How To Fix Driver irql_less_or_not_equal Windows 10 Issue?

You can get the ‘driver irql_less_or_not_equal Windows 10’ error if the operating system is not functioning as it should work. This error comes up as the ‘Blue Screen of Death’, thus you do not get information as to why it has occurred after all.

Here, the article will provide you with complete information on how to rectify this problem and solve it as quickly as possible.

Reasons Why this Error can Occur After All?

Here, you will get various causes for the driver irql_less_or_not_equal windows 10 error.

If some core Windows 10 files have become corrupt, then you can face this issue.
When the network driver does not work properly, then you may encounter this problem.
If you overclock the hardware of the computer, then also this error may come up.
Sometimes, any other security software installed within the computer can trigger this issue.
Whenever some hardware components within your computer do not perform normally, then this issue might crop up.

How to Fix driver irql_less_or_not_equal windows 10 Issue?

You will get plenty of methods here that will help you to fix this problem effectively. Just you need to implement them as instructed below

Method 1: Inspect the Hardware

If the system sometimes overheats because of the accumulation of dust on the exhaust and CPU fans, then you may encounter this error. Also, if some hardware component is loosely connected or has some physical damage, then it can give you this problem.

Now, the best way to rectify this problem is to check the hardware components of the machine. In order to do it, follow the given below steps.

Open the computer case and then unplug each and every hardware component of the device.
After that, inspect all of those components individually for any physical damage. If there is any damage to some components, then replace them with a new one.
Next, unplug the fans from their respective places and inspect them for any dust particles. Then clean them with the lint-free cloth.
Once the cleaning process of the fans is complete, next put them back into their original place.
Now, install all the different components of the computer into their correct places and then start the device.
At last, check the device and see if this error comes up or not.

Method 2: Uninstall any Reliable Overclocking Software

In order to increase the performance of a hardware i.e processor, you can boost the clock speed of the CPU. The process to increase the performance of a hardware of the computer is known as ‘overclocking’.
There is plenty of reliable software available in the market that allows you to boost the performance of the processor. However, increasing the performance of the machine can make it unstable.

Now, the only solution to get rid of this error is that you have to uninstall the reliable overclocking application. For that, you need to follow the steps given below.

First, to open the ‘Run’ dialog box, press the combination of ‘Windows + R’ keys together.
Next, within that dialog box, type the text ‘control panel’ on the blank space beside the ‘Open’ label and press the ‘Enter’ key.
As soon as you do that, then a new window with the title ‘Control Panel’ will come up. Inside that window, locate and tap on the ‘Programs’ category.
After that, a new page will appear in it. Find the ‘Programs and Features’ option and click on the same. This action will reveal all the applications installed within the computer on a list.
From that list, locate and highlight the reliable overclocking software. Next, right-click on the chosen application and then tap on the ‘Uninstall’ button.
Once you tap on that button, then an uninstaller window will appear. There follow the on-screen instructions accordingly and click on the ‘Uninstall’ button.
This action will remove the reliable software from the computer.
When the removal process is over, next reboot the machine and see if this issue reappears or not.

Method 3: Re-Install the Network Driver

If the network driver of the computer does not perform properly, then you might encounter driver irql_less_or_not_equal error. The best way to fix this problem is to install the network driver of the machine once again.

Check out the steps on how to reinstall the Network driver.

First, tap on both the ‘Windows + S’ keys simultaneously. This will open the default search area of the Windows OS.
Inside that area, input the following text, “device manager”. Then from the search output section, choose the ‘Device Manager’ option.
As you click on that option, then a new window will open up with the title ‘Device Manager’. Inside that window, you get all the devices and their respective drivers on a list and sublist.
From that list, locate the ‘Network Adapters’ and then double-click on it. This opens the sublist that consists of the Network drivers installed within the machine.
Now, form the sublist, select the first driver and right-click on that same to launch a popup menu. Next, from the menu that comes up, choose the ‘Uninstall’ button.
You will now get a confirmation window. From there, tap on the ‘Yes’ or ‘OK’ button.
Now, repeat the fourth, fifth and sixth steps present in this method to remove the other network drivers from the machine. Once the process of uninstallation is over, next restart the computer.
From another computer, visit the official website of the network card and download the latest driver. Before downloading the driver, check its compatibility with your computer.
Once the download process of the Network card driver is complete, next run the Setup file.
After that, follow the on-screen instructions and install the driver into the computer accordingly.
Finally, restart the machine and see if this error still appears or not.

Method 4: Remove Any Other Reliable Security Application

Windows 10 has an in-built security application ‘Windows Defender’. This security application has enough capability to protect your device from any kind of recent threats, as its database gets an update on a regular basis. Thus, you do not require any other reliable security software within the computer.

But, if you have still installed a reliable security application, then it can conflict with the ‘Windows Defender’ and can give you this error. The feasible answer to rectify this problem is to uninstall the reliable security software from the machine. To do that, you will get the steps below.

First, go to the bottom-right edge of the Taskbar. Then tap on the ‘Notifications’ icon. This action will reveal a Notifications panel from the right side of the screen.
From that panel, go to the bottom section and then choose the ‘All Settings’ option. As you click on that option, then a new window with the title ‘Settings’ will come up.
Inside that window, locate and click on the ‘Apps’ category. Now, a new page within that window will come up. From there, navigate to the left pane and click on the ‘Apps & Features’ option.
Next, move to the right side and scroll down to the ‘Apps & Features’ section. Under that section, find the reliable security software from the list and click on the same.
When the option you have chosen expands, next tap on the ‘Uninstall’ button. This opens an uninstaller window, where you should follow the instructions on your screen and remove the security software.
When the uninstallation process is complete, next reboot the computer and inspect whether this problem comes up or not.

Method 5: Reset the Windows 10 Computer

If none of the methods presented here is unable to resolve the ‘driver irql_less_or_not_equal Windows 10’ error, then as the last solution what you can do is reset the computer. To do that, follow the steps stated below.

First, hit both the keys ‘Windows + I’ together. This action will launch a new ‘Settings’ window.
Inside that window, locate and click on the ‘Update & Security’ category. Once you choose that category, next a new page will appear.
Inside that page, go to the left panel and tap on the ‘Recovery’ option. This action will open a ‘Recovery’ section on the right side of that page only.
Next, under that section, you will get three more sub-sections.
Out of all those sub-sections, locate the one that says ‘Reset this PC’ and tap on the ‘Get Started’ button.
As soon as you click on that button, then a new dialog box will appear. There click on the ‘Remove Everything’ option.
After that, choose Windows version present within the machine and tap on the following options respectively – ‘Only the drive where Windows is installed’, ’Just remove my files’
At last, click on the ‘Reset’ button and wait for the computer to reset its configurations to default.

If the computer does not boot into Windows and shows you this BSOD error, then make a bootable flash drive with OS image and restart the machine with it. You will have to restart the machine a few times until the ‘Advanced Boot Menu’ comes up. Next, select the ‘Troubleshoot’ option and then go to method 5 and repeat the steps from fifth till the last in order to reset the computer to its default settings.