Fix: ATTEMPTED_WRITE_TO_READONLY_MEMORY BSOD

The Blue Screen of Death “ATTEMPTED_WRITE_TO_READONLY_MEMORY” usually occurs when an attempt is made by the computer to write to a memory location which is read-only. This usually happens when you have corrupt drivers, bad memory modules, or some hardware failure. This BSOD occurs rather randomly when your computer is idle or when you are working on it.

The workarounds for this blue screen of death are quite straightforward. We will check the memory for any problems. If none are detected, we will shift our attention to the drivers installed on your computer. If even that doesn’t work, we will inspect the hardware and then proceed with a clean install of Windows on your computer.

Solution 1: Running Memory Diagnostics

Like mentioned before, this error is usually directly related to the memory modules installed on your computer. They can either be corrupt or may not be functioning properly with problems in the memory storage or access. We will run Microsoft’s tool “Windows memory diagnostics” which will check for errors and inform you if any.

Note: There are were several cases where the RAM modules were not installed properly in the computer. Check if the modules are fully placed inside the slot with the ‘clicking’ sound you hear. Also, try changing the slots of RAM and see if this does the trick.

1. Press Windows + R to launch the Run application. Type “mdsched.exe” in the dialogue box and press Enter.
2. A Windows Memory Diagnostic window will pop up. Now you have two options, either you can restart now and check for the problems or you can check for problems the next time your computer starts. Make sure that you save all your work before pressing the restart button.

3. After the restart, you might see a window like this. Let the process run completely and do not cancel at any step. If you see the progress stuck, don’t worry. The computer will restart itself after the check is complete.

4. After your computer restarts after performing the checks, see if the BSOD got fixed.

Note: You can also try running ‘memtest86’ and leave it overnight after downloading it from the web.

Solution 2: Updating problematic driver

In case a driver is mentioned in your error logs which caused the blue screen or you installed a recent Windows update which updated one, you can try updating the driver manually. Drivers can also cause the blue screen under discussion and there were many users who reported that updating the drivers fixed the problem for them.

1. Press Windows + R, type “devmgmt.msc” in the dialogue box and press Enter.
2. You will be navigated to the device manager. Once in the device manager, right-click on the problematic driver and select “Update driver”.

3. Now you will be given two options; either you can update the driver automatically or manually. You can try updating it automatically at first. If that doesn’t work, you have to head over to the manufacturer’s website and download the latest drivers available. Then navigate to the driver file after downloading and install it.

4. Restart your computer after updating the drivers and see if this solves the BSOD from popping every now and then.

In addition to the above solutions, you can also try the following:

• Checking for any recent hardware installed on your computer. If any was, disconnect it and try booting the computer again.
• Check your memory modules on another system and see if they work properly there. If they don’t, take them to a technician or to the store if you have a warranty.
• Make sure your hard drive is running perfectly and there are no discrepancies present.
• Check for any problematic software. These include software which ‘optimize’ your PC experience by manipulating memory.
• Disable all sorts of overclocking activities on both your processor and GPU.
• If all the solutions don’t work, it is worth a try backing up all the data and installing a clean version of Windows.