DRIVER_VERIFIER_DETECTED_VIOLATION (0xC4)
What is this error?
Driver Verifier detected a driver violating Windows driver rules. This only occurs when Driver Verifier is enabled.
Common causes
- driver bug caught by Driver Verifier
- memory corruption detected
- improper resource usage by driver
How to fix it
- Note the faulting driver from the BSOD
- disable Driver Verifier (verifier /reset)
- update or remove the faulting driver
Too many steps? Crashless can diagnose this automatically — checks your drivers, temps, VRAM, and 400+ known error patterns.
Get free AI diagnosis Detailed analysis
Bug check 0x000000C4 (DRIVER_VERIFIER_DETECTED_VIOLATION) only happens when Driver Verifier is turned on. Driver Verifier is a Windows debugging tool that stress-tests drivers — it's not meant to be enabled during normal use.
If you didn't enable it yourself, a troubleshooting guide, anti-cheat software, or IT tool may have turned it on.
How to fix it:
- FIRST: Disable Driver Verifier immediately — open Command Prompt as Admin, run 'verifier /reset', restart your PC
- If Windows won't boot: boot into Safe Mode (interrupt boot 3 times), open admin Command Prompt, run 'verifier /reset'
- If you intentionally enabled it to find a buggy driver: check the BSOD parameter 1 for the violation type and the minidump for the faulting driver name — then update that driver
- After disabling verifier, if crashes continue, you have a real driver issue that verifier was exposing — update all drivers
- Never leave Driver Verifier enabled during gaming — it adds significant overhead and intentionally crashes the system when it detects violations
- Check 'verifier /querysettings' to see if verifier is currently active
When to seek help
If this error keeps happening after trying the fixes above, it may point to a deeper hardware or system issue. Consider professional help if:
- The crash occurs across multiple games or applications
- You see the same error after a clean Windows install
- Your PC is less than a year old (could be a warranty issue)
- You smell burning or hear unusual sounds from your PC
Or let Crashless do the deep analysis for you -- our AI checks drivers, temps, event logs, and 400+ known patterns automatically.
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