DRIVER_VERIFIER_DETECTED_VIOLATION: Windows Blue Screen Fix

Quick answer

The Windows stop code DRIVER_VERIFIER_DETECTED_VIOLATION (0x000000C4) means: Driver Verifier caught a driver doing something illegal. If it happened once, restart and keep an eye on it. If the blue screen repeats, follow the steps below; it is usually fixed by updating or removing a driver or program.

Before you start: note the stop code shown on the blue screen. If Windows will not start normally, it usually opens Automatic Repair after two failed starts; from there choose Advanced options to reach Safe Mode or System Restore.

Is it serious? Can I keep using my PC?

Severity: Medium

If it happened once, restart and keep an eye on it. If the blue screen repeats, follow the steps below; it is usually fixed by updating or removing a driver or program.

Common causes

Faulty, outdated or incompatible driver

How to fix it

Find the faulting driver: check Event Viewer and the dump files in C:\Windows\Minidump
Update or roll back the driver of the faulting device in Device Manager (look for yellow warning icons)
When finished testing, turn Driver Verifier off with "verifier /reset" and restart
Start Windows in Safe Mode (Advanced startup) and troubleshoot from there

Frequently asked questions

What does DRIVER_VERIFIER_DETECTED_VIOLATION mean?

The Windows stop code DRIVER_VERIFIER_DETECTED_VIOLATION (0x000000C4) means: Driver Verifier caught a driver doing something illegal.

Is DRIVER_VERIFIER_DETECTED_VIOLATION serious?

Severity: Medium. If it happened once, restart and keep an eye on it. If the blue screen repeats, follow the steps below; it is usually fixed by updating or removing a driver or program.

How do I fix DRIVER_VERIFIER_DETECTED_VIOLATION?

Start with these steps: Find the faulting driver: check Event Viewer and the dump files in C:\Windows\Minidump; Update or roll back the driver of the faulting device in Device Manager (look for yellow warning icons); When finished testing, turn Driver Verifier off with "verifier /reset" and restart; Start Windows in Safe Mode (Advanced startup) and troubleshoot from there.

Related codes

0xA IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUALA driver or system process tried to access memory it was not allowed to use, usually because of a faulty driver.0x19 BAD_POOL_HEADERThe memory pool used by Windows has become corrupted, usually by a faulty driver.0x1E KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLEDA program running in the Windows kernel caused an error that it did not handle.0x3B SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTIONAn error occurred while a system service was running, often caused by a driver (frequently graphics) or security software.0x3F NO_MORE_SYSTEM_PTESWindows ran out of system page table entries, usually because a driver is not releasing memory.0x50 PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREAWindows tried to use memory that does not exist or is not available, often due to a driver, security software or faulty RAM.0x7E SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLEDA system thread caused an error that was not handled, usually because of a driver.0x9F DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILUREA driver failed while the PC was entering or waking from sleep or changing power state.0xBE ATTEMPTED_WRITE_TO_READONLY_MEMORYA driver tried to write to read-only memory.