If you’re reading this article, then you’ve probably encountered the dreaded “Blue Screen of Death” as the nickname is. This particular error, Memory Management error, is one that affects Windows 10 and it is important to understand exactly what it is if you want to fix it. If that’s the case, then you have come to the right place, because down below I detail everything you’ll need to know (and probably more) about this error and how to get your computer back to running normally.
Windows 10 Blue Screen of Death Errors
I briefly mentioned in the intro that this error is nicknamed the Blue Screen of Death (or BSOD for short). This actually encompasses a large group of Windows errors that all look similar. Unlike the Memory Management Error, these BSOD errors are common on most versions of Windows, so you’ll never know when you may encounter one. The two screenshots above are two different BSOD errors. You’ll notice that they look nearly identical. The main message at the top is the exact same, really the only difference is that it just gives you the name of the error of what happened. One of the ones I included, DPC Watchdog Violation, is covered by us here.
You may think that these errors are all very similar, as it would make sense. However, they are all actually very different as far as what is happening to the system and how to fix them. The only thing that they really have in common is that it will cause the computer to restart itself to avoid damage on the computer. I really like that Microsoft tells you the specific error, so you can search it online to find a potential solution.
Overview of Memory Management Error
So know that you have a little bit of knowledge about the BSOD errors, what about this one specifically and what makes it different from the others? Well for starters, it’s one of the newest. Most of these other errors have been around since at least Windows 7, and Memory Management error is only found on Windows 10. This can make it somewhat difficult to find solutions and info about it.
What Causes It?
While many error messages have several possible things causing them to happen the 0X0000001A error, as it is alternatively displayed as, occurs when the system memory malfunctions, which you may have been able to guess from the name. Every operating system has at least two memory banks and the memory is installed on it.
Memory is obviously crucial to your computer and if this error happens, it will restart your computer to prevent any further damage. This can be extremely annoying and inconvenient if you are working on your computer as it will happen with no warning or opportunity to save, so you may lose some important work. Therefore, you can see that it’s something you’ll want to fix as quickly as possible, and this next section details exactly how to do so.
“The memory management on the PowerPC can be used to frighten small children.” – Linus Torvalds
Solutions
Now that we got all of the background information out of the way, let’s get to the important part; how to fix this error. Here are the three most effective solutions. Perform them in the order that I list them here and after you do each, make sure to restart your computer and if the error is gone, then you have successfully corrected it. If not, simply just move onto the next solution until you have successfully defeated the blue screen of death.
Solution #1: Restart/Check for Updates
I start off most of these errors with this exact same solution, and I know that it can seem repetitive but guess what; it works! Now I’m not saying 100% of the time by any means, but you should always try this step first if for no other reason because of how easy and quick it is to perform and also to eliminate that possibility. Once you have and if the error is still reoccurring, continue on down this list for the more technical solutions that most may not have known how to do.
Solution #2: Run SFC Scanner
SFC/SCANNOW is Microsoft’s tool for resolving various system problems that come built-in with Windows 10. It’s a super useful tool that most PC users aren’t aware of, but it can help with a variety of things. Here’s exactly what you need to do to run this command:
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- Right-click on the Start Menu button in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen and select Command Prompt from the pop-up menu. (There are many ways to open up the command prompt; this is just one.)
- Type sfc/scannow into the Command Prompt and press Enter. This will start to run the SFC program.
- Wait until the process is finished (it may take a while) and see if any errors are fixed.
A Note on the Command Prompt
So there you have it; that’s literally all you have to do to run this program. As you can see, it’s a simple process, but it’s just one of those things that you have to know exactly what to type. This process is similar to many other programs that come with every Windows operating system as you simply just need to type the specific code into the command prompt and press enter.
The hardest part of this is knowing or finding the specific command (here are some basic ones). You find many other ones by simply searching online. I think that the command prompt is one of the most under-utilized features on Windows computers, and it is a feature that is much better and easier to use than Apple‘s version.
While this solution is the most popular effective one, it still may not work. If that’s the case, move onto the next solution. Don’t get discouraged if you’re at this point because you only have one more solution to try, which will be just as easy as this step. At least from this section, you learned a powerful tool, SFC Scanner, and you will be able to apply it next time you have an error of any time.
Solution #3: Run Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool
As this error is titled “Memory Management Error”, many times it is caused by an issue with your RAM memory (who would’ve thought). If your RAM memory is damaged in any way, the best solution is to replace it with a new one. But first, you should make sure it’s broken. This can be done by running the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool, which is another great built-in Windows tool that many are unaware of. Here’s how to run it.
- Go to the Search bar and type in windows diagnostic tool and open it when you find it.
- Once you open it, choose Restart now and check for problems.
- Let your computer restart, and on the next startup, the tool will report if something’s wrong with your RAM memory.
It’s very important to verify first that the issue is with your RAM memory because replacing it is not something you should take lightly. Replacing your RAM memory is a major technical step that will require some work on your part, as you will physically have to take your computer apart and install a new physical RAM disk. It’s quite an extensive process, and if you get to that step, then check out this article on how exactly to go about it.
Conclusion
There you have it; three simple enough solutions you have to fix this error. I hesitate on saying this, as many times there are outliers, but one of these solutions should always fix this error. In fact, the first two are the most common. You can see that they are easy processes and it’s something that you’ll want to do quickly to avoid getting this annoying error again, as it forces your computer to restart without a moment’s notice.
Even if it took more time than you would’ve liked to fix this error, I look at it this way. By going through and reading this article and performing these technical tasks, you learned a lot about Windows and computers in general. Tools that you probably otherwise never would’ve heard about. So try to look at it the positive side as well. Yes, this error may have been annoying and taken up some time, but I’m sure this article will better prepare you if you get this error or really any other one again.
I hope from this article that you learned exactly what is a memory management error and how to correct it. It’s a relatively new error as it only appears on Windows 10, so there still isn’t a ton of info available about it. If you liked the post, be sure to visit my page on this site where all of the other error articles I have written can be found. There are several other writers as well, so if you can’t find a specific error you are looking for on my page, search our site in the top right-hand corner. Other than that, good luck in fixing this error and always come back here if you have any other ones!
