Device_Reference_Count_Not_Zero is one of the stopping error codes you may encounter in your daily computing life. This indicates that the driver is trying to delete a device object that is still active. In this article from MiniTool Solution, we’ll sort out the causes and solutions for you.
Device_Reference_Count_Not_Zero Blue Screen of Death
Device_Reference_Count_Not_Zero The Blue Screen of Death is a common system glitch that renders your computer inaccessible for a period of time. This error has a value of 0x00000036, which indicates that a problem was detected in your system. Here are some possible reasons behind this error:
- The software is faulty or damaged.
- The hardware is incompatible.
- The software installation is incomplete.
Sometimes, this error can cause your operating system to completely crash, but you can still access your desktop after restarting your Windows computer. If you can restart your computer in normal mode after the Device_Reference_Count_Not_Zero BSOD occurs, then entering Safe Mode and then applying the following solutions one by one is a good option.
Tip:
As blue screen errors like Device_Reference_Count_Not_Zero may appear suddenly without warning and all unsaved work may be lost. In this case, it would be much better if you have a backup of your important files. Speaking of backups, you can use PC backup software – MiniTool ShadowMaker to create automatic, incremental, differential or full backups of your files, partitions, system and disks. After that, you don't have to worry about any unexpected data loss.
How to fix Device_Reference_Count_Not_Zero BSOD on Windows 10/11?
Fix 1: Update device drivers
To avoid hardware incompatibility issues, be sure to keep all device drivers up to date. Here’s how to do it:
Steps1. Right-click the Start icon and select Device Manager from the context menu.
Step 2. In Device Manager, expand all categories one by one and see if any driver has a yellow exclamation mark next to it.
Step 3. If available, right-click and select Update Driver.
Step 4. Select Automatically search for drivers and follow the on-screen wizard to complete the rest of the process.
Tip:
If Device_Reference_Count_Not_Zero occurs after updating a specific device driver, rolling it back may resolve the issue.
Fix 2: Perform a system restore
Recent system changes are another culprit for Device_Reference_Count_Not_Zero blue screen errors. In this case, you can choose to perform a system restore to undo the problematic changes and restore the operating system to its previous working state. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1. Press Win R to open the Run box.
Step 2 Type rstrui >Click Enter Click Next to start System Restore.
Step 3. Now you can see a list of some system restore points that were created automatically or manually on your computer. Select one based on your needs and click Next.
Step 4. After confirming all details, click Finish to start the process now.
Fix 3: Uninstall newly installed applications
Since an incomplete installation of recently added software or programs may trigger a BSOD with a non-zero device reference count, uninstalling newly installed programs is also worth trying. To do this:
Step 1. Press Win R to open the Run box.
Step 2. Type appwiz.cpl and press Enter to open Programs and Features.
Step 3: Scroll through the list of programs to find the newly installed program and then right-click it and select Uninstall.
Step 4. Confirm this operation and wait for it to complete.
Final words
All about Device_Reference_Count_Not_Zero Blue Screen of Death. To prevent similar errors, make sure to update device drivers regularly and install new software with caution. Thank you for your valuable time!
The above is how to fix Device_Reference_Count_Not_Zero BSOD easily? of detailed content. For more information, please pay attention to other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!
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