_equal error to happen. You will even see a Blue Screen of Death error if you do not fix the problem immediately. In this case, you may have to perform a full system scan on your Windows 10 PC.

To do so, you can run the Windows Defender if you do not have the third-party antivirus. In order to run the system scan on the Windows Defender, you can follow the steps below.

Step 1: Proceed to head to the Windows start menu.

Step 2: Then, you can head to the search bar and type ‘defender’.

Step 3: Find the option “Windows Defender” from the search result and click on it.

Step 4: Once the Windows Defender window appears, you can find the shield icon on the left panel and click on it.

Step 5: On the new window, proceed to click on the option “Scan options”.

Step 6: Then, you can choose the option “Full scan” to start the scanning process.


Checking on the Windows 10 PC Hardware

Checking on the Windows 10 PC Hardware

If the irql_not_less_or_equal error does not come from the inside, then it may come from the outside. This method is quite simple in operation, but it will take time to finish it. To do this, you must inspect whatever cable plugged in your Windows 10 PC first. See if they are properly connected or not to your PC. Then, you will need to unplug each one of them properly. After you successfully unplug each one of the cables, you can proceed to reboot your Windows 10 PC.

Once your Windows 10 PC turns back on, you can plug in all the cables back. Then, you can see if they are still disabled or not. If they are still disabled, then you can enable each one of them back. Make sure to plug in each one of the cables separately. Do the same thing if you want to enable the devices as well. Then, you can try to use each one of the devices once you successfully plug each one of them in.

In case none of the devices trigger the irql_not_less_or_equal error on your Windows 10 PC, then you can continue to operate your computer. If the plugged devices turn out to cause the error, then you can fix the said device at once. Proceed to get into the Safe Boot and uninstall the said driver completely. Afterward, you can download the latest version of the driver from the official site and install it.


Refreshing or Restoring Windows 10 System

Refreshing or Restoring Windows 10 System

The newest version of Windows includes a feature where you can refresh the system. The refreshing option allows you to reset every single setting of your device to default. Unlike the clean installation, the refreshing feature will not change all of your personal settings on your computer.

Due to the variety of issues which may cause the irql_not_less_or_equal error, you may find it difficult to determine the method to fix it. If you wish to end the irql_not_less_or_equal error at once, you can perform a system restore. Because of the multiple installations of third-party programs, it must be difficult to check which one of them causes the irql_not_less_or_equal error to happen. The solution to this problem is to restore the system back to its previous state.

For this method to work, you will need to create a restore point first. Once you do so, you can engage with the rest of the steps that follow.

Have you created a restore point yet? If yes, then you can follow the steps below to perform the system restore method.

Step 1: Proceed to go to Windows Search.

Step 2: Then, you can type “system properties” in the search bar.

Step 3: Afterward, you can choose the option “System Properties”.

Step 4: Next, you can head to “System Protection”.

Step 5: From there, you can select the option “System Restore”.

Step 6: Then, you can click on the option “Next”.

Step 7: Afterward, you can choose the point where you want to restore your Windows system to.

Step 8: After you decide which point you wish to get the Windows system to back to, you can click on the option “Next”.

Step 9: Then, you can click on the Finish option.

Step 10: At last, you can close the windows and begin restarting your Windows 10 PC.

Step 11: At once, the restoring process will begin.

Alternatively, you can follow the steps below to perform System Restore on your Windows 10 PC.

Step 1: Proceed to go to Settings first.

Step 2: Then, you can head to the “Update & Security” section.

Step 3: Afterward, you can choose the option “Recovery” under the left pane.

Step 4: Next, you can select the option “Get Started” under the option “Reset this PC”.

Step 5: Then, you can select the option “Keep your files”.

Step 6: Proceed to follow the instructions on the Windows 10 PC’s screen to complete this method.


Performing Clean Windows Install

When all else fails, you can always perform a clean Windows install. If you cannot find the problematic driver which causes the irql_not_less_or_equal or driver_irql_not_less_or_equal error to happen on your Windows 10 PC, then you can try to tweak a few settings in the system. In case the system restore or the registry repairing does not fix the irql_not_less_or_equal or driver_irql_not_less_or_equal error, then you must make sure to refresh the system on your Windows 10 PC. When the refreshing feature fails too, you can perform a clean Windows install.

In order to perform this method, you will need an external hard drive to store the Windows installation media. Then, you can delete everything in your C: drive and get the fresh Windows 10 system back anew.

Make sure to perform this method only as of the last resort. If you still have important data stored in your local Windows disks, then you can try to perform the methods we have mentioned above. Once you perform a clean Windows install, then you will get everything anew with no trace of the programs or third-party applications within the system.

Written by Vlad Akilov

The former owner of The Blog Joint, that t is a blog about all technology news in the world, it will include funny and interesting stories and reviews. Also some useful links and stories from other blogs that we find that the readers would like to know about and might even learn from.