BAD_POOL_HEADER is a The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) error, which means that your computer is having memory management issues. It may appear on your screen, randomly, while using your computer. Sometimes, the culprit is a corrupt memory pool. It can also result from driver issues.
However, this BSOD error is fixable with a few operations. This guide will review what this error is, its causes, and possible ways to fix it.
Bad Pool Header is a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) error that appears when something has gone wrong with your computer’s memory. ‘Pool’ is the memory pool which your operating system uses to allocate memory.
‘Header,’ on the other hand, ensures that the Windows Application Programming Interface (API) is addressed correctly. Therefore, the BAD_POOL_HEADER error message means that your computer is having memory management issues.
Why do I keep getting the Bad Pool Header error?
There are several reasons why you could be getting the bad pool header error. They include the following:
- The issue may appear when the memory pool becomes corrupt.
- You may also encounter the bad pool header error due to driver issues.
- This error also shows up as a result of disk-related problems.
- When your RAM is malfunctioning, it often results in the bad pool header error.
- If some kind of software conflicts is going on within your PC, you may encounter this error.
- Hardware failure can also cause the bad pool header error message.
However, you should try fixing this issue as soon as it occurs. You can do this by following the instructions in the guide below.
How to Fix Bad Pool Header Error
There are several solutions for you to fix this BSOD error. And I have detailed these solutions in the next section. However, the first thing you need to do is uninstall Dell Sonic Global VPN.
VPN software is useful, but some, like Dell Sonic Global VPN, has issues with Windows 10. User reports have confirmed that this software is likely to cause the BAD_POOL_HEADER BSOD error to occur. If you have this VPN tool installed, you need to remove it in order to fix this error.
Also, BSOD errors, such as BAD_POOL_HEADER, can occur due to your antivirus software. According to user reports, security software such as Malwarebytes can cause this error. If you want to fix it, you will need to remove your antivirus software and reinstall it. Keep in mind that some antivirus software needs to be completely removed before you can resolve this error.
To remove the antivirus software completely, you can download specific uninstallers designed for that purpose. If you are using McAfee, you will be able to remove it by using the MCPR tool. AVG also has its tool, and you can easily download it from here. Many antivirus software companies provide you with special uninstallers, and you can download them directly from the company’s website.
Alternatively, you can switch to different antivirus software. There are several antivirus software out there that you can choose from. However, if you are still getting the Bad Pool Header error, you need to try the solutions below.
Solution 1:Reinstall your wireless card drivers
Outdated or incompatible drivers often cause BAD_POOL_HEADER, and users reported that they were able to fix the issue after uninstalling and reinstalling their wireless network card.
To uninstall your wireless network card, you need to do the following:
- Step 1: – Press the Windows Logo Key + X simultaneously and click on Device Manager from the menu.
- Step 2: – When the Device Manager opens, find your wireless network adapter and right-click on it.
- Step 3: – Now, click on Uninstall.
- Step 4: – Once you have uninstalled the driver, you need to restart your computer.
You will also need to update your network adapter driver. To do this, you need to ensure that you visit your network adapter manufacturer’s website and download the latest drivers. To update drivers automatically, you need to follow the guide below.
Searching for drivers on your own can be time-consuming. Therefore, you need to use a tool that will do this for you automatically. Using an automatic driver updater will save you from the hassle of searching for drivers manually. It will always keep your system updated with the latest drivers.
Tweakbit’s Driver Updater is approved by Norton Antivirus and Microsoft. It will help you update drivers automatically and avoid PC damage caused by installing the wrong driver versions. To use TweakBit, you need to follow the steps below:
Step 1: – You need to download and install TweakBit Driver Updater.
Step 2: – Once you install the program, it will start scanning your PC for outdated drivers automatically. Driver Updater will check your installed driver versions, comparing it with the cloud database of the latest versions, and recommend proper updates. You only need to wait for the scan to complete.
