How to Fix STOP 0x0000008E Errors

A troubleshooting guide for the 0x8E blue screen of death

By
Tim Fisher
Photo of Tim Fisher, Lifewire GM and Writer
Tim Fisher
Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability
  • Emporia State University

Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the SVP and General Manager of Lifewire.

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Updated on June 14, 2022

STOP 0x8E errors are usually caused by computer memory failures and, more rarely, by device driver issues, viruses, or hardware failures other than your RAM. Keep reading to learn how to fix the 0x0000008E STOP error.

The information in this article applies to all Microsoft operating systems, including Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows NT.

STOP 0x8E Errors

Image of a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) in Windows 10
Blue Screen of Death in Windows 10.

STOP 0x0000008E (abbreviated as 0x8E) is a STOP error that appears on the Blue Screen of Death. The error might appear as follows:

  • STOP: 0x0000008E
  • KERNEL_MODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED

If Windows is able to start, you might see the following message:

Windows has recovered from an unexpected shutdown
Problem Event Name: BlueScreen
BCCode: 8e

Consult the complete list of STOP error codes for help troubleshooting other blue screen errors.

How to Fix STOP 0x8E Errors

If rebooting your computer doesn't fix the problem, try these steps in order until the error is resolved:

  1. Remove recently installed hardware. If you just installed new hardware, there's a good chance the change you made caused the error. Try removing and reinstalling the hardware correctly.

  2. Check for and install Windows updates. Some service packs and patches can fix STOP 0x8E issues.

    Windows 11 checking for Windows updates

    This is likely to solve your problem if the error occurred while making changes to the hardware acceleration on your graphics card.

  3. Roll back the device drivers to an older version. Reverting to an earlier driver version, especially if the error began after updating a particular device, might be all that's needed to fix the STOP 0x8E error.

    On Windows 7 and earlier, you can start your PC using the last known good configuration to undo related registry and driver changes.

  4. Use System Restore to restore your Windows PC. This will undo recent system changes. Do this if you suspect the 0x8E error was caused by recent changes made to an important file or configuration.

    System Restore in the Windows System Properties menu

  5. Scan your computer for malware. This will remove any threats and fix the problem if the error is related to a hostile program.

  6. Test your RAM with a free memory testing tool. If the test detects any nonworking memory modules, replace your computer's memory.

  7. Verify the system memory is properly installed. All motherboards have fairly stringent requirements for configuring RAM modules. If you have any doubts about the proper memory configuration for your computer, consult the manuals for your computer and motherboard.

  8. Return BIOS settings to their default levels. Overclocked or misconfigured memory settings in the system BIOS have been known to cause STOP 0x8E errors.

    If you've made several customizations to your BIOS settings and don't want to load the default ones, then at least try returning all BIOS memory timing, caching, and shadowing options to their defaults.

  9. Use a free hard drive testing program to check for hardware-related problems. If the hardware fails any of your tests, replace the hard drive as soon as possible, or take your PC to a professional computer repair service.

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