One particularly troublesome error that occurs when you wake up your Windows PC from sleep is the Kernel Date InPage Error. This can easily occur in Windows 7, 8, or 10, but we’ve got the fix for each of these operating systems. As long as you’re willing to do a little bit of administrative legwork on your computer, this is something that can be quickly resolved without any critical losses of data on your system.
If your computer has recently encountered this error, it’s probably been alarming. Let’s prevent future panic by looking at the issue more closely, and figuring out how to resolve it.
In truth, our computers’ hardware elements are being taxed more than ever before, and in more ways than we’ve set a precedent for. The “always on” status that controls our desktops, laptops, and tablets means that our tech always needs to be ready to go at the press of a button. Regular boot and shutdown cycles are something of a rare thing, anymore. In fact, most manufacturers actually advise that you leave your computer on as much as possible, and simply let it sleep when you don’t require the use of it. That’s the process that most of our hardware is being configured for, and it’s how we’re advised to use our computers on a daily basis.
Thus, the “error of the day” that we’re dealing with is being seen a bit more often. This is due to the way that your electronics access hard drives and onboard memory when they’re “waking.” This error itself is indicative of faulty memory, corrupted data on a hard drive, or a virus at work in the operating system installation on your computer.
Bad news bears, each and every one of those things. The steps necessary to diagnose this problem might be relatively easy, but do know that depending on what’s prompting the error in the first place, some work might be necessary to recover your system.
Kernel Data InPage Error
In every circumstance, you encounter this error when your computer blue-screens, usually moments after waking from sleep mode. Occasionally, it will also happen when your computer boots up. In every case, it’s a good reason to be cautious or worried.
Following this, your computer will usually shut down, and require a fresh boot to continue operating. In some circumstances, the Kernel Data InPage Error is caused when a problem happens in your computer’s memory, but it’s not a permanent issue — either an ongoing operating system update or a reboot resolves it entirely, and you don’t encounter the error any further.
In other circumstances, some elbow grease is necessary.
Possible Causes
The “InPage” part of this error clues us into the nature of it — that usually indicates a problem in your computer’s RAM or hard-disk memory, or both. Here are a few of the most common causes for this particular error:
- A Virus. Worst-case scenario; your computer has received a virus or malware, and it’s corrupting part of your operating system.
- Corrupted Installation. A recently-installed software application has caused an error in the system registry, which is showing up as this particular error.
- Failing Hard-drive. If your operating system has difficulty accessing necessary files installed on your hard-drive, it could be a sign of a failing hard drive.
- Faulty RAM. Because your computer’s operating system is dependent on RAM access, faulty RAM can show up as a Kernel InPage Error.
- Outdated Software Drivers. This is possibly the easiest to fix amongst the bunch, but still problematic, since outdated drivers frequently cause hardware errors.
As we continue, these will be the causes that we’re going to point our fixes at, since they’re far and away the most prevalent. If there are outliers, we’ll provide handy links to further reading and literature on the issue, which will help you to reach a satisfying conclusion. This error can be a particularly bothersome pain in the butt, as when it’s repetitive, it prevents your computer from doing much of anything.
Fixed!
Below, we’re going to outline some of the steps you can take to resolve this error. Keep in mind that due to the varied nature of it, these aren’t guaranteed to work. However, they’re all aimed at the average user, so you don’t need any deeper knowledge of your operating system’s registry files in order to put them to use.
Reboot Your Computer
First things first — if this is the first time you’ve seen this error, try rebooting your machine. Occasional registry errors aren’t unheard of, and if a particular software driver has just finished updating, it can occasionally prompt this error message. A fresh boot can sometimes remedy it entirely, so even if this is a “no-brainer” type of suggestion, do this first.
“Never trust a computer you can’t throw out a window.” – Steve Wozniak
Scan Your Computer
Doing anything networked on your computer without antimalware and antivirus software is practically PC suicide; you’re just asking for trouble, at such a point. Therefore, we’re going to assume that you have dedicated applications regularly scanning your computer for malicious code and applications.
