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DRIVER_VERIFIER_DETECTED_VIOLATION is a Windows stop error associated with bug check 0x000000C4. Driver Verifier has detected an illegal action by a kernel-mode or graphics driver; it does not automatically prove that the filename shown on screen is the true culprit. If you recently enabled Driver Verifier, open an elevated Command Prompt and run verifier /reset, then restart. Microsoft describes Verifier as a testing tool that can deliberately trigger crashes, not a routine repair utility. See Microsoft’s 0xC4 reference and Driver Verifier documentation.
Try this first: reset Driver Verifier
If Windows still starts, right-click Start, choose Windows Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin), and run:
verifier /reset
shutdown /r /t 0You can also run verifier, select Delete existing settings, choose Finish, and restart. A restart is required before the reset takes effect.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteTo check whether it is active, use verifier /querysettings. Use verifier /query for statistics. Do not select every driver merely to “find the problem”; Microsoft warns that broad verification can consume resources and destabilize a daily-use PC.
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If Windows is stuck in a restart loop
1. Reset it in Safe Mode
- Hold Shift while selecting Restart, or interrupt startup until recovery appears.
- Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
- Press 4 or F4 for Safe Mode.
- Open an elevated Command Prompt, run
verifier /reset, and restart normally.
The Windows 10 recovery route is also available through Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now.
2. Use WinRE Command Prompt
Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt and run:
verifier /reset
wpeutil rebootIn WinRE, Windows may not be on C:. Check with:
diskpart
list volume
exit
dir C:Windows
dir D:WindowsIf Safe Mode also crashes, use WinRE from the recovery partition, a recovery drive, or Windows installation media. Microsoft documents these startup tools in its Windows startup troubleshooting guide.
3. Run Startup Repair
Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair. It is a low-risk attempt to correct common startup problems, although it may not repair a third-party driver that Verifier is forcing to fail. Reset Verifier first.
4. Use System Restore
Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore and select a point before Verifier was enabled, a driver or Windows update, or new hardware/software. Personal files are normally preserved, but applications, drivers, and system changes installed after that point can be removed.
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5. Uninstall a recent Windows update
Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Uninstall Updates, then try Uninstall latest quality update or Uninstall latest feature update, depending on when the crashes began. Microsoft lists both options in its Windows recovery guidance.
Find and isolate the driver
6. Record the stop-screen evidence
Photograph DRIVER_VERIFIER_DETECTED_VIOLATION, 0x000000C4, any .sys filename, the four parameters, and what was happening (boot, gaming, networking, sleep/wake, printing, or storage). The parameters can identify classes of violations, but the filename is a lead rather than conclusive proof.
7. Remove newly added hardware
Power off and disconnect recent or nonessential USB hubs, docks, external drives, wireless adapters, webcams, printers, controllers, capture cards, GPUs, RAM, or expansion cards. Reconnect devices one at a time after stability returns. This follows Microsoft’s Windows stop-code guidance.
8. Roll back the suspect driver
- Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
- Expand the relevant category and open the device’s Properties.
- On Driver, select Roll Back Driver if available.
Rollback is preferable to installing a random newer package when the crash began immediately after an update.
9. Reinstall the manufacturer’s driver
Download the exact Windows 10 driver for the PC, motherboard, GPU, laptop, network, storage, or peripheral model from its manufacturer. Avoid automatic driver-updater utilities. If necessary, uninstall the package through Device Manager or its vendor uninstaller, then install the stable package and restart. Microsoft advises contacting the driver manufacturer when a driver is identified (stop-code troubleshooting).
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10. Disable a nonessential device temporarily
In Device Manager, choose Disable device for a suspected Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, audio, webcam, virtual network, RGB, monitoring, or third-party storage device. Do not disable boot or storage hardware casually; a wrong choice can prevent startup.
