Top 7 Ways to Fix ‘Page Fault in Nonpaged Area’ Error in Windows 10 and Windows 11

Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors are difficult to deal with. They pop up abruptly and automatically restart your PC and briefly display the stop code. One such bothersome BSOD error is the ‘Page Fault in Nonpaged Area,’ which can arise due to many underlying issues.

This BSOD error indicates an issue with a recently installed driver, a malfunctioning hardware device (RAM or HDD), or an issue with the paging file. Try these seven methods to fix this BSOD error on your Windows PC.

1. Use Startup Repair

You can use the Startup Repair tool on the Windows Recovery Environment page to fix startup issues with your Windows 11 PC. You can still access the Windows Recovery Environment page if you cannot boot to the lock screen after the BSOD error. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Press the Power button to start your PC. As soon as the logo appears, press and hold the Power button to turn off the PC. Repeat this process 3-4 times, and your PC will automatically restart and launch the Windows Recovery Environment page.

Step 2: Click on the Troubleshoot option.

Step 3: Click on the Advanced options tile.

Step 4: Now, click on the Startup Repair option.

Step 5: Your PC will restart and then attempt a startup repair.

2. Check Device Drivers

A faulty driver can also cause the BSOD and produce the Stop Code: PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA on your PC. If you recently installed a new driver for your GPU, audio device, or any other component, you must roll back the driver. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Press the Windows key to open the Start menu. Type device manager in the search box and press Enter to open Device Manager.

Step 2: Locate the device and double-click on it to open its Properties. Switch to the Drivers tab.

Step 3: Click on the Roll back driver option.

Step 4: Pick any option and click on the Yes button.

Step 5: Close the Device Manager and restart your PC.

3. Use the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool

Since the ‘page fault in nonpaged area’ error can stem from an issue with the RAM or HDD, you must check the RAM for faults, if any. You can use the inbuilt Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to find issues with the RAM. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Press the Windows key to open the Start menu. Type Windows Memory Diagnostic in the search box and press Enter to open the tool.

Step 2: Click on the ‘Restart now and check for problems (recommended)’ option.

Step 3: Your PC will restart and load the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool page. It will begin scanning the memory for faults. After that, your PC will restart and boot to the lock screen.

Step 4: Log in to your PC. You will see a notification pop up from the Windows Memory Diagnostics tool.

If the notification doesn’t pop up, you can use the Event Viewer to check the Windows Memory Diagnostics tool’s log file. Here’s how:

Step 1: Press the Windows key to open the Start menu. Type Event Viewer in the search box and press Enter.

Step 2: Go to the Recently Viewed Nodes section. Double-click on the Windows Logs\System option.

Step 3: Find the Memory Diagnostic-Results entry and double-click on it.

Step 4: If the log contains the ‘The Windows Memory Diagnostic tested the computer’s memory and detected no errors’ message, the RAM is fine.

4. Perform a CHKDSK Scan

After checking the RAM for faults, you must also check the hard disk using the Check Disk utility. It will find existing faults in the disk and try to repair bad sectors and other errors. Here’s how to run a CHKDSK scan:

Step 1: Press the Windows key to open the Start menu. Type cmd in the search box and click on the Run as administrator option.

Step 2: The User Account Control window will pop up. Click on the Yes button to open the Command Prompt with administrator privileges.

Step 3: Type the following command and press Enter:

chkdsk /r

Step 4: You will see a ‘Cannot lock the drive’ message. Type y and press Enter.

Step 5: Close the Command Prompt window.

Step 6: Restart your PC.

Check Disk utility will start scanning and fixing issues with your hard disk drive.

5. Run the Hardware Troubleshooter

Windows OS contains various inbuilt troubleshooters to diagnose and fix issues with both software and hardware components. Repeat the following steps to use the Hardware troubleshooter:

Step 1: Press the Windows key to open the Start menu. Type PowerShell in the search bar and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter keyboard shortcut simultaneously.

Step 2: The User Account Control window will open. Click on the Yes button to open PowerShell with administrator privileges.

Step 3: Type the following command and press Enter:

msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic

Step 4: The Hardware Troubleshooter will open. Click on the Next button.

Step 5: Wait for the troubleshooter to diagnose and fix issues. After that, close the Troubleshooter window.

Step 6: Restart your PC.

6. Update the BIOS

If you haven’t updated the BIOS in a long time, you must download and flash the latest BIOS version updates on your PC. You will have to manually visit your PC manufacturer’s website and download the latest version of the BIOS update.

Some PC makers ship a driver management utility to check and download the latest updates. After that, you will have to either run the installer file or put the BIOS on a USB drive and then flash it on your PC.

7. Tweak the Paging File Settings

If the ‘page fault in nonpaged area’ blue screen error doesn’t go away after updating the BIOS, you can try tweaking the paging file settings on your PC. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Type the following text and press Enter to open the Advanced System Properties window:

%windir%\system32\SystemPropertiesPerformance.exe

Step 2: Switch to the Advanced tab.

Step 3: Click on the Change button under the Virtual Memory section.

Step 4: Uncheck the ‘Automatically Paging file size for all drives’ checkbox. Click on the OK button.

Step 5: Close the Performance options window.

Fix a Bothersome BSOD Error

These were the seven methods to fix the ‘Page Fault in Nonpaged Area’ error in Windows 10 and 11. Use Startup Repair, check your RAM and hard disk for errors, and check missing device drivers. Lastly, update the BIOS and tweak the paging file settings to fix the issue.