How to fix “Failed to read memory” error in Windows 10

Pop-up windows are one of the methods Windows uses to provide a system report or any other type of information. But sometimes these pop-ups can be annoying, especially when there’s no way to know what they mean. The “Memory cannot be read” error popup is a great example of such a popup.

It’s usually easier to ignore this pop-up, but when it happens frequently, you might want to know how to get rid of it completely. Fortunately, this article explains everything you need to know about this error: what it is, why it happens, and how you can fix it quickly.

What is the “failed to read memory” error and why am I seeing this popup?

Error “Instruction at 0x000… Reference Memory at 0x000000000000. Memory cannot be read” is a common error on Windows 8 and 10 devices. This is quite similar to the “Your computer is low on memory” error that also affects Windows 11 devices.

This error usually occurs after updating or installing the Windows operating system. However, it can also happen after initial startup or when the computer is slow when running programs. Also, you may get this error on shutdown after running multiple programs at the same time.

There are several reasons for a “Memory Unreadable” error, including outdated system drivers, faulty processors, faulty memory, damaged files, or hardware conflicts. In some rare cases, it can be caused by a faulty hard drive.

You may also receive this message when a background process conflicts with the program you are trying to open. When this error is displayed, the only thing to do is to click on the icon okay terminates the program in use.

Below are five helpful troubleshooting methods to try when you encounter this error.

1. Run the System Security Troubleshooter

The System Maintenance Troubleshooter helps you automatically check and fix Windows device maintenance problems. These problems include incorrect desktop shortcuts, inactive icons, and disk volume issues.

This troubleshooter has proven to be a reliable solution to fix “Failed to read memory” error. Open the menu to use it Dashboard By searching for it in the Windows start menu. Then write Repair In the Control Panel search bar and click Come on.

After that, press the button See everything in the upper left corner of the menu. You may have to wait a while for all troubleshooting categories to download.

Then click on it System Maintenance > Advanced > Run as administrator > Next and wait a few minutes for the troubleshooting process to complete.

If the troubleshooter doesn’t find any problems, it will say “No updates or changes required. However, if your computer is having problems, follow the instructions to complete the troubleshooting process.

2. Run a Clean Boot

If the troubleshooting process fails to find the problem or prevents the error prompt from appearing, you should try this method.

A clean boot is a process that helps you check if third-party apps have stopped your apps. This involves turning on your device with all third-party apps disabled.

Performing a clean boot can be difficult if it’s your first time. However, once you’ve mastered it, you’ll be able to do it without difficulty. If you don’t know how to do this, check out our guide on how to perform a clean boot on Windows 10.

A clean boot not only helps you check and detect errors, but it can also help you install Windows updates properly. Also, if your device is experiencing slow or poor performance, this can help you identify the cause.

3. Check for Corruption and Repair with CHKDSK

This method asks you to check if the hard drive of the device is corrupted. The first step is to check the disk status using Disk Management. Click to do this Win + R and type devmgmt.msc in the search bar that appears. Click okay.

Disk Management shows the status of all disks and partitions connected to your Windows PC by color coding. Black for intact partitions, blue for healthy partitions, red for damaged partitions.

Then write command board in the Windows search bar and open the program. Enter the command when the program opens chkdsk /f find and repair all bad hard disk sectors. Note that the data in the repaired sectors will be deleted.

After CHKDSK has finished running and repairing, restart your computer and check the status of the hard drive in the partition disk management.

As you can see, Command Prompt is a handy tool for cleaning up your Windows computer. You can also use it to defragment your hard drive.

4. Disable overclocking

Overclocking allows your processor to run faster and perform more operations per second, pushing your computer’s speed and performance beyond factory settings. While overclocking improves the overall gaming experience, it can also cause a memory error message.

To disable overclocking, enter the BIOS of your Windows PC and select the option Advanced badge. Then go Performance and look for the overclocking feature. Disable the function and confirm your action by clicking on it Yes Where okay

Some Windows computers do not have a direct method to disable overclocking. So you have to manually adjust the voltages for all the individual cores of the CPU. To do this, simply open the BIOS and revert the changes made in the processor configuration. The ratio of CPU cores, CPU core voltageand FSB frequency settings.

You can also enable and disable overclocking on your PC using third-party tools like MSI Afterburner and Razer Cortex.

5. Increase virtual memory

Increasing the size of your device’s virtual memory allows your computer to use hard disk storage when it runs out of RAM. This process is an integral part of the Windows operating system and is known as replacement.

Open the menu to increase virtual memory Dashboard and go System and Security > System > Advanced system settings. Open Parameters under the tab Performance and select the partition Advanced badge.

Then press the button To change tab Virtual memory Remove the partition and check mark Automatically manage paging file size for all disks. Select a custom size for your hard drive and click on it okay to confirm your changes.

Other ways to troubleshoot a memory error are:

• Increase RAM size: This gives your device enough space to run intensive programs and applications.
  • Run the Memory Diagnostic Tool to troubleshoot memory problems.

What can I do to prevent this from happening again?

As effective as the above solutions are, it’s always better to prevent problems before they reach your doorstep. Therefore, upgrading your computer’s memory is one of the best ways to avoid the “Memory Unreadable” error.

Optimizing your device’s memory will fix most memory errors and improve your device’s performance. Therefore, devices with an optimized memory system are less prone to lags than their counterparts.