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Uninstall software added shortly before the crashes: overclocking and monitoring tools, RGB suites, third-party antivirus, VPNs, backup or encryption filters, virtual-machine software, anti-cheat components, audio enhancers, and storage tools. Use Settings > Apps or Control Panel > Programs and Features; do not delete .sys files manually.
12. Install appropriate Windows updates
When Windows is stable, open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and select Check for updates. If a specific update triggered the stop error, remove it or use System Restore before installing unrelated updates.
13. Perform a clean boot
Run msconfig, hide Microsoft services, disable remaining non-Microsoft services, and disable startup applications in Task Manager. Restart and test. Re-enable items in groups to identify security, VPN, virtualization, backup, hardware-control, launcher, or anti-cheat software. Restore security protection promptly when testing ends.
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14. Run System File Checker
In an elevated Command Prompt, run:
sfc /scannowFrom WinRE, identify the Windows volume and use the matching offline paths:
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SFC /Scannow /OffBootDir=C: /OffWinDir=C:WindowsSFC repairs protected Windows files; it does not repair a defective vendor driver or hardware.
15. Repair the component store, then rerun SFC
In running Windows, use:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow/Online targets the running installation. WinRE requires an offline image path, so do not copy this command unchanged into recovery.
16. Check the system drive
Back up important data first if the drive may be failing, then run:
chkdsk C: /f /rAccept scheduling at the next restart if prompted. The /r scan can take many hours and is a disk/file-system test, not a driver repair.
17. Test memory and hardware stability
Press Win + R, enter mdsched.exe, and choose Restart now and check for problems. Also return BIOS/UEFI to stock settings: disable CPU/GPU overclocks, memory profiles, and undervolts temporarily. Reseat components when appropriate and run the manufacturer’s diagnostics. Intermittent or changing stop codes often point to RAM, storage, power, BIOS, or motherboard instability.
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Identify the actual cause
18. Inspect minidumps
Look in C:WindowsMinidump and, if configured, C:WindowsMEMORY.DMP. In WinDbg, run:
!analyze -v
!verifierUse the module, call stack, parameters, and active process together. A Microsoft driver in the stack may be the victim of corruption caused by a third-party driver or hardware, so do not delete it.
19. Confirm Verifier settings before testing again
Only after a backup or restore point should you deliberately retest. Run verifier, choose Create standard settings, and select one suspect driver or a small, justified group. Never enable it casually on a production PC; keep verifier /reset available before restarting.
20. Repair-install, reset, or reinstall Windows
- Use System Restore when a suitable point exists.
- Use an in-place repair installation when Windows boots and you need to preserve applications and files.
- Choose Reset this PC > Keep my files when Windows is badly damaged and applications can be reinstalled.
- Clean-install Windows only after backing up data and confirming the problem is not failing hardware.
Save personal files, application installers and licenses, encryption keys, and required hardware drivers before any reset or reinstall. Microsoft’s recovery decision table is at Recovery options in Windows.
Choose the next step by symptom
| Situation | Best next step | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Verifier was just enabled | verifier /reset, then restart |
Enabling more checks |
| A driver filename is shown | Rollback or reinstall that vendor’s package | Assuming the filename proves guilt |
| Crash followed Windows Update | Uninstall the update or use System Restore | Installing unrelated driver packs |
| Safe Mode works | Reset Verifier and remove suspect software | Running only normal-mode repairs |
| Disk symptoms or errors | Back up data and run diagnostics | Long scans before protecting data |
| Different BSOD codes appear | Test RAM, storage, power, BIOS, and motherboard | Treating every code as a separate driver |
The Bottom Line
Use this order: verifier /reset and restart; if necessary repeat from Safe Mode or WinRE; then roll back or reinstall the suspected manufacturer’s driver, remove recent kernel-level software, and use System Restore or update removal. Run SFC, DISM, CHKDSK, memory and hardware tests for the failure class they address. Back up data before a repair install, reset, or clean reinstall.
Quick Recap
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