Step 3: – Once the scan is complete, you will get a report on all problem drivers found on your computer. Access the list and check if you need to update each driver individually or all at the same time. To update one driver at a time, click on the Update driver link next to the driver’s name. Or simply click the Update all button at the bottom to automatically install all recommended updates.
You will have to install some drivers need in multiple steps, so you may need to hit the Update button several times until all of its components are installed. If performing these operations did not fix the issue, you need to move down to the next potential fix below.
Solution 2:Run the BSOD Troubleshooter
If you are unable to fix the BAD_POOL_HEADER BSOD issue with the previous solution, you can try using the troubleshooting tools. First of all, you can try Windows 10’s built-in troubleshooter. This troubleshooting tool can resolve all kinds of system issues, including BSOD errors. So, it might be helpful in this case.
To run the Windows 10’s built-in BSOD troubleshooter, you need to follow the steps below.
- Step 1: – Open the Settings app and go to the Update & Security section.
- Step 2: – Select Troubleshoot from the menu on the left.
- Step 3: – Click on BSOD from the right pane and click Run the troubleshooter.
- Step 4: – Now, you need to follow the instructions on the screen to complete the troubleshooter.
You can also check your network adapter driver to fix this BSOD error. According to user reports, Bad Pool Header can happen due to a network adapter driver conflict.
Some Netgear users reported that Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller driver was installed on their system, and that driver caused a conflict with a Netgear driver. Many users have been able to fix this by removing the Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller driver. If performing these operations did not fix the issue, you need to move down to the next potential fix below.
Solution 3:Run the SFC and DISM troubleshooting tool
The SFC scan is a command-line tool that is used to scan the system for potential issues. If solutions for these issues are possible, this tool will resolve them on the way. Therefore, it might be helpful when, in the case of BAD_POOL_HEADER BSOD error, as well.
To run the SFC scan in Windows 10, you can follow the steps below:
- Steps 1: – Right-click on the Start Menu button and open Command Prompt (Admin)
- Step 2: – Type in the following line and press the Enter button on your keyboard: sfc/scannow
- Step 3: – Wait until the process is done (it may take a while).
- Step 4: – If the solution is found, it will automatically be applied.
- Step 5: – Now, close the Command Prompt and restart your computer.
If the SFC scan did not fix this issue, you could also try the DISM troubleshooting tool. Deployment Image and Servicing Management freshly deploys the system image, so it may wipe away the potential BSOD issues. This software will repair common PC errors, protect you from file loss, hardware failure, malware, and optimize your computer for maximum performance. Fix PC issues and remove viruses now in 3 easy steps:
- Step 1: – You need to download this PC Repair Tool.
- Step 2: – Click on Start Scan to find Windows issues that could be causing PC problems.
- Step 3: – Click on Repair All to fix issues with Patented Technologies (Exclusive Discount for our readers).
I will guide you through both standard and the procedure that utilizes the installation media below:
The standard procedure:
- Step 1: – Right-click on Start and open the Command Prompt as an Admin.
- Step 2: – Type in the following command and press the Enter button on your keyboard:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- Step 3: – Now, you need to wait for the scan to be complete.
- Step 4: – Once the scan is complete, restart your computer and try updating again to see if you have fixed the error.
With the Windows installation media
- Step 1: – Insert your Windows installation media.
- Step 2: – Right-click on the Start menu and, from the menu, and click on the Command Prompt (Admin).
- Step 3: – In the command line, type in the following commands and press the Enter button after each:
dism /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
- Step 4: – Now, type in the following command and press the Enter button on your keyboard:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /source:WIM:X:SourcesInstall.wim:1 /LimitAccess
- Step 5: – Ensure that you change an X value with the letter of the mounted drive with the Windows 10 installation.
- Step 6: – Once the procedure is complete, you need to restart your computer.
If running an SFC scan and a DISM troubleshooting tool did not fix the issue, you need to move down to the next potential fix below.
