how to fix UNEXPECTED_STORE_EXCEPTION (0X154) and KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLE (0X1E)

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how to fix UNEXPECTED_STORE_EXCEPTION (0X154) and KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLE (0X1E)

Leonardo Mariani 5

Hello, I recently upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11, and when I play games, I started having a blue screen of death issue. I also changed the RAM, lowered all the overclocks I had done, and updated the video card drivers. I also tried some solutions such as checking the drive, etc., but I didn't get any positive results. What can I do?

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Answer 1

Tom Tran (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 3,470 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi @Leonardo Mariani ,

Thanks for the details!

From what I understand from the errors you are getting:

UNEXPECTED_STORE_EXCEPTION (0x154) usually points to storage-related issues (disk errors, firmware problems, or power settings).
KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (0x1E) often indicates a driver or hardware-level conflict, sometimes caused by incompatible drivers after an OS upgrade.

Since you already changed RAM and upgraded the OS, the issue could be:

Outdated BIOS or chipset drivers
Faulty or incompatible RAM
Storage device health problems
Third-party drivers causing conflicts

Here are a few solutions I managed to find:

1. Update BIOS and Chipset Drivers

Go to your motherboard manufacturer’s website and download the latest BIOS and chipset drivers.
This is critical after a hardware change and OS upgrade.

References:

2. Run Memory Diagnostics

Even new RAM can be faulty or incompatible.

Press Win + R, type mdsched.exe, and run Windows Memory Diagnostic.
For a deeper test, use MemTest86 (bootable USB).

3. Check Storage Health

Open Command Prompt (Admin) and run:

chkdsk /f /r

Reference: How to use CHKDSK to fix hard drive problems

Use CrystalDiskInfo to check SSD/HDD health.

4. Disable Fast Startup

Go to Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do > Change settings that are currently unavailable.
Uncheck Turn on fast startup.
Restart your PC.

Reference: How to disable Fast Startup in Windows 11 (step-by-step)

5. Perform a Clean Boot

This helps rule out third-party software conflicts.

Reference: How to perform a clean boot in Windows

6. Analyze Minidump Files

If the issue persists, we need to identify the exact driver causing the crash.

Navigate to C:\Windows\Minidump.
Use BlueScreenView or WinDbg to analyze the dump.

Extra Tips

Ensure Windows is fully updated: Settings > Windows Update.
If you recently installed any third-party antivirus or system utilities, try uninstalling them temporarily.

I'd recommend you try all the steps above and read all the links first. Worst case scenario, you should take your computer to a hard drive store so they can better diagnose the issue.

Hope this helps!

If you find m suggestions useful, please feel free to mark this answer so others with similar issue could find help from your post. Thank you!

Tom Tran (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 3,470 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-09-17T02:13:46.3266667+00:00

Hi @Leonardo Mariani ,

Just checking in to see if your issue has been resolved yet! Please reach out if you have any more questions!
Leonardo Mariani 5 Reputation points

2025-09-17T07:46:06.37+00:00

Hi, I'm trying out the new settings. If I don't have any problems tonight, I'll let you know.
Leonardo Mariani 5 Reputation points

2025-09-17T15:10:07.31+00:00

I updated the BIOS to the latest version available.

I put back the RAM I had before because apparently changing it didn't help with the problem. I've had this RAM for a few years and before upgrading to Windows 11 it never gave me any problems.

I've already reset and done a clean install of Windows 11.

I ran the RAM diagnostic test, but it didn't give any results.

I ran the “chkdsk /f /r” command and the PC restarted. I had already done this check a few days ago, and for a while it seemed to have worked, but then the problem continued to recur.

I disabled fast startup.

Finally, I analyzed the minimp file with Win DBG. The problem is that I don't understand much about it, so I'll leave the file here, or I'll leave some screenshots with what it says.

For the moment, I haven't been able to solve the problem. If you can figure out what the problem is from the dump file I've attached here, I would be grateful.

analize files dump.txt
Tom Tran (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 3,470 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-09-18T04:07:20.2666667+00:00
Hi @Leonardo Mariani ,

Thank you for sharing the dump analysis and all the steps you’ve tried so far!

I reviewed the analize files dump.txt, and here’s what I managed to research and find so far:

What the error means

The crash report shows the error IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (a), which usually happens when a driver (a small program that talks to your hardware) tries to access memory incorrectly. In your case, the dump points to this file:

cpuz159_x64.sys

This is part of CPU-Z (a hardware monitoring tool) or ASUS utilities like Armoury Crate or AI Suite. These programs use this driver to read hardware information, but older versions are not fully compatible with Windows 11 and can cause blue screens during gaming.

Reference:

Microsoft: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL Stop Code

Why this matters

The driver is very old (version 1.59 era) and not designed for modern Windows 11 builds.

It was called by asus_framework (ASUS Framework Service), which means an ASUS utility triggered it.

This is a common cause of BSODs after upgrading to Windows 11.

What to do next

Here are the steps I recommend:

1. Remove or Update ASUS Utilities and CPU-Z

If you have CPU-Z installed, uninstall it completely.

If you use ASUS tools like Armoury Crate, AI Suite, or ASUS System Control Interface, update them to the latest version from ASUS support:

ASUS Armoury Crate Download

ASUS AI Suite Download

If you don’t need these tools, uninstall them temporarily to test stability.

2. Check for the old driver

Run this command in Command Prompt (Admin):

driverquery /v | findstr cpuz

If you see cpuz159_x64.sys, it’s still present. Remove it by uninstalling the related software or using:

sc delete cpuz

(Then restart your PC.)

3. Test your system

Play the same games that caused the crash. If the BSODs stop, the issue was the old driver.

