The Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error is one of the infamous Blue Screen errors on Windows 10. It is a serious problem, so fixing it must be on your top priority list.
You can fix Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error in many ways. It all depends on what triggered the error in the first place.
You may face the Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error due to –
- overclocked process
- incompatible hardware
- running old software
- interference from firewall tools
Below, you’ll see seven different ways to fix Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error on Windows 10. You can try them out one after the other, and fix the Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error straight away.
1. Disable Overclocking Tools
Windows 10 users may face the Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error after overclocking their PC. To fix this, you’ll have to disable any and all overclocking tools on your Windows 10 system.
You can search online for common overclocking tools present as default in Windows 10.
Also, you can run down through recent software installations. Check for software that is pushing or may push your computer’s processing speed.
The ASUS AI suite is one of these widely-used overclocking tools on Windows 10 systems. It betters your PC’s performance, but may trigger Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error.
Delete, remove or disable such overclocking tools on your Windows 10 to fix the problem.
2. Get the Latest Network Derver
If that didn’t help, the Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error on Windows 10 isn’t stemming from overclocking tools on your computer.
You can run a check on the network driver currently in use. If you’re using an outdated network server, get it updated. Install the latest network driver to fix the Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error.
To install network driver updates,
- Go to the Start menu
- Type ‘ device manager ’ and open the Device Manager program from search results
- Go to Adapters/drivers and expand it from the list of devices
- Select your current network driver
- Now, click on Update Driver
Follow this process for each network driver on your Windows 10 computer. For a clean installation of latest network driver updates, do it one by one.
Restart your computer after you finish installing driver updates. Let your computer configure the latest network driver. In the due time, Window 10 fixes the Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error automatically.
To get instant updates, you can choose from the best driver updater tools for Windows 10.
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Run Windows Updates Manually
Several outdated driver/software can trigger the Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error on Windows 10. You can install updates for all of them in one go.
- Go to Start menu
- Click on the gear icon
- It opens the Settings window
- Go to Update & Security section
- Click on ‘ Check for Updates ’
- Manually install them by clicking on ‘ Update ’ button (in front of each software)
- Restart your computer
You can also install updates with the Microsoft System Center.
- Go to the Start menu
- Look for Microsoft System Center and click on it
- Go to Software Center
- Here, select the Updates section (on the left menu)
- Click on the top-right button that says ‘ Install All ’
- Restart your PC when the installation gets done
Make sure you restart your computer after installing all updates on your Windows 10 system.
3. Check Updates for VPN Software
Some users may face the Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error on Windows 10 due to outdated VPN software, in particular.
If you use VPN tools to keep tabs on your online privacy, it can trigger the Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error. For this, you can update the VPN software and fix the issue.
- Find out which VPN tool you use on your Windows 10
- Go to the homepage of that VPN software
- Check for updates
- If there aren’t any updates listed, try uninstalling the VPN software
- Now, download the tool again
- Restart your PC
Check if this resolved the Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error or not.
4. Update Your Wireless Adapter Driver
There’s another way on how to fix the Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error on Windows 10. You can run updates on your computer’s wireless adapter driver.
Updating your wireless adapter drivers is a bit tricky. You can’t install the updates directly. You need to uninstall the driver at first. Then, you can install the latest version of it.
To get the latest version of wireless adapter driver,
- Open the Device Manager program on Windows
- For Windows 10, you can type “ device manager ” in the search box
- In the Device Manager window, expand the section for Network Adapters
- Right-click on the currently-enabled wireless adapter driver
- Click on “ Update Driver Software ” from the menu
- Now, click on “ Search automatically for updated driver software ”
- Restart your computer after installation completes
Before downloading driver updates, go to the manufacturer’s website to check the latest version of your wireless adapter driver. Here, you may find information or download links to latest updates, which can help you choose the updates by preference.
5. Run Hardware Diagnostics
Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error is a blue screen error in Windows 10. It can appear due to faulty hardware as well.
If you can’t fix the error even after updating all software on your Windows 10 computer, try checking if your system hardware. To diagnose hardware on Windows 10, use the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool.
- Press the ‘ Windows ’ key and hit ‘ R ’ key to launch Run program
- Type ‘ mdsched.exe ’ in the Run dialog box, press Enter key
- Now, restart your computer
During the reboot, Windows runs a complete diagnosis of inbuilt system hardware. If the Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error persists, you can try using third-party hardware diagnostics tools for Windows 10.
To name a few,
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Use Reliability Monitor
Before running a third-party diagnostic scan, you can view the Reliability history of your Windows 10 computer. It can help you note down your system hardware performance to spot the fault.
Reliability Monitor is a genuine Microsoft Windows tool. It underscores the history of your computer. You can note the times your computer crashed. Results from the Reliability Monitor also reveal the times when an application crashed on your computer.
This way, you can identify the instances that triggered the Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error.
Paste the following address on your Windows File Explorer address bar and hit the Enter key.
Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Security and Maintenance\Reliability Monitor
To launch the Reliability Monitor step-by-step,
- Go to the Start menu
- Click on the Gear icon ( Settings )
- Now, go to the Update & Security section in Settings window
- Here, type ‘ reliability ’ in the search box on the left pane
- Click on ‘ View Reliability History ’ from the search results
- Reliability Monitor opens up in a file explorer window
Browse through the history to see what caused the Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error to appear on your Windows 10 computer.
6. Remove Third-party Firewall Tools
Do you use Zone Alarm or any other third-party firewall tool? If your Windows 10 computer has such software, uninstall them right away.
The Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error is a serious problem, which can become worse when a firewall tool interferes with it. So, uninstalling these tools can fix the Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error on Windows 10 instantly.
To uninstall third-party firewall tools,
- Go to the Start menu and click on the gear icon
- It opens the Settings window
- Here, go to Apps section
- Now, scroll down the list and select the third-party firewall software
- Click on the ‘ Uninstall ’ tab
- Restart your computer to put the change into effect
If this third-party firewall tool can be disabled temporarily, you can avoid uninstalling it. Open the tool, go to Settings dashboard and toggle the switch for Disable.
You can also right-click this tool’s icon in the Notifications area on your Windows 10 desktop taskbar. Here, select the option to temporarily disable the firewall.
7. Reset Windows 10
If all else fails, you may need to go the unsought option – reset Windows 10 altogether.
- Open the Start menu
- Click on ‘ Power ’
- Press-hold the Shift key
- Choose ‘ Restart ’ option from the menu
- Here, select Troubleshoot
- Click on ‘ Reset this PC ’
- Now, click on ‘ Remove Everything ’
- Thereafter, select your version of Windows
- Go for the option – Only the drive where Windows is installed
- Now, click on Just Remove My Files
As your Windows 10 PC is being reset, you can wait for a while. Later, restart your computer. All in all, this solution certainly fixes the Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error on Windows 10.
But, if you know any other way to fix the Driver irql_less_or_not_equal error, let us know in the comments below.
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