Driver issue comes to PC or Laptop, Windows happens to be the most widely used operating system. Maybe we have alternative options in the form of Ubuntu or Mac OS to name a few, Windows remains a ubiquitous option. A great operating system though it is, Windows does suffer some Common Driver issue time to time. One of the issues you may normally come across would be driver incompatibility. What are the common driver issues you may face on Windows and how to fix them? That is what we will be covering in this post.
Most Common Driver issue On Windows and Their Solutions
Driver issue are normally witnessed when you have just upgraded your system, or installed a new hardware. Let us check out the issues one by one and find how you can fix them using a few simple and easy steps.
1.HAL_INITIALIZATION_FAILED
This cannot be considered to be purely a driver based error. It normally comes up when your PC wakes from sleep. It can be a result of hardware issues or even the bugs with your device drivers. We have observed the error affecting older PCs in most case, though even the new PCs are not far from being affected.
Incorrectly configured drivers, malware attack and corrupted hard drives can be a reason for this error to appear. You can fix it following the methods here-
Method 1 – Set useplatformclock to True
- Launch COMMAND PROMPT. Ensure you are running it as an Administrator.
- Type in bcdedit /set useplatformclock trueand press ENTER. Make sure there is a space before
- Confirm that the configuration is done by typing in bcdedit /enumand pressing ENTER.
Method 2 – Clear Junk Files
Cleaning up junk files can sometimes sort out the issue. You can follow the steps here below –
- Type in disk cleanupin the search box.
- Choose Disk Cleanup from the search results.
- Wait till the system completes the calculation. Scroll down to and tick Temporary Files.
- You may choose any other files you want to delete.
- Click on OK and you are done.
Method 3 – Update Your Drivers
You may check for any driver updates available through Windows Update. If you suspect any of your devices has driver issues, you may check its manufacturer website and update the drivers.
2.DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
This is one of the BSOD errors that may affect your PC at times. The error code is also referred to as STOP: 0x000000D1. It is basically a driver based error, but can affect your PC even in cases of other corrupt internal files.
Here is how you can fix it –
- When the Blue Screen of Death affects your system with this error, the name of the culprit driver should be shown on the error screen. In cases where the driver name is not shown, it can be an indication that your computer is not able to identify the driver.
- In case the driver name is not shown, you will need to update all your drivers through Windows Update. This can be a time consuming affair as Windows Update will take time to find the updates available.
- As for the hard ware drivers having issues, you will need to check the drivers and download the updated drivers from the manufacturer website.
3.PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
Please note that this error message may not be entirely driver based. However, it has been observed that this error can affect you when you have recently installed a new hardware. It can also be a result of faulty RAM as well.
As the case with most driver errors, this too affects you with a BSOD symptom. Here are a few ways you can fix it –
Method 1 – Clean Up Your Junk Files
- Search for Disk Cleanupin the search box and choose Disk Cleanup from the search results.
- Choose the files you would want to delete from your computer in the Disk Cleanup dialog box.
- Once you have chosen all the files to be deleted, click on OK.
Method 2 –Update Your Device drivers
As we stated, the error is related to the outdated drivers on your system. Your devices may work one day and stop working on the other day. Here is how you can sort this out –
- You can update the Windows Drivers through the Windows Update. It can be a little time consuming and difficult as well.
- In case of Hardware drivers, you can pin point the exact drivers that is affecting your system. You may need to get the drivers from the manufacturer websites. Ensure that the drivers that you are going to use are genuine and compatible with your hardware. An incompatible driver can further aggravate issues.
You may try the driver update utilities to find the latest drivers. These utilities normally keep checking the updates available for your drivers. You can use utilities like DriverEasy, DriverDocetc for the purpose.
Method 3 –Use System restore Option
If the issue is deeper than you expect, it may be necessary to restore your system to a time that it was working fine without any errors. System Restore is a remarkable utility that can help you get your system back to working condition.
- Using System restore should be quite easy. Type in System Restore in your search box and choose the appropriate option from the search results.
- You may need to enter your administrative user name and password to continue.
- Follow the on screen instructions to restore your system to a time that the system was working fine.
On your Windows 10, you will need to enable System Restore before you can use it. Discussion on how to enable it is beyond the scope of this post. However, performing System Restore on Windows 10 is a little different.
- Launch Control Panel.
- Once it is launched, look for
- Now, choose Open System restore and click
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete System restore to an appropriate date.
It is advisable to perform System Restore from Safe Mode.
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4.Windows Driver Malfunction
At times, you may not be able to get the exact error messages. But, it could be possible that you know you are facing driver issues with your PC, but do not face any error message in general. In such cases, it would be advisable to check for the drivers to find the culprit.
The steps involved include –
Locate the Problematic Driver
Maybe you are not sure whether the drivers are culprit and are not aware of which drivers are causing the problem. We recommend using the inbuilt SIGVERIF utility. Follow these steps –
- Launch the RUN the dialog box.
- Type in SIGVERIF to launch the inbuilt utility.
- Click on START to begin scanning.
Once scanning is complete, you can cut and paste the unsigned drivers to a backup folder.
Locate Bad Drivers
Once you have moved the drivers to a backup folder,
- Start your Windows in Normal Mode.
- You should get the error message indicating that the one or more drivers have failed.
- Ignore the message and proceed to check if the issue you were facing still present.
- If does not, it would be an indication that one of the unsigned drivers is a culprit.
- Launch your PC in safe mode, and add one of the drivers to the proper directory from the backup folder.
- Check if the issue comes back. If not, add another driver from the back up folder.
- Continue the process until you find the driver that has been giving the error message.
That is it. You have located the bad driver that has affected you. You can take appropriate action depending upon the driver that you are facing the issues with.
5.Network Adapter Driver issues
Windows 10 users have observed that Network Adapter Driver Issues on your computer. This can cause network issues. Outdated network adapter driver can be an issue in this case. How would you solve it?
Here are the steps that may be helpful.
- Bring up RUN dialog box by pressing Windows Key and R simultaneously.
- Type in msc to bring Device manager.
- You should find the yellow triangle showing beside the network adapter.
- Right click on the adapter driver and choose on Update Driver. You may also choose Uninstall option if you so wish.
- You may now download the appropriate driver on another computer. You can then transfer the installation file to your PC through USB and install it on your PC.
If you want to avoid facing this issue quite often, it would be advisable to regularly update your Windows Update.
In Conclusion
Well, that was what we have with respect to the Driver issues you may come across with on your Windows system. The issues we have discussed here are quite common to Windows 7,8 and 10. There can be a few differences on how you perform a few tasks, but rest of the tutorial should ideally remain the same.
Have any of you faced the similar issues with respect to your drivers? We assume the tutorials here should address most of your issues. Do share your opinions with us.
