0XC0000424

Fix 0xC0000424: Incompatible Driver Blocked on Windows 10/11

EP
Erropedia Team
📅 May 27, 2026 📅 Updated Jul 31, 2026 👁 9 views Hardware – Hard Drives Intermediate
A driver won't load because Windows thinks it's incompatible. You'll fix it by disabling memory integrity or updating the driver. Here's how.

You get the blue screen or a popup saying "%2 has been blocked from loading due to incompatibility with this system" and error 0xC0000424. That's frustrating—especially when you just plugged in a new device or updated a driver. Let me walk you through the fix. Most of the time, this is caused by Windows' Memory Integrity (HVCI) feature blocking an old or unsigned driver.

First Fix: Disable Memory Integrity (HVCI)

  1. Click the Start button, type "Windows Security", and open it.
  2. On the left side, click "Device Security".
  3. Under "Core Isolation", click "Core Isolation details".
  4. You'll see a toggle for "Memory Integrity". If it's on (blue), that's why the driver got blocked.
  5. Turn the toggle off. Windows will ask you to restart—say yes.

After your PC reboots, try the action that caused the error (like plugging in the device or opening the software). The error should be gone. If it's not, move to the next step.

What to expect after restart: The device or software that was failing should now work. You might see a notification saying memory integrity is off—that's fine. We'll come back to that in the prevention section.

Second Fix: Update the Blocked Driver

The real fix is to update the driver to a version that works with Memory Integrity. Here's how to find what driver is blocked:

  1. Right-click the Start button and choose "Event Viewer".
  2. In the left pane, expand "Windows Logs" and click "System".
  3. Look for events with Source "BugCheck" or "Kernel-EventTracing" around the time of the crash.
  4. Double-click an event. The description often lists the driver file name, like nvlddmkm.sys or rt640x64.sys.
  5. Go to the manufacturer's website (NVIDIA, Realtek, etc.) and download the latest driver for your exact Windows version (10 or 11, 64-bit).
  6. Install it and reboot.

If you can't find the driver name in Event Viewer, use the Windows Reliability Monitor:

  • Type "Reliability History" in the Start menu.
  • Find the crash date, click on it, and look for the driver path in the details.

Why This Happens

Error 0xC0000424 is a bugcheck code that Windows throws when a driver is incompatible with the system's security policies. Starting with Windows 10 version 1809, Microsoft rolled out Memory Integrity, also known as Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI). This feature runs the kernel in a virtualized container and checks every driver's signature against a list of approved ones. If your driver is old, unsigned, or signed with a SHA-1 certificate (which Microsoft now deprecates), Windows blocks it and shows this error.

The message "%2 has been blocked" refers to the driver file itself. The "system incompatibility" is usually that the driver doesn't meet HVCI's requirements. It's not your PC's fault—it's Windows getting stricter about security.

Less Common Variations of the Same Issue

Driver Blocked Without a Blue Screen

Sometimes you don't get a blue screen. You'll see a notification: "Windows has blocked this driver because it is incompatible with this system." Same fix: disable Memory Integrity or update the driver.

Third-Party Antivirus Driver

Some antivirus software (like older versions of McAfee or Norton) install kernel-level drivers that get blocked. If you see this error after installing or updating an antivirus, uninstall it, reboot, and install the latest version from the vendor.

Virtualization Software (VMware, VirtualBox)

Tools like VMware Workstation or VirtualBox sometimes use drivers that trigger 0xC0000424 after a Windows update. Update your virtualization software to the newest version. If that doesn't work, disable Memory Integrity temporarily while you run the VM.

Older Printer or Scanner Drivers

Printer manufacturers are slow to update drivers. If you get this error when using an old printer, check the manufacturer's site for a newer driver. If none exists, you'll need to keep Memory Integrity off when using that printer, or replace the printer with a newer model that has a signed driver.

Prevention

Here's how to avoid this error in the future:

  • Keep drivers updated. Use Windows Update for driver updates (it often works). Alternatively, go to your PC manufacturer's site or the device maker's site. Skip third-party driver updater tools—they cause more problems than they fix.
  • Turn Memory Integrity back on after updating drivers. Once you've updated the blocked driver, go back to Windows Security > Device Security > Core Isolation and turn Memory Integrity back on. Reboot. If the error comes back, you've still got a bad driver. Repeat the update step.
  • Check event logs after a Windows update. Major Windows updates can block previously working drivers. If you see this error after an update, update the offending driver right away.
  • Use only signed drivers. When buying hardware, check that the manufacturer provides WHQL-signed drivers. This is especially important for older hardware you're putting into a new PC.

Most people I've helped get this fixed in under 10 minutes by disabling Memory Integrity. The real fix is updating the driver, but if you're in a hurry and need the device to work now, turning off that safety feature is your best bet. Just remember to turn it back on later.

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EP
Erropedia Team
Tech Support Editors
The Erropedia editorial team researches and documents real-world tech errors from across Windows, Linux, macOS, networking, databases, cloud platforms, and more. Every solution is reviewed for accuracy and updated as software and systems evolve.