How to Fix the Windows 10 "Kernel Data Inpage Error"

The Windows 10 Kernel Data Inpage Error refers to a missing or corrupted page of kernel data in a Windows paging file. It can be caused by file, memory or disk corruption, as the term “Inpage” relates almost exclusively to the hard drive or the RAM. All is not lost, though: there are a few things we can do to fix the Kernel Data Inpage Error.

Most Kernel Data Inpage errors happen after the computer wakes up from sleep. It is a good idea to cold-boot your computer while you work on these fixes. Then back up any data you don’t want to lose, just in case it turns out to be a hard drive failure.

2026 update: the error is identical on Windows 11, and all the fixes below apply. On recent versions of Windows 11, the error screen can be black instead of blue, but it shows the same KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR stop code.

What code 0x0000007A means

0x0000007A is the stop code of the KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR: Windows tried to read back from disk a page of kernel data stored in the paging file, and the read failed. This code alone doesn’t tell you why. The cause is in the error’s second parameter: an I/O status code, which you can find in Event Viewer.

What if the blue screen says “ntoskrnl.exe”?

Many blue screens show “What failed: ntoskrnl.exe”. That’s misleading: ntoskrnl.exe is the Windows kernel, and it shows up because it is what triggers the stop when the page can’t be read back. The file itself is almost never the problem. Don’t replace it by hand: follow the steps below, which target the real cause (disk, RAM, driver).

Fix the Windows 10 Kernel Data Inpage Error

First, we need to run a few checks to see what is causing the error. Let’s start with Windows Event Viewer.

1. Type or paste “event” in the Windows search box and open Event Viewer.
2. Open Windows Logs > System and look for the event with source BugCheck (ID 1001) at the time of the crash. Its text looks like: “The computer has rebooted from a bugcheck. The bugcheck was: 0x0000007a (0x…, 0xc000009c, 0x…, 0x…)”.
3. Note the second parameter: it is the status code that points to the cause. Also look at Disk, Ntfs or stornvme errors right before the crash, which often identify the disk involved.

The most common status codes, according to Microsoft’s documentation:

Status code (2nd parameter)	Meaning	Where to look
0xC000009A	Insufficient resources (non-paged pool)	Driver consuming memory, RAM
0xC000009C	Device data error: bad sectors	CHKDSK, disk health
0xC000009D	Device not connected: faulty or loose cable, disk not seen by the controller	Cables, connector, controller
0xC000016A	Disk operation failed: bad sectors	CHKDSK, disk health
0xC0000185	I/O device error: faulty cabling or IRQ conflict	Cables, expansion cards
0xC000000E	No such device: hardware failure or incorrect drive configuration	Cables, manufacturer diagnostic tool

The status code you see determines what to do next. If it points to a loose cable or a hard drive issue, check and/or replace the SATA cables (or reseat the M.2 SSD in its slot) and try again. IRQ conflicts are usually resolved with a full restart. A virus infection can also cause this error: run a full scan with Microsoft Defender or your antivirus. Bad sectors can be handled by running chkdsk.

1. Open a Command Prompt as administrator.

2. Type or paste the following command and press Enter (this assumes Windows is installed on your C: drive):

   chkdsk C: /f /r

3. Accept scheduling the scan at the next restart, restart and let the process finish.

This checks whether your hard drive is corrupted and repairs it automatically when possible, along with the Kernel Data Inpage Error.

Finally, let’s check your RAM.

1. Type or paste “memory” in the Windows search box (or run mdsched.exe with Win+R).
2. Select “Restart now and check for problems”.
3. Let the process finish.

If the memory checker finds errors, shut down your computer, move your RAM to another slot and run the test again. If the error stays on the same slot, it may point to a motherboard problem. If the fault moves with the RAM, it points to a possible RAM problem. Replace the physical memory if needed.

Repair system files with SFC and DISM

If the disk and RAM are healthy, corrupted system files may be the cause. In an elevated Command Prompt:

sfc /scannow
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

sfc checks and repairs protected Windows files; DISM repairs the Windows image that sfc uses as a reference. Running sfc again after DISM fixes what the first pass couldn’t. Then restart.

Check the health of the disk or SSD

CHKDSK checks the file system, but not disk wear. On an SSD, also look at its reliability (SMART) counters. In an elevated PowerShell:

Get-PhysicalDisk | Select-Object FriendlyName, MediaType, HealthStatus, OperationalStatus

Get-PhysicalDisk | Get-StorageReliabilityCounter |
    Select-Object DeviceId, Temperature, Wear, ReadErrorsTotal, ReadErrorsUncorrected, PowerOnHours

A health status other than “Healthy”, uncorrected read errors or high wear are warning signs. Your SSD or PC manufacturer’s diagnostic tool gives a more complete picture. In that case, back up your data right away and plan to replace the disk: a disk that starts producing read errors rarely degrades slowly.

Update storage drivers, firmware and Windows

On recent PCs with NVMe SSDs, the error often comes from faulty SSD firmware or a storage controller driver, especially when it appears on wake from sleep.

• Windows Update: install all updates, including optional driver updates.
• SSD firmware: use the SSD or PC manufacturer’s tool (Dell, HP, Lenovo…) to check for a newer version.
• BIOS/UEFI, chipset and storage drivers (Intel RST/VMD, AMD): use the versions provided by your PC manufacturer.

Reset the paging file and Fast Startup

The paging file (pagefile.sys) is exactly where Windows fails to read the page back from. Having it recreated can help:

1. Type “View advanced system settings” in Windows search.
2. Performance > Settings > Advanced > Virtual memory > Change.
3. Check “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives”, confirm and restart.

Since the error often appears on wake, you can also temporarily turn off Fast Startup: Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do, then uncheck “Turn on fast startup”. If the error goes away, look for a storage driver or BIOS update.

Analyze the dump file (minidump)

To dig deeper, Windows saves a dump file for every blue screen in C:\Windows\Minidump. Open it with WinDbg (available in the Microsoft Store) and run:

!analyze -v

The analysis shows the error’s four parameters, including the status code, and often the driver or module involved.

In the enterprise: when several devices are affected

If several PCs of the same model show KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR, think first of that model’s SSD firmware or BIOS rather than isolated failures. Check the manufacturer’s advisories and deploy the fix across the fleet with Intune Windows driver and firmware update policies or the manufacturer’s tool. Test on a pilot group before rolling out widely.

Summary: in which order to proceed

1. Back up your important data.
2. Find the status code in Event Viewer (BugCheck 1001, 2nd parameter).
3. Check the disk: chkdsk C: /f /r, then the SSD’s SMART health.
4. Test the RAM with mdsched.exe.
5. Repair Windows with sfc /scannow and DISM /RestoreHealth.
6. Update Windows, storage drivers, SSD firmware and BIOS.
7. Recreate the paging file and test without Fast Startup.
8. Replace the faulty disk or RAM module if the tests show errors.