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Solved: Driver Overran Stack Buffer (BSOD) windows 11/10

This error indicates that a driver has overrun a stack-based buffer, which can cause a system crash and data loss. Lets fix this blue screen error.

The “DRIVER OVERRAN STACK BUFFER” error usually occurs when a driver writes more data than the allocated memory space, resulting in memory corruption and system instability. A driver is a software component that allows your computer to communicate with hardware devices, such as printers, scanners, keyboards, etc. A stack is a data structure that stores information in a last-in, first-out (LIFO) order. A stack buffer is a fixed-size memory area that holds the data for the stack. When a driver writes more data than the stack buffer can hold, it overruns the buffer and corrupts the adjacent memory, causing the system to crash and display “Driver Overran Stack Buffer”  error. This article explores the common causes of this error and provides practical solutions to resolve it.

Driver Overran Stack Buffer error

This error indicates that a driver has overrun a stack-based buffer, resulting in memory corruption and system instability. When this error occurs, Windows halts the system to prevent further damage and displays a blue screen with error code information. Well, several factors contribute to this blue screen error.

  1. Outdated or Incompatible Drivers: Using outdated or incompatible device drivers is one of the primary causes of this error.
  2. Faulty Hardware: Malfunctioning or faulty hardware components, such as RAM or hard drives, can contribute to this error. Checking and replacing defective hardware may be necessary.
  3. Malware or Virus Infections: In some cases, malware or viruses can interfere with drivers, leading to unexpected behavior and causing stack buffer overflows.
  4. Programming Errors in Drivers: Bugs or programming errors within device drivers can result in improper handling of memory buffers, leading to overflows.

Disconnect External Devices and Reboot

Sometimes, the error can be caused by a faulty or incompatible external device, such as a USB flash drive, printer, or webcam. To rule out this possibility, disconnect any external devices that you have connected to your computer and reboot your system. If the error does not occur again, you can reconnect your devices one by one and see which one is causing the problem. You may need to update or replace the problematic device.

Boot Windows into Safe mode

If the error persists even after disconnecting external devices, you may need to boot your system into Safe mode. This will start Windows only with essential drivers and services, bypassing potential conflicts caused by third-party software or drivers.

To boot into Safe mode: 

  • Press the Windows logo key and I on your keyboard to open Settings.
  • Click on Update & Security and then on Recovery.
  • Under Advanced Startup, click on Restart Now.
  • After your PC restarts, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
  • On the Startup Settings screen, press F4 to enable Safe mode.

Safe Mode Boot

If the error doesn’t occur in Safe Mode, it indicates that a third-party driver or software is likely causing the issue.

In Safe mode, you can try to identify and uninstall any software that may have triggered the error. This could be a recently installed or updated program, driver, or Windows update.

Uninstall the problematic software

If you recently installed new software or made system changes before encountering the error, uninstalling or rolling back those changes can help resolve the issue.

  • Press the Windows key and R Type appwiz.cpl and click OK to open Programs and Features.
  •  Find the program that you want to uninstall and right-click on it, Click on Uninstall and follow the on-screen instructions.

To uninstall a problematic driver

  • Press the windows key + x and select Device Manager, Find the device that has a yellow exclamation mark right-click on it select Uninstall the device.
  • Check the box that says Delete the driver software for this device then click ok and restart your PC

To uninstall a Windows update:

  • Press Windows key + I to open settings, Go Update & Security and then on Windows Update.
  • Click on View update history and then on Uninstall updates. Locate the most recent update, right-click on it select the uninstall option.

Alternatively, you can use System Restore to roll back the system to a previous state before the changes were made.

Update the Problematic Driver

Drivers are a key part of the operating systems because Windows 10 uses drivers to work with your hardware. If a certain driver is outdated or corrupted, that can cause Driver Overran Stack Buffer error to appear. Incompatibility is most likely to occur if you have recently upgraded your OS to Windows 10. Drivers may also become corrupt without any obvious reason.