As long as your computer boots up properly, perform thorough system scans using your software of choice. Avoid “Quick Scan” options that might overlook registry errors, and opt for complete scans. They’ll take longer but will have a better chance of identifying problems in your operating system installation.
Recently Installed Hardware or Software?
This is something of a tricky subject to approach without looking specifically at the registry logs of an individual’s PC, but we can take a look at some of the more potentially problematic things that might be throwing a wrench in your system.
Make a list of any recently installed (or uninstalled) software. Some software makes changes to your computer’s system files when it’s installed or uninstalled. Therefore, removing anything that you installed immediately prior to this error message might provide you with a solution. Similarly, reinstalling any software that you’ve removed might have the same effect.
The same can be true of hardware, though this is admittedly harder to remedy. If you’ve just installed a new hard drive, migrated your operating system installation to a new storage area, or installed new RAM, either one of these three could very easily be the culprit for this error message.
Update Software Drivers
Even when you’re not encountering errors, it’s important to keep your software drivers up to date. They’re the means by which your hardware interacts with your operating system. Thus, outdated software drivers can lead to problems, rather than just being a remedy for existing errors.
Finding a comprehensive application that will update all of your drivers is nigh impossible, but performing regular Windows updates will usually cover the bases for all of your installed hardware. We’ll talk more about Windows updates below, but if you’ve installed any tertiary hardware, it’s easy enough to use Google to search for the most up-to-date drivers and install them.
Check for Registry Errors
Finding the type of software that will successfully scan your operating system for registry errors can be risky and difficult. Many free options don’t provide you with accurate data and aren’t updated to reflect the most recent iteration of your version of Windows.
Try out WinThruster, or any other software that has the “Microsoft Partner” label and verification. It might cost you a pretty penny, but it’s an effective means of finding and correcting registry problems, without requiring the more demanding steps below.
Clean Operating System Installation
Thankfully, Windows comes with quite a few built-in recovery options for the operating system. The Kernel Data InPage error is almost always tied to your Windows registry, and thus, the built-in recovery options can often be a reliable way to fix this. However, they also present the risk of data loss, so be caution as you proceed.
Perform a Windows System Restore
All versions of Windows have a System Restore feature. It allows you to roll back your operating system’s settings to a recent backup, effectively removing any changes that have occurred in the registry. It will also remove data changes, too, so make sure that you’ve backed up your important files before doing this.
Install Windows Updates
After performing a system restoration (or before, if you’ve opted to skip that step) make sure that all of the relevant Windows updates have been installed. This is also an automated process, and can easily be found by using the Windows search function.
As mentioned above, this will frequently update software drivers for hardware installed on your individual machine. But it’s also important for making sure that your system is stable, and has the most recent security and software updates.
Clean OS Installation
Ultimately, if the problem persists beyond all of your attempts to fix it, the best course of action might be a clean installation of the Windows operating system. Windows 8 and 10 make this excessively simple, but Windows 7 will require a little bit of extra work to get it accomplished.
Either way, it’s going to be important that you ensure your personal data has been backed up. Disclaimer: Restoring Windows to factory-default settings, or installing the operating system from scratch, can compromise your personal data — files, images, and the rest. Ensure that you’ve backed it up on a separate hard drive or by using a cloud-based service, before proceeding.
To begin, search for “Reset This PC” using Windows search. Under the “More Recovery Options” heading, select “Learn how to start fresh with a clean installation of Windows.” This will bring you to Windows Defender, and allow you to begin the process of installing Windows with a clean slate — fresh registry and all.
If none of the above solutions solve the problem (a rarity!) it may be time to seek the help of a certified repair professional. Otherwise, we hope that our fixes for the Kernel Data InPage error have helped to bring your computer back to working order. Whether you’re running Windows 7, 8, or 10, the above steps should help you to address the various reasons that this error is sending your PC into blue-screen limbo.
