Can Memory Cause Blue Screen of Death?

Everyone experiences serious Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) errors on Windows at some point. The critical system crash forces your PC to restart. This can create an endless loop unless the underlying problem is fixed.

While the blue screen can be the result of physical RAM problems or Windows corruption, one cause can be virtual memory or the way your system handles memory processes.

This can happen even when your RAM sticks and motherboard are working as intended.

How do I diagnose memory as the blue screen cause?

You might be able to identify memory as the error’s cause because it will be displayed in a BSoD error message before your PC restarts.

Virtual memory is a technique that allows a computer to use more memory than it physically has. Physical memory is the actual RAM that is installed on the computer. Virtual memory is a larger area of memory that is stored on the hard drive.

If the memory is not available in physical memory, the operating system will move some of the memory that is currently in physical memory to the hard drive. This is called paging.

Virtual memory allows computers to run programs that are larger than the amount of physical memory that is installed on the computer. It also allows computers to run multiple programs at the same time.

When this process goes critically wrong, the BSoD will display the Stop Code: Memory Management, although you should also keep an eye out for:

• 0x0000007E – INVALID_ACCESS_VIOLATION
• 0x0000005D – PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
• 0x0000005E – PAGE_FAULT_IN_PAGED_AREA
• 0x00000077 – CRITICAL_OBJECT_TERMINATION
• 0x0000007B – INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE
• 0x00000079 – DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
• 0x000000D1 – DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE
• 0x000000EA – KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED

How does memory cause BSoD errors?

System memory can cause the BSoD for numerous reasons. Here are some of the most likely:

• Incorrect Virtual Memory Settings – When Windows uses your hard drive for virtual memory and these settings are incorrectly configured, it can express itself as a memory management error. If the hard drive itself is failing, this can also interfere with the various memory tasks your system must undertake.
• System Crashes – Previous system crashes themselves, such as those caused by hardware, can also cause a cascade of problems for memory. For example, if your system crashes out of the blue, it might not be able to save data stored in temporary memory at the time.
• Bad Software – Poorly developed software can cause memory leaks and problems for other programs trying to access memory.
• Malware – Malware and viruses can interfere with the memory process, hijacking memory itself or corrupting virtual memory or the page file.
• Graphics Cards – Modern GPUs have their own memory chip. If this malfunctions, it too can cause a blue screen crash.
• Corrupt System Files – System files are essential for the operating system to function properly. If these files are corrupted, it can cause the operating system to make mistakes when it is trying to access memory.

How do I fix BSoD caused by Memory?

Here’s how to diagnose and repair memory-related blue screen errors and fix the blue screen permanently.

1. Check the System Information

You can discover if there is a problem with virtual memory by checking the system information screen on Windows.

1. Open the System Information You can do this by using the Windows search bar.
2. Under the Summary section, you will see the following information about your virtual memory:

• Total virtual memory – This is the total amount of virtual memory available to your computer.
• Available virtual memory – This is the amount of virtual memory that is currently available to your computer.
• Configured virtual memory – This is the amount of virtual memory that has been configured for your computer.
• Page File size – This is the size of the page file. The page file is a portion of your hard drive that is used to store virtual memory that is not currently in use.

2. Check Task Manager

Windows Task Manager shows which processes are using how much memory. The performance tab gives further details into how it is being allocated and any obvious leaks.

3. Reset the Virtual Memory settings

If you are running out of virtual memory, you can increase the size of your page file. Alternatively, you can reset this altogether if it’s going haywire and causing the BSoD.

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box and type cpl to open System Properties.
2. Click Advanced and then under Performance, click Settings.
3. Click the Advanced tab, then under Virtual memory click Change.
4. Make sure System managed size is checked.

4. Use a Windows repair tool

Fortect offers a simple method to fix many Windows problems, including the BSoD caused by a damaged operating system and memory. It can repair this when the cause is a broken registry or other vital system files.

1. Download and Install Fortect on your system.
2. Accept a Scan to find damaged system files and other Windows problems.
3. Click Start Repair to repair to pull fresh Windows files and settings from its database.

It’s also wise to run Fortect following any other BSoD fixes to ensure your PC is always running at top performance.

Memory, as it relates to virtual memory and memory processes within Windows, is one cause of the blue screen of death if something goes wrong.

Virtual memory, damaged system files, and other Windows problems can lead to memory stop codes.

Therefore, changing your system settings or using a tool like Fortect can get things running smoothly again.