If you’ve been using your Windows 10 PC for a long time now, you might have come across a couple of issues – from minimal ones to critical ones like the Blue Screen of Death or BSOD stop errors. One of these BSOD errors you can encounter is the DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL Blue Screen error. This particular BSOD error is caused by iaStorA.sys, iaisp64 sys, Netwtw04.sys, nvlddmkm.sys, ndis.sys, wrUrlFlt.sys, and other driver files on Windows 10. This error indicates that a kernel-mode driver tried to access pageable memory at a process IRQL that was too high. When you encounter this error, just like a typical BSOD error, your computer will abruptly stop and you will see a blue screen with an error message saying:
“Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. We’re just collecting some error info, and then we’ll restart for you. (100% complete)
If you’d like to know more, you can search online later for this error:
DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (wrUrlFlt.sys)”
The iaStorA.sys file is a software component that’s related to the Intel Rapid Storage Technology by Intel. It is a software solution supported by Intel Smart Response Technology which allows the PC to communicate with the hardware as well as externally connected devices. The Intel Rapid Storage Technology enables the Peripheral Component Interconnect Express or PCIe storage support, serial ATA RAID or Redundant Array of Independent Disks 0, 1, 5, and 10 support, and the PUIS or power-up in standby is also supported.
To resolve this kind of BSOD error, you have to update, roll back or fresh-install the problematic driver. Refer to the options laid out below for detailed instructions.
Option 1 – Try removing the Intel Rapid Storage Technology or IRST drivers
The first thing you can try is to fix the Wi-Fi driver or the Ethernet driver on your computer to resolve the BSOD error. Take note that this option works not only on Windows 10 but also other Windows versions.
- Tap the Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
- After that, type “devmgmt.msc” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
- After opening the Device Manager, click on the “IDE ATA/ATAPI Controller” entry and expand it.
- Next, right-click on all the driver entries that are appropriately labeled, and then click on Uninstall device.
- Now restart your PC and check if the problem’s fixed or not. If not, proceed to the next given option below.
Option 2 – Try updating the Intel Rapid Storage Technology or IRST drivers
If you’ve already tried uninstalling the IRST driver but you’re still getting the DRIVER IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL Blue Screen error when you use your Windows 10 PC, then this means that the drivers might be corrupted or not compatible with the operating system version that you are using right now. So to fix the problem, you have to update your drivers. To do that, follow the steps below.
- The first thing you need to do is to go to your OEM’s website.
- Once you’re already on the OEM’s website, go to the Drivers section and get the latest version for your device and then try to overwrite it.
Alternatively, you can also update the drivers via the Device Manager:
- Tap the Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
- After that, type “devmgmt.msc” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open the Device Manager.
- After opening the Device Manager, click on the “IDE ATA/ATAPI Controller” entry and expand it.
- Next, right-click on all the driver entries that are appropriately labeled, and then click the Update driver option.
- Now restart your PC and check if the BSOD error is fixed or not.
Option 3 – Try using the System File Checker via Command Prompt
System File Checker or SFC is a built-in command utility that helps in restoring corrupted files as well as missing files. It replaces bad and corrupted system files to good system files that might be causing the DRIVER IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL Blue Screen error. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.
- Tap Win + R to launch Run.
- Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
- After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow
The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:
- Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
- Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
- Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.