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0X000000C2

Blue Screen (BSOD) BAD_POOL_CALLER Applies to: Windows 7, Windows 10, Windows 11

What it means

A driver incorrectly requested or freed a block of memory — almost always a specific faulty or outdated driver.

Also seen as: BAD_POOL_CALLER, 0xC2

Quick fix steps

  1. Check Device Manager for anything with a warning icon.
  2. Update all drivers, prioritizing anything installed or updated recently.
  3. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic to rule out RAM as a secondary cause.
For the full step-by-step walkthrough, see How to Read and Respond to Any Blue Screen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does BAD_POOL_CALLER mean a specific program is at fault?
It often points to a driver mismanaging memory rather than a regular application — recently installed or updated drivers are the most likely place to start looking.
Is this related to a recent Windows Update?
It can be, if an update introduced a driver compatibility issue — checking your update history for what installed right before the crashes started is a useful diagnostic step.

Other error codes

0X0000001A — MEMORY_MANAGEMENT

Points to a problem with how memory is being handled — faulty RAM, a driver mismanaging memory, or disk corruption.

0X0000000A — IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

Almost always a driver issue — most commonly network, audio, or graphics drivers.

0X000000EF — CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED

A core Windows process crashed unexpectedly — often tied to a recent update or corrupted system files.

0X0000001E — KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED

A driver running in kernel mode hit an error it couldn't recover from — usually a specific faulty or outdated driver.