Extra Tips

Make sure Windows is fully updated: Settings > Windows Update.

If you still see UNEXPECTED_STORE_EXCEPTION (0x154) after fixing this, it might be storage-related. In that case:

Update your chipset drivers and SSD firmware from your motherboard and SSD manufacturer.

Disable PCI Express Link State Power Management: Control Panel > System and Security > Power Options > Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings > PCI Express > Off.

The crash is caused by an old hardware monitoring driver (cpuz159_x64.sys) used by ASUS utilities. Removing or updating these tools usually resolves the issue.

Please try these steps and let me know if the problem persists.
Leonardo Mariani 5 Reputation points

2025-09-18T13:22:20.6533333+00:00

I uninstalled the Asus programs. Then I checked using CMD with the command you gave me, and I got this. I'll leave the screenshot.
Screenshot 2025-09-18 145642.png
I tried downloading an app that should update the AMD chipsets, but I don't know if it actually worked because when I reopen the program, it tells me that I don't have a compatible video card.

Disable PCI Express Link State Power Management: it was already off

Then today I got two more errors:
CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED (0XEF)
KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (0X1E)

Can you suggest how to create a new dump file? So I can see if anything has changed? I already set the settings, but every time it crashes it doesn't create the dump file. I wanted to add that I reinstalled Windows 11 again, without installing any Asus programs etc, and shortly after I opened the game I got the critical process died error again.
Leonardo Mariani 5 Reputation points

2025-09-19T01:48:41.5666667+00:00

update: i found this in the event viewer
Tom Tran (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 3,470 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-09-19T03:49:37.2733333+00:00
Hi @Leonardo Mariani ,

Thank you for sharing the new details, screenshots, and the steps you’ve taken so far.

Let's start with a recap:

What We Know So Far

The original crash pointed to cpuz159_x64.sys (a driver from CPU-Z or ASUS utilities).

You removed ASUS programs, but the screenshot shows the driver is still present in C:\Windows\Temp.

You reinstalled Windows 11, yet new BSODs appeared:

CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED (0xEF)

KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (0x1E)

Event Viewer shows multiple Kernel-EventTracing warnings and errors:
The maximum file size for session "PerfDiag Logger" has been reached. As a result, events might be lost...
This means ETW (Event Tracing for Windows) sessions are hitting size limits, which can prevent logs and even crash dumps from being written.

No dump files are being created, which makes diagnosis harder.

As for why this matters:

Multiple stop codes after a clean reinstall usually indicate:

A persistent low-level driver issue.

Or hardware instability (RAM, SSD, motherboard).

Missing dump files suggest logging and page file settings need fixing first.

After doing some digging around, I managed a few next steps you can try out:

Step 1: Fix Dump Creation

Enable Page File

Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl.

Go to Advanced → Performance → Settings → Advanced → Virtual memory.

Check Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.

Set Dump Type

In sysdm.cpl → Advanced → Startup and Recovery → Settings.

Under Write debugging information, select Automatic memory dump.

Free Disk Space

Ensure at least 20 GB free on C:.

Fix Event Log Size

Open Event Viewer→Windows Logs → Application→Properties.

Increase maximum log size or select Overwrite events as needed.

Restart the PC.

Step 2: Remove cpuz159_x64.sys Completely

Delete the file manually:
C:\Windows\Temp\cpuz159_x64.sys

Then check if it reloads after reboot:

Download Autoruns from Microsoft Sysinternals.

Search for cpuz and remove any leftover entries.

Step 3: Update AMD Chipset Drivers

Download the latest drivers directly from AMD: AMD Chipset Drivers

Install and restart.

Step 4: Run Hardware Health Checks

Memory Test: Run Windows Memory Diagnostic or MemTest86.

SSD Check: Use CrystalDiskInfo or your SSD manufacturer’s tool.

If errors appear, the component may need replacement.

Step 5: Force a Test Dump

Enable keyboard crash:

Open Registry Editor.

Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\kbdhid\Parameters

Add DWORD CrashOnCtrlScroll = 1.

Reboot.

Then press Ctrl + Scroll Lock (twice) to trigger a manual crash and confirm dump creation.

Advanced Troubleshooting (Optional)

Enable Driver Verifier:
verifier /standard /all
This stresses drivers to catch faulty ones (may cause frequent crashes).

Update BIOS/UEFI:

Check your motherboard manufacturer’s site for the latest firmware.

Repair System Files:
sfc /scannow DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

If all these steps fail and BSODs continue, the problem is likely hardware-related (RAM, SSD, motherboard, or PSU).

At that point, the best next step I'd recommend is to take the system to a certified service center or the place of purchase for a full hardware diagnostic since it might need some help from professionals. If you decide to take this step, then remember to take screenshots of your device specs for safety measure.

Please try these steps and let me know the results. If you manage to generate a dump file, share it here so we can analyze further.
Leonardo Mariani 5 Reputation points

2025-09-21T12:39:16.2533333+00:00

I haven't solved the problem yet, but I've noticed that after I reset the PC, it doesn't crash for a day or two. Then it starts crashing again like crazy.

The new SSD will arrive on Monday and the CPU on Thursday. If that doesn't solve the problem, I'll have to change the AMD generation and switch to AM5, and change the motherboard, RAM, and CPU. I'll keep you posted.
Harry Vo (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 3,820 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-16T10:00:33.5466667+00:00

Hi @Leonardo Mariani , sorry for bothering, do you have any update? If you find Tom's response useful, please kindly mark this as final answer! Thanks

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how to fix UNEXPECTED_STORE_EXCEPTION (0X154) and KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLE (0X1E)

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