Updating or reinstalling the problematic driver ensures that it is compatible with your operating system and resolves any issues that may be causing the error.

  • Press “Windows key + X” and select “Device Manager” from the menu.
  • In Device Manager, locate the device with the problematic driver (typically indicated by a yellow exclamation mark).
  • Right-click on the device and select “Update driver.”
  • Choose “Search automatically for updated driver software” and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update process.

Update display driver windows 11

Here we recommend manually check and update the essential ones include the display driver, network adapter, audio driver and chipset driver.

If the issue persists, reinstalling the driver can provide a clean slate for its installation.

Again access Device Manager and locate the device with the problematic driver.

  • Repeat these steps for all drivers that you want to update.
  • Right-click on the device and select “Uninstall device.”
  • After uninstalling the driver, restart your computer.
  • Windows will automatically reinstall the driver. Alternatively, you can download the latest driver from the manufacturer’s website and install it manually.

Using the Device Manager to update your drivers is simple, but that might not be the best solution. According to users, Device Manager doesn’t always download the latest drivers. So if you want to have the latest drivers installed, it’s advised that you download the necessary drivers manually. To do that, simply visit your hardware manufacturer’s website and download the latest drivers for your device.

Test Your RAM Using Memory Diagnostic Tool

Another possible cause of the error is faulty or corrupted RAM (random access memory), which is where your system stores temporary data for faster access. To test your RAM for errors, you can use the built-in Windows Memory Diagnostic tool.

  • Press “Windows key + R” to open the Run dialog box.
  • Type “mdsched.exe” and press Enter to launch the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool.
  • Choose to restart your computer now and check for memory problems.
  • The tool will run a comprehensive memory test and provide you with the results after your computer restarts. If any issues are detected, it may indicate faulty RAM modules that need to be replaced.

Memory diagnostic tool

Running a memory diagnostic test helps identify and address potential problems with your system’s memory.

Repair Damaged or Corrupted System Files

Sometimes, the error can be caused by damaged or corrupted system files, which are essential for the proper functioning of Windows. To repair these files, you can use the built-in System File Checker (SFC) tool or the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool.

  • Press the Windows key and type cmd, right-click on the command prompt select run as administrator,
  • Type the command sfc /scannow and press Enter to initiate the system file check.
  • Allow the tool to scan and repair any corrupted system files. This process may take some time, so be patient and wait for it to complete.
  • Once the scan is finished run dism command DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
  • Wait for the scan to complete and fix any errors that it finds, once it is complete 100% restart your computer and check if the error persists.

Run SFC and DISM command

Running the System File Checker and DISM command helps repair any corrupted system files and ensures the integrity of your operating system.

Disable Fast Startup

Fast Startup is a feature that allows Windows to boot faster by saving some system information to a file when you shut down your computer. However, this feature can also cause some problems, such as the error that you are facing. Disabling Fast Startup ensures a clean startup process and may help resolve the “DRIVER_OVERRAN_STACK_BUFFER” error.

  • Press the Windows key + R, type powercfg.cpl and click OK to open Power Options.
  • Click on “Choose what the power buttons do” on the left sidebar.
  • Click on “Change settings that are currently unavailable.”
  • Scroll down to the “Shutdown settings” section and uncheck “Turn on fast startup (recommended).”
  • Click “Save changes” to apply the settings.

Turn off Fast Startup on windows 10

Perform System Restore

If none of the above solutions work, you can try to perform a system restore, which is a process that restores your system to a previous point in time when it was working fine. This can help you undo any changes that may have caused the error.

  • Press “Windows key + R” to open the Run dialog box.
  • Type “rstrui” and press Enter to launch the System Restore wizard.
  • Click “Next” on the initial System Restore screen.
  • Select a restore point from the list of available restore points (choose a restore point created before the error started occurring).

System Restore windows 11

  • Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the System Restore process.
  • After the restoration is complete, restart your computer and check if the error has been resolved.

We hope that this blog post has helped you fix the “driver_overran_stack_buffer” error on Windows 10. If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment below.

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