If you receive Hardware problems were detected error message when you run the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool in Windows 11/10, then this post will be able to guide you. This error basically indicates there are some problems with a hardware component.
A few affected users commented that when trying to restart their PC, it freezes up the system. They tried to run Windows Memory Diagnostic tool and it returned this error.
What can cause Hardware problems were detected error on Windows Memory Diagnostic?
Before talking about the solutions, let us discuss the scenarios that may trigger the issues. Here are common reasons for this error when running the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool:
- If there are some corrupted drivers and associated files on your PC, you might end up receiving their error. However, this might be resolved by using the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter.
- A failing or bad RAM stick can be another reason for the same. But for that, you will need to replace your RAM stick.
- One more reason for this error can be Overclocking. It can make your system unstable and you might get this error as a warning sign for component overheating. If you have overclocked frequencies for components previously, try resetting the frequencies to default to fix the issue.
- System file corruption can also lead to this error.
- If there are some failing hardware components problems rooted in the motherboard or PSU, you might encounter this error. In that case, you will have to contact an experienced technician to get it fixed.
These are some causes for the concerned error. Let us take a look at some fixes now.
Fix Hardware problems were detected error in Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool
Here are the methods that you can try to fix the Hardware problems were detected error on Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool in Windows 11/10:
- Use the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter.
- Disable Overclocked frequencies.
- Check for Bad RAM using MemTest86.
- Clean Install or Repair Install Windows.
- Contact a Certified Technician.
Let us elaborate on the above solutions now!
You will have to boot your computer in normal mode. If you cannot boot Windows normally to the desktop, you may have to try and boot in Safe Mode or into the Advanced Startup options screen to be able to carry out the fixes. You will need to make use of the Command Prompt. For some strange reason if you can boot in Safe Mode but cannot access the Advanced Startup Options screen, when in Safe Mode, you may use the Command Prompt to boot Windows directly to the Advanced Startup Settings screen.
1] Use the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter
At first, you should try using the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter to fix this issue. If there are some general issues that are triggering this problem, Windows should be able to detect and fix such problems. It will be effective in case of corrupted drivers and files. However, in the case of any physical damage, this won’t be helpful.
To run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter on your PC, you can follow the below steps:
Firstly, open the Command Prompt on your PC.
Now, type the following command in CMD:
msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic
Next, press the Enter button and it will open up the Hardware and Devices window.
After that, press the Next button in the opened window.
Let the Windows analyze and detect the hardware problems completely. If it finds out any error and has a repair or fix for it, it will ask you to apply the fix. Just click on the Apply this fix button to let it repair the hardware errors automatically.
You can now try restarting your PC, run the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool, and see if the problem is fixed or not.
Related read: Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool stuck.
2] Disable Overclocked frequencies
Overclocked frequencies can also result in this error and make your PC unstable. In case you previously overclocked GPU, CPU, or RAM frequencies, you might encounter the error. It is recommended to not use overclocking frequencies over a value that your system considers safe. Windows might also end up throwing this error on you in order to warn you regarding component overheating.
So, try disabling overclocked frequencies and voltages or reduce them to check if the error persists or not. You can also reset them to their original values. After resetting overclocked frequencies, try rebooting your PC normally and check if the Hardware problems were detected error on Windows Memory Diagnostic is fixed. If the error is fixed, the problem was probably caused due to overclocked frequencies. If not, you will have to try some other method to fix the issue.
Read: HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI on Windows
3] Check for Bad RAM using MemTest86
There might be some issues with your RAM sticks and that is what triggers the error. To check and verify the integrity of RAM sticks, you can use this free and open-source third-party software called Memtest86+. It is an advanced memory diagnostic tool that can detect bad RAM.
The memory diagnosis you run through it might last for quite a long, so be patient. If this tool detects some underlying problems with your RAM, you might need to replace your RAM to fix the issue. In case there is no problem found with your RAM, try some other fix from this guide.
You can also try removing one RAM stick if you are making use of a dual-channel RAM setup.
See: Fix Your system is running low on virtual memory on Windows
4] Clean Install or Repair Install Windows
This error can be a result of corrupted system files affecting the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool or a related kernel dependency. So, in that case, you need to replace corrupted system files and restore the healthy files. To do that, you can perform a clean install of Windows. Or, you can also try repairing your Windows computer to avoid reinstalling everything all over again. Here are some guides that can help you do that:
- How to Upgrade Windows OS, using Windows ISO
- How to Clean Install Windows from USB
- How to Repair Windows computer using the Installation Media
Check if the issue is fixed after clean installing Windows operating system.
NOTE: You may want to look at this post if this error makes Windows go into a reboot loop,
5] Contact a Certified Technician
If you tried all the above methods and nothing worked, there might be some issues that you can’t fix at your end. At this point, you can contact an experienced and certified technician and take your PC to them. They can check for the component that is triggering this error and then try to repair your PC for you.
Hope this article helps!
How do you run Diagnostics to check for system memory problems?
You can use the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool for detecting memory problems. Or, you can use this free and open-source software called Memtest86+ to check for system memory problems.
How do you fix Your computer has a memory problem?
To fix the Your computer has a memory problem, you can check for driver updates or run Driver Verifier. Other than that, you can also try checking RAM physically or running Memory Diagnostic Tool in Clean Boot or Safe Mode. If nothing works, you can try contacting the manufacturer to get the issue resolved. We have discussed this issue and the fixes to resolve it in detail.
Hope this helps!
