Fix ERROR_NOT_ENOUGH_MEMORY (0X00000008) on Windows 10/11

What causes ERROR_NOT_ENOUGH_MEMORY (0X00000008)?

This error has nothing to do with how much RAM you've got. It's about non-paged pool memory — a reserved chunk Windows uses for hardware drivers, especially disk and network drivers. When that pool runs dry, any file operation (copy, delete, open) can fail with 0X00000008.

I've seen this most often on machines with older storage controllers or certain Realtek network drivers. You'll get the error in File Explorer, command prompt, or even backup software. The message reads: "Not enough storage is available to process this command."

Let's walk through three fixes. Start with the first one. Most people don't need to go past step 2.

Fix 1: The 30-second reboot

Sounds dumb, but I've seen a simple restart clear the non-paged pool and fix this instantly. Here's what you do:

1. Save any open work.
2. Click Start > Power > Restart. Not Shut down — Restart. On Windows 10/11 with Fast Startup enabled, a shutdown doesn't fully clear the kernel pool. You need the full restart.
3. Wait for Windows to come back up.
4. Try the file operation that failed before.

What should happen: After the restart, the error should be gone. If it comes back later — like after a few hours — move to Fix 2.

Fix 2: Update or roll back your storage driver (5 minutes)

The most common culprit I've found is a buggy storage driver. Windows Update pushes bad ones sometimes. Here's how to check and fix it:

1. Press Win + X and select Device Manager.
2. Expand Storage controllers. You'll see something like "Standard NVM Express Controller" or "Intel SATA Controller."
3. Right-click your storage controller and select Properties.
4. Go to the Driver tab.
5. Look at the Driver Provider and Driver Date. If it says Microsoft or a date within the last 3 months, it's a candidate for a rollback.
6. Click Roll Back Driver if the button is available. If it's grayed out, you can't roll back (no previous driver saved).
7. If you can't roll back, instead click Update Driver > Browse my computer for drivers > Let me pick from a list. Choose the older driver version if one is listed. Otherwise, go to your motherboard or laptop manufacturer's support site and download the official driver from there — not from Windows Update.
8. After the change, restart your PC.

What should happen: Once the driver is swapped, the error should stop appearing. If you still see it within the next hour, move to the advanced fix.

Fix 3: Increase non-paged pool memory limit (15+ minutes)

This is the nuclear option. You're telling Windows to reserve more memory for drivers. It can fix the error permanently, but it uses a bit of RAM that can't be used for anything else. Only do this if you have at least 8GB of RAM.

Warning: This requires editing the Registry. Back it up first.

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and hit Enter.
2. Go to:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management

3. In the right pane, look for a value named PoolUsageMaximum. If it's not there, right-click in the empty space > New > DWORD (32-bit) Value and name it PoolUsageMaximum.
4. Double-click PoolUsageMaximum. The default value is 0 (which means Windows sets its own limit). Change the Base to Decimal and set a value between 40 and 60. I usually set it to 50. This tells Windows to stop at 50% of non-paged pool usage before warning — keeping a larger buffer.
5. Click OK.
6. Now look for PagedPoolSize in the same location. If it's not there, create a new DWORD named PagedPoolSize.
7. Double-click PagedPoolSize, set Base to Decimal, and enter 0 (zero). This tells Windows to manage paged pool size automatically. You might think this is irrelevant, but I've seen it stabilize the whole memory system.
8. Close Registry Editor.
9. Restart your PC.

What should happen: After the restart, the error should be gone. If it still shows up, you may have a hardware issue — a failing drive or a bad driver that's leaking pool memory. Run chkdsk /f on the affected drive and check the System Event Log for disk warnings.

When to give up and get help

If none of these fixes work, you're probably dealing with a failing hard drive or a corrupted Windows installation. Run sfc /scannow to check system files. If that doesn't help, back up your data and consider replacing the drive.

I've seen this error on otherwise healthy machines — it's almost always a driver or pool limit issue. The fixes above cover 9 out of 10 cases. Good luck.