What is 0x000000EA?
This high-severity issue affects the Windows operating system. A thread has been waiting for a device in hardware state for an infinite amount of time. Common triggers are typically the graphics or sound card driver has looped and bad power profile activated. Work through the steps below in order.
Common Causes
- Typically the graphics or sound card driver has looped
- Bad power profile activated
Step-by-Step Fix Guide
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1
Update the GPU/Sound driver
Update the GPU/Sound driver tends to be the quickest win here, addressing the most typical cause of 0x000000EA.
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2
Set power settings to 'High performance'
A recurrence usually points to a rarer windows instability cause, which is what the following steps are meant to catch.
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3
Alternatively, disable hardware acceleration in your web browser
Still seeing 0x000000EA after that? "Alternatively, disable hardware acceleration in your web browser" is the next thing to check.
Commands & Diagnostics
devmgmt.msc
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically the graphics or sound card driver has looped accounts for the majority of 0x000000EA reports; bad power profile activated come up less often but are documented.
Try "Update the GPU/Sound driver" first — it resolves most 0x000000EA cases on its own. Only work through the rest of the guide above if it comes back.
Rated high severity — 0x000000EA isn't immediately destructive, but recurring instances are a sign to fix it sooner rather than later.
Usually. 0x000000EA is fixable with the steps above; a full Windows reinstall is rarely necessary unless everything else has failed.
Sometimes. Microsoft regularly releases patches that fix known BSOD triggers including 0x000000EA. Make sure Windows is fully up to date via Settings → Windows Update before attempting more advanced fixes.
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