Windows BSOD Error 0x000000D8 — DRIVER_USED_EXCESSIVE_PTES Fix

What Does This Error Mean?

The 0x000000D8 blue screen means a driver used up too many Page Table Entries (PTEs). PTEs are a limited Windows resource that drivers use to map memory. When a driver leaks or wastes PTEs, Windows runs out of them and crashes.

Affected Models

Windows 10
Windows 11
Windows 8.1
Windows 7

Common Causes

A driver has a memory leak — it requests PTEs but never releases them
A poorly written print driver or scanner driver is consuming PTEs continuously
Network driver software is leaking PTEs over time
The SystemPages registry value is set too low, limiting available PTEs
Running too many mapped file operations at once exhausts the PTE pool

How to Fix It

Check the blue screen message for a driver file name. It is often displayed alongside the error code. Write it down and search online to identify the device.

A PTE leak is always caused by a specific driver. Finding that driver name is the most important first step.
Update or uninstall your printer drivers. Printer drivers are a very common cause of PTE leaks. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, select your printer, and choose 'Remove device'.

After removing the printer, restart your PC. If the crashes stop, get fresh printer drivers from the manufacturer's website.
Update all network adapter drivers. Open Device Manager, expand 'Network Adapters', right-click each adapter, and choose 'Update driver'.

Network drivers handle many memory mapping operations and are another common source of PTE leaks.
Increase the SystemPages value in the registry. Open regedit, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management and set SystemPages to a higher value like 65536.

This is a workaround, not a fix. It gives Windows more PTEs to work with so the leak does not crash the system as quickly. Still find and fix the leaky driver.
Use the free tool PoolMon (from Windows Driver Kit) or Process Monitor to watch which driver is consuming PTEs over time.

These are advanced tools. If you are not comfortable with them, share your crash dump files with a technician who can identify the leaky driver.

When to Call a Professional

If you cannot identify which driver is leaking PTEs, a technician can analyze crash dumps to find the culprit. This is a more advanced error that may require kernel-level debugging tools. A technician with Windows internals experience can pinpoint the leaky driver quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does this crash happen after my PC has been on for a while?

PTE leaks are gradual. A driver leaks a small number of PTEs each time it runs. Over hours or days, the leaks add up until Windows finally runs out of PTEs and crashes. This is why the crash happens after long uptime rather than immediately at startup.

Will restarting my PC fix it?

Restarting clears all the leaked PTEs and gives you a fresh start. But if the leaky driver is still installed, the PTEs will leak again and the crash will return eventually. You need to find and fix the driver to permanently stop the crashes.

Is this error common on older versions of Windows?

This error was more common on Windows XP and Vista. Modern versions of Windows (10 and 11) handle memory mapping more efficiently and have larger PTE pools. However, it can still happen when a driver with a serious memory leak is installed.