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ERROR_NONPAGED_SYSTEM_RESOURCES
Nonpaged kernel resources are under pressure.
ERROR_NONPAGED_SYSTEM_RESOURCES is Win32 error 1451 (0x5AB). It indicates that an operation could not obtain a resource from nonpaged system memory or a closely related kernel allocation domain. Nonpaged pool cannot be written to the page file while allocated, so a leak in a driver or a high volume of outstanding kernel objects can affect the whole machine.
Patterns that point to nonpaged pool
- the condition develops gradually and survives application restarts
- network, storage, security, or filter-driver activity precedes the rise
- nonpaged pool bytes or a particular pool tag grow without returning
- new I/O, process, or synchronization operations fail across processes
- a reboot clears the symptom until the same workload accumulates again
Evidence to collect
Capture nonpaged pool usage over time, pool-tag breakdown, loaded driver versions, outstanding I/O counts, system commit, handle counts, and the first failing API. Save relevant Resource Exhaustion Detector and driver events. If the system is still responsive, obtain diagnostic data before reboot because pool ownership is much harder to infer afterward.
Investigation sequence
Use Performance Monitor or equivalent counters to establish whether nonpaged pool is actually rising. Then use PoolMon or kernel debugging tools to identify tags responsible for growth. Map suspicious tags to binaries and compare the timeline with driver updates, device resets, connection storms, or repeated mount/unmount activity.
Do not assume every 1451 result is solved by adding RAM. A driver that never frees fixed-size allocations will eventually consume the larger pool as well. Also check for application behavior that causes legitimate but unbounded kernel allocations, such as millions of pending overlapped requests or open handles.
Recovery and correction
Reduce the triggering workload, stop the responsible device or service when safe, update or roll back the faulty driver, and reboot if the allocations cannot be reclaimed. The permanent fix belongs in the allocation lifetime: cancellation paths, disconnect cleanup, error unwinding, and device removal must all free the same resources as the success path.
Difference from adjacent codes
ERROR_PAGED_SYSTEM_RESOURCES identifies pageable kernel-pool pressure. ERROR_COMMITMENT_LIMIT concerns system commit. Error 1451 is specifically useful when the allocation must remain resident and kernel or driver behavior is the main suspect.
Example
A network filter allocates a nonpaged context for each connection but misses cleanup after one reset path. Pool usage rises with every reconnect until socket creation begins failing with 1451. Pool-tag data links the growth to the filter, and fixing the reset cleanup removes the leak.
References
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