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0x000000C2BSODCritical

0x000000C2 — Bad Pool Caller | Blue Screen Fix Guide

BAD_POOL_CALLER

Windows 10Windows 11

What Does 0x000000C2 Mean?

A kernel pool allocation or free was made with invalid parameters. A driver is making incorrect pool calls.

Real-World Causes

  1. 1Driver freeing memory it does not own
  2. 2Double-free bug in driver
  3. 3Pool corruption from driver bug
  4. 4Incorrect pool allocation parameters

Symptoms

  • ⚠Blue screen with stop code BAD_POOL_CALLER
  • ⚠System reboots unexpectedly
  • ⚠Possible data loss from unsaved work

DIY Fix

Beginner-friendly steps you can try at home

  1. 1Restart your computer
  2. 2Run Windows Memory Diagnostic (mdsched.exe)
  3. 3Reseat RAM modules
  4. 4Check for Windows updates

Advanced Fix

For experienced users and IT professionals

  1. 1Test RAM with MemTest86 for multiple passes
  2. 2Analyze minidump with WinDbg
  3. 3Check for memory leaks using poolmon
  4. 4Inspect physical RAM slots and modules

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes BAD_POOL_CALLER?
A kernel pool allocation or free was made with invalid parameters. A driver is making incorrect pool calls.
Can I fix Bad Pool Caller myself?
In many cases yes. Start with basic troubleshooting like restarting, updating drivers, and running System File Checker. If the issue persists, advanced analysis of crash dumps may be needed.

Related Error Codes

0x00000019Bad Pool Header0x000000C1Special Pool Detected Memory Corruption

About the Author

Windows Troubleshooting Team

Verified against official Microsoft documentation and real-world diagnostic data. Error behavior confirmed across Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server.