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Blue screens & stop codes · scoped error record
0x0000009F

DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE: driver stuck in a power transition

Microsoft defines bug check 0x9F as a driver in an inconsistent or invalid power state.

Applies to: Windows stop-code / bug-check contextReviewed: 2026-09-17

What it means in this context

DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE (0x9F) means Windows detected a driver/device power-state transition that did not complete correctly. The useful branch is recent driver/device changes and sleep/shutdown/wake behavior, not generic cache cleaning.

Start here
  1. Record the full stop code and any driver/module name shown.
  2. Note whether the crash happens during sleep, wake, shutdown or device connect/disconnect.
  3. Install current Windows updates and recommended drivers.
  4. If the problem began after a driver update, preserve that timing before changing more drivers.
1

Update or roll back the implicated device driver

Medium risk

Why: Microsoft documents 0x9F as a driver power-state failure; a driver tied to the failing device is more relevant than unrelated system tweaks.

  1. Open Device Manager and inspect recently changed/problem devices.
  2. Update the driver from Windows Update or the PC/device manufacturer.
  3. If the failure began immediately after a driver update and rollback is available, test the prior driver.
2

Use the repeated stop-code isolation path

Medium risk

Why: Safe Mode and removing newly added hardware can help separate a third-party driver/device from a core Windows failure.

  1. Remove newly added nonessential hardware.
  2. Use Safe Mode if normal startup is unstable.
  3. Retest the sleep/wake or shutdown scenario that triggers the crash.
Scope boundary

When not to use this record

Do not disable random power-management settings across every device without evidence; 0x9F can involve a specific device stack or blocked power request.

If it persists

If the same crash persists and no driver is obvious, collect the dump for deeper analysis or use manufacturer diagnostics for the device involved in the failing power transition.

Evidence

Reviewed source

Related authority records

Continue with the same failing system

These links share the same component or repair context; they are not generic keyword suggestions.

Error0x000000D1 — DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL: a kernel driver made an invalid high-IRQL memory access

Microsoft describes bug check 0xD1 as a kernel-mode driver accessing pageable or invalid memory at an IRQL that was too high.

Error0x00000116 — VIDEO_TDR_FAILURE: Windows could not recover the display driver after a GPU timeout

Bug check 0x116 occurs when Windows attempts to reset the display driver after a timeout and recovery fails.

Error0x00000050 — PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA: invalid system memory was referenced

Microsoft defines bug check 0x50 as an invalid system-memory reference; driver and memory evidence matter.

Error0x0000007E — SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED: an unhandled kernel thread exception

Bug check 0x7E means a system thread generated an exception that the error handler did not catch.

ErrorEvent ID 1001 — WER-SystemErrorReporting bugcheck: preserve the stop code and dump path

When Event ID 1001 says the computer rebooted from a bugcheck, the useful evidence is the exact bugcheck code, parameters and saved dump.

ErrorIRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL — IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL: driver and memory-oriented stop-code diagnosis

Use the stop-code context to check recent drivers and memory rather than treating the crash as a generic Windows error.