Solution 4:Disable NVIDIA Streamer Service
A lot of users have encountered BAD_POOL_HEADER error while using the NVIDIA graphic card. According to them, the error occurred due to an NVIDIA Streamer Service, and in order to fix this error, you will have to disable this service. To do this, you need to follow the steps below:
- Step 1: – Press Windows Logo Key + R simultaneously. This operation will open up a Run dialogue box.
- Step 2: – Now, enter services.msc in the dialogue box and press the Enter button on your keyboard or click on OK.
- Step 3: – Once the Services window opens, find NVIDIA Streamer Service and double click on it.
- Step 4: – Now, set the Startup type to Disabled and click on the Stop button. This operation should stop the service from automatically starting.
- Step 5: – Click on Apply and on OK to save the changes you made.
Once you are done disabling the NVIDIA streamer service, you should no longer see this error. But if it persists, you need to remove overclock settings. Overclocking is an advanced procedure that lets you change your hardware settings to achieve the best performance.
However, overclocking can lead to system instability and cause the Bad Pool Header error to occur. If you overclock your hardware and you are getting this error, you can simply fix it by removing any overclocking settings that you have.
You can also try uninstalling your audio drivers. Some users reported that they encountered the BAD_POOL_HEADER issue due to their audio driver. And they were able to fix this issue by uninstalling the problematic driver.
Uninstalling a driver is not difficult, and you can easily uninstall it from the Device Manager. If you need detailed instructions on how to uninstall a driver, you can check out the steps in Solution 1. If performing these operations did not fix the issue, you need to move down to the next potential fix below.
Solution 5:Disable Fast Startup
If you have a problem with the BAD_POOL_HEADER BSOD error, you can resolve it by disabling Fast Startup. To do this, you need to follow the steps below:
- Step 1: – Press the Windows Logo Key + S simultaneously and type in Power Options. Click on Power Options from the menu.
- Step 2: – Once the Power Options opens, click on the option that says, “Choose what power button does.”
- Step 3: – Click on Change settings that are currently unavailable and scroll down to the Shutdown settings section.
- Step 4: – Now, you need to uncheck Turn on fast startup, and click on Save changes.
- Step 5: – After disabling Fast startup, your computer might start a bit slower, but you should have resolved the BAD_POOL_HEADER error.
If this solution did not work, you could also check for faulty hardware. Blue Screen of Death errors are commonly caused by faulty hardware, most notably RAM, and many users reported that replacing their RAM fixed the BAD_POOL_HEADER error.
Other components may also cause this error, and users reported that sometimes the problem could be fixed by replacing your wireless card or your motherboard.
How to Reset Windows 10 to Fix Bad Pool Header BSOD Error
If you are still getting the BAD_POOL_HEADER error, you can fix it by resetting Windows 10. Keep in mind that resetting Windows 10 will delete all your installed applications. You will need to download and install them again. To reset your PC, you can follow the steps below:
- Step 1: – Restart your computer a few times while it boots. After you do that, your computer should enter Automatic Repair mode.
- Step 2: – Click on Repair your computer and choose Troubleshoot.
- Step 3: – Click on Reset this PC.
- Step 4: – Click on Keep my files option and follow the instructions.
- Step 5: – If the problem is still there, repeat the entire step and click on Remove everything. Then click on the option that says, “Only the drive where Windows is installed” also on “Just remove my files.” By performing this step, you will delete all files from your C partition, so keep that in mind.
This BAD_POOL_HEADER BSOD error can cause all sorts of problems on Windows 10, but you can easily fix this issue by using one of the solutions above.
Conclusion
Bad Pool Header error is an indication that something is wrong with your computer’s memory. It usually occurs due to a corrupt memory pool or driver issues. Sometimes you may be able to fix it by running an SFC scan or DISM troubleshooting tool. This guide has given you the information required to fix this error, and I believe that you can now fix it.