What does BSOD 0xDC (DRIVER_INVALID_STACK_ACCESS) mean?

DRIVER_INVALID_STACK_ACCESS

The DRIVER_INVALID_STACK_ACCESS bug check has a value of 0x000000DC. This indicates that a driver accessed a stack address that lies below the stack pointer of the stack's thread.

DRIVER_INVALID_STACK_ACCESS Parameters

None

Remarks

The !analyze debug extension displays information about the bug check and can be helpful in determining the root cause.

Dump evidence

Preserve the complete dump, the four bug-check parameters, the exact Windows build, loaded-module list, and the event timeline immediately before the stop.

Analysis order

• Run WinDbg !analyze -v, then inspect the documented meaning of each parameter instead of relying only on the probably-caused-by line.
• Find the earliest abnormal event preceding the stop: driver update, firmware change, device reset, storage error, verifier report, resource exhaustion, or application hang.
• Keep third-party filter, security, storage, graphics, and virtualization drivers in the module inventory; removing evidence before dump analysis can obscure the responsible path.

Distinctive failure boundary

This result identifies driver access outside a valid stack lifetime. Inspect the saved stack pointer, trap frame, thread transition, IRQL, and driver code that retained a pointer to stack storage after the owning frame or thread context ended.

Separating the result from neighboring bug checks

Look for asynchronous callbacks, DMA completions, work items, or deferred procedures that capture addresses of local variables. Preserve the original dump and use the documented parameters and stack to verify this distinction before changing drivers or platform configuration.