SYSTEM SCAN AT RAISED IRQL CAUGHT IMPROPER DRIVER UNLOAD error in Windows 10 2023

If after performing a Windows 10 update or during an upgrade process and you experience SCAN OF THE SYSTEM UNLOADING AN INCREASED IRQL INCREASED CONDUCTOR blue screen (BSOD), then this message might interest you. In this article, we will provide you with the solutions that you can try to solve this problem.

SYSTEM_SCAN_AT_RAISED_IRQL_CAUGHT_IMPROPER_DRIVER_UNLOAD

The SYSTEM_SCAN_AT_RAISED_IRQL_CAUGHT_IMPROPER_DRIVER_UNLOAD bug check has a value of 0x000000D4. This indicates that a pilot did not cancel pending operations before unloading.

This error is due to the failure of a driver to successfully unload – and the usual culprits are files like mwac.sys, invprotectdrv64 sys, fpprocess.sys, etc. If you experience this problem, first try to identify the file from the Blue Screen. Once you have the name of the file, identify the name of the driver with which it is associated.

That done, we suggest the following:

Below we list our recommended solutions below in no particular order.

Uninstall problematic drivers
Download and install the latest Windows drivers
Run CHKDSK
Run Driver Verifier Manager
Cancel overclocking
Uninstall a third-party antivirus / firewall.

Let’s examine the options in detail:

1]Uninstall the problematic driver

Sometimes, some drivers are simply not compatible with Windows 10, which can cause the BSOD error. In this case, you will need to uninstall the problematic drivers. Graphics card drivers are generally the cause of this error.

To uninstall the graphics driver, follow these steps:

Press Windows key + X to open the Power User menu, then press M to select Device Manager from the list.
Once Device Manager is open, locate your graphics card driver, right click on it and choose Uninstall the device.
If available, check Remove driver software for this device and click OKAY.
Wait for Windows 10 to delete your driver and restart your PC.

You can also use the display driver uninstaller to remove the graphics card driver.

After restarting your PC, check if the problem reappears. If there are no errors, you can continue to use the default driver, or you can try to update the graphics driver to a newer version.

2]Download and install the latest drivers

For certain hardware to work with Windows 10, you need to have an appropriate driver. If a driver for certain hardware is out of date or contains bugs, Windows 10 will not be able to use that hardware and you will get this BSOD error. In this case, you can try to update the necessary drivers through the Device Manager and see if the problem is resolved. Alternatively, although I don’t recommend it, you can use third-party software to automatically update all of your drivers.

If you are unsure which driver is causing this error, it is always a good idea to update all of the installed drivers. Updating the driver is relatively straightforward, and you just need to visit your hardware manufacturer’s website and download the latest drivers for your hardware model. Make sure to update as many drivers as possible to correct this error.

3]Run CHKDSK

BSOD errors can sometimes occur due to corrupted files on your hard drive, and in order to find and repair these files, it is recommended to perform a chkdsk scan.

To perform a chkdsk analysis, follow these steps:

chkdsk /r X:

You will need to repeat this scan for all partitions on the hard drive to correct this error. Note that you will not be able to scan partition C on Windows 10, and you will receive a message stating that your computer needs to restart to scan drive C.

Also, if you can’t access Windows 10 at all due to this error, you can run the command prompt by doing the following:

Interrupt the boot process (turn on your PC and as soon as you see the Windows logo, press and hold the power button to turn off your PC) three times in succession to start the automatic repair.
To choose Troubleshooting> Advanced Options> Command Prompt.
Run the chkdsk analysis.

4]Run Driver Verifier Manager

Windows has, what’s called, Driver Verifier Manager. It is a very useful tool for identifying problematic pilots. To open it, type verifier in the search area of the Start menu and press Enter. The Driver Verifier Manager tests each specified driver at startup. If it detects a problem, it identifies it then stops working.

5]Cancel overclocking

Many users tend to overclock their hardware in order to get better performance, but overclocking your hardware carries certain risks and can cause the BSOD error. In this case, you can correct this error by setting your default RAM settings. Keep in mind that almost all overclocked components can cause this error, so be sure to remove all overclocking settings.

If your PC is not overclocked, this error may be due to faulty or recently installed hardware, so be sure to remove any new hardware as it may not be compatible with your PC. If that doesn’t work, check your RAM, motherboard, hard drive, and all other major components.

6]Uninstall a third-party antivirus / firewall

Firewall and antivirus are important for your system security, but sometimes these programs can interfere with Windows 10 and cause this BSOD error to appear.

It is known that Barracuda NextGen F-Series Firewall caused this error to appear and after removing this program, the problem was resolved. However, it should be noted that almost any third party antivirus or firewall program can cause this error. In this case, to resolve this issue, you will need to remove all third party antivirus programs from your PC using the dedicated removal tool to remove all files associated with your antivirus program.

If removing the antivirus fixes this error, you can now reinstall the same antivirus, or you can switch to alternative software or better continue to use Windows 10 native AV program – Windows Defender.

I hope this helps you!