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By , IT support technician

Quick Answer

Restart your computer. If the BSOD happens repeatedly, press the Windows key, type Windows Memory Diagnostic, and run the tool to check for failing physical RAM sticks.

How to Fix "Page Fault in Non-Paged Area" (BSOD Basics) ​

Estimated Time to Fix: 15 minutes

Applies to: Windows 10, Windows 11
Article Type: Troubleshooting
Last Updated: 2026-07-20

Summary ​

The "Page Fault in Non-Paged Area" is one of the most common Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors in Windows. It means your computer tried to read a piece of data from its memory (RAM), but the data wasn't there. This is usually caused by a faulty driver (like an outdated graphics card update), corrupt system files, or failing physical memory sticks.

Symptoms ​

  • Your computer suddenly freezes, and the screen turns blue with a sad face :(.
  • The stop code at the bottom of the screen reads PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA.
  • Sometimes, the error mentions a specific file (like ntfs.sys or nvlddmkm.sys), which points directly to the culprit.

Prerequisites ​

  • You must be able to log into Windows. If your computer crashes immediately upon turning on, you will need to start it in Safe Mode.

Instructions ​

1. Update or Roll Back the Culprit Driver ​

If the blue screen mentioned a specific file ending in .sys, that tells you exactly what crashed. For example, nvlddmkm.sys is an NVIDIA graphics driver, and rtkvhd64.sys is a Realtek audio driver.

  1. Open the Start Menu, type Device Manager, and press Enter.
  2. Find the device related to the crash (e.g., Display adapters for graphics, or Sound, video and game controllers for audio).
  3. Right-click the device and select Properties.
  4. Go to the Driver tab.
  5. If you recently updated the driver before the crashes started, click Roll Back Driver.
  6. If you haven't updated it recently, click Update Driver and let Windows search for a fix.

2. Run the Windows Memory Diagnostic ​

Because this error is fundamentally about memory, your physical RAM sticks might be failing. Windows has a built-in tool to check them.

  1. Save any open work and close your apps.
  2. Open the Start Menu, type Windows Memory Diagnostic, and press Enter.
  3. Click Restart now and check for problems.
  4. Your computer will reboot into a blue screen with a progress bar (this can take 10-20 minutes).
  5. If the test reports hardware errors, one of your RAM sticks needs replacing. Ask IT — or the manufacturer, if the PC is your own — to replace the failing memory, and hand them the stop code PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA and the crash dumps in C:\Windows\Minidump. Those dumps are what let them confirm the diagnosis without reproducing the crash themselves.

3. Repair Corrupt Windows Files ​

Sometimes, the Windows files responsible for managing memory get corrupted during an update or unexpected shutdown.

  1. Open the Start Menu, type cmd.
  2. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
  3. Type sfc /scannow and press Enter.
  4. Wait for the scan to reach 100%. If it finds and fixes corrupt files, restart your computer.

Troubleshooting ​

TIP

If the crashes started immediately after installing a new Windows Update, you can uninstall it. Go to Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates, and remove the most recent one.

Symptom / ErrorPotential CauseSolution
Crash mentions "ntfs.sys"Hard drive errorsThis file manages your hard drive. Run a disk check by typing chkdsk C: /f /r in an Administrator Command Prompt and restarting.
Computer crashes before you can log inSevere driver conflictBoot your computer into Safe Mode, then use Method 1 to uninstall your graphics or audio drivers.