STOP 0x0000007A
KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR
Windows tried to read its own data back from the disk (page file) and the read failed. This points at the storage side of your PC: the drive itself, its cable, or its driver.
Worth knowing: If parameter 2 shows 0xC000009C or 0xC000016A, the disk itself reported bad blocks — treat the drive as failing and back up first.
Likely causes, most common first
- A failing hard drive or SSD (bad sectors)
- A loose or faulty SATA cable
- A buggy storage driver or outdated SSD firmware
- Faulty RAM (less common, but possible)
How to fix it
1. Check the disk's health now easy
- In an admin terminal run: chkdsk C: /f /r — confirm the scan on next reboot (it can take a while).
- Check the drive's SMART health with the maker's tool (Samsung Magician, WD Dashboard, Crucial Storage Executive, etc.).
- Back up your important files today — this stop code is often an early warning of drive failure.
2. Reseat cables and update storage software moderate
- Desktop PC: power off and reseat both ends of the drive's SATA cable, or swap the cable.
- Update SSD firmware with the maker's tool.
- Update the storage/chipset driver from your motherboard or PC maker's support page.
The four parameters on the blue screen
Windows shows four hex numbers with this stop code. Here's what each means — our analyzer decodes them automatically from your dump file.
| Parameter 1 | Lock type or page table entry |
| Parameter 2 | I/O error status — 0xC000009C or 0xC000016A mean bad disk blocks; 0xC0000185 means cabling/termination trouble |
| Parameter 3 | Current process or PTE |
| Parameter 4 | Address of the data that failed to load |
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