What is BAD-POOL-HEADER?
BAD_POOL_HEADER is a critical-severity system memory (RAM) problem. Pool manager detected corrupted data in memory. It could be the RAM or the driver. This usually traces back to defective RAM and malware. Use the steps below to track down and fix the cause.
Common Causes
- Defective RAM
- Corrupt driver
- Malware
Step-by-Step Fix Guide
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1
MemTest86
MemTest86 tends to be the quickest win here, addressing the most typical cause of BAD_POOL_HEADER.
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2
Update the drivers
For the minority of cases that need more work, the later steps dig into less usual ram instability causes.
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3
Antivirus scan
Still seeing BAD-POOL-HEADER after that? "Antivirus scan" is the next thing to check.
Commands & Diagnostics
sfc /scannow
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Frequently Asked Questions
The leading cause of BAD-POOL-HEADER is defective RAM, though corrupt driver and malware also show up in our reports.
"MemTest86" clears up most BAD-POOL-HEADER reports by itself. The remaining steps above cover what's left.
Yes — BAD-POOL-HEADER is a critical-severity error and can lead to data loss or hardware damage if it's ignored. Don't put off the fix steps above.
In most cases, yes — the guide above resolves BAD-POOL-HEADER without a clean install. Treat a reinstall as the last resort, not the first move.
MemTest86 is strongly recommended if BAD-POOL-HEADER occurs repeatedly. It runs overnight and tests all RAM slots independently. Even a few errors in MemTest indicate faulty RAM that should be replaced.
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