With Windows 11, Microsoft increased the hardware requirements needed for a PC to run its latest OS. One major change was that a computer needed to have at least 8 gigs of memory to run Windows 11 properly.

However, at times, even users with the required amount of RAM can run into various memory-related errors. One of the most common errors is "The Instruction At 0x00007FF Referenced Memory 0x0000000. The Memory Could Not Be Written".

This error can occur when running graphics-intensive applications, playing games, or even launching web browsers. Fortunately, fixing this error is not very difficult, and we'll show you how you can do so here.

1. Repair System Files With SFC And DISM Scan

The 'Memory Could Not Be Written' error can sometimes occur due to missing or corrupted system files. You can try to repair these files using the Windows System File Checker (SFC) utility and DISM scan.

  1. Open the Start menu and type command prompt or cmd.
  2. Click on the 'Run As Administrator' option to launch the command prompt.
  1. In the command prompt window, type sfc /scannow and press the 'Enter' key to start scanning the system files for problems.
  1. Depending on your system, it can take some time to find and fix corrupted files. Once the scan is complete, type in DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth to begin the DISM scan.
  1. Reboot your computer after the scan is completed, and the error should be gone. In case it isn't, try the next method.

2. Update Microsoft.NET Framework

You may run into the 'memory could not be written' error if you are using an application that utilizes Microsoft.NET Framework and requires a lot of memory.

  1. To resolve this issue, visit the Microsoft.NET Framework download site.
  2. Click on the 'Download .NET Framework Runtime' option on the right side to download the framework installer.
  1. Once the installer is downloaded, double-click on it to start the installation process.
  1. The installation will start if you have an older version of .NET Framework, and once it is completed, it should resolve the 'Memory Could Not Be Written' error.

3. Disable the Automatically Hide Taskbar Feature

Certain features can cause your Windows 11 computer to run into memory-related errors. The 'Automatically Hide Taskbar' is one such feature, and you can turn it off if you are experiencing problems.

  1. Open the Settings page and click on the 'Personalization' option on the left side.
  1. Scroll down to the 'Taskbar' option and click on it to view all taskbar-related settings.
  1. On this page, click to expand the 'Taskbar Behaviors' option
  1. Expanding this section will let you access the 'Automatically Hide Taskbar' option. If it is enabled, click on the checkbox to disable it.

4. Run a Memory Diagnostic Check

Aging or faulty hardware is often the cause of problems that result in errors like the 'memory could not be written'. In this case, your RAM might be the problem, and you can check its health by running a memory diagnostic check.

  1. Open the Start menu and type Windows Memory Diagnostic and click to select it when it appears.
  1. When you launch the memory diagnostic tool, a box will appear asking you whether you want to restart your PC and check for issues now or later. Click on 'Restart Now and Check For Problems'.
  1. Your computer will reboot and run the diagnostic test to see if your RAM has any problems. If it has, it might be the cause of the error, and you may need to replace it.

5. Perform a Clean Boot

Another possible solution to the problem is performing a clean boot, which means starting Windows with only the necessary drivers and services that are part of the OS. This requires disabling all third-party applications installed on the system.

  1. Open the Start menu and type msconfig to access System Configuration.
  2. When it appears, click on it to open it.
  1. By default, it will open in the 'General' tab. Click on the 'Services' tab to switch to it.
  1. On the Services tab, click on 'Hide All Microsoft Services' at the bottom.
  1. Next, click on the 'Disable All' button to disable all non-Microsoft services on your PC.
  1. After disabling the services, click on the 'Startup' tab at the top.
  1. Launch the Task Manager by clicking on the 'Open Task Manager' option here.
  1. The Task Manager will have the 'Processes' tab open by default. Click on the 'Startup Apps' tab on the left side to view the applications that launch when Windows boots up.
  1. Now, you will need to disable each app here so that it does not start when Windows boots up. To do that, simply right-click on an application and click on the 'Disable' option.
  1. Close the Task Manager after disabling the services and then click on the 'OK' button in the System Configuration utility.
  1. Restart your computer, and it will boot into a clean boot environment. If the error does not appear, you can try enabling the services you disabled earlier from the System Configuration utility in the same manner.
Note: Instead of enabling all the services at the same time, enable a few services at a time and restart your PC each time to check if the error appears. Doing so will make it easier to look for the application that is causing the problem if the error appears again.

6. Increase Your Virtual Memory

The 'memory could not be written' error can also occur if your system is running low on virtual memory. You can try increasing it and see if that solves the problem.

  1. Open the Control Panel on your computer and click on the 'System' option, or open Settings and click on the 'System' option on the left side.
  1. On the System page, click on the 'Advanced System Settings' option.
  1. This will bring up the Advanced Settings pop-up, with the 'Advanced' tab open by default. Click on the 'Settings' button in the 'Performance' section.
  1. In the pop-up that appears, click on the 'Advanced' tab again, from where you can increase the virtual memory.
  1. On the 'Advanced' tab, click on the 'Change' button in the 'Virtual Memory' section.
  1. To be able to increase your virtual memory, you first need to de-select the 'Automatically Manage Paging File Size For All Drives' option at the top. It will be enabled by default, so click on the check box to disable it.
  1. Now, you can set the virtual memory by changing the paging file size. Select the partition you want to change the file size for and click on the 'Custom Size' option.
  1. If your system has just one partition, set the 'Initial Size(MB)' and 'Maximum Size (MB)' to 1.5 times the RAM in MB. Do the same if you have more than one partition, but in this instance, set the values for the system drive, usually the C Drive, as 250 MB for both initial and maximum options.
  1. Once you are done, click on the 'Set' button and then on the 'OK' button at the bottom. If the problem was occurring due to low virtual memory, it should be fixed now.

7. Prevent GPU from Accessing the Responsible Application

Users with an Nvidia GPU can also try adjusting the settings in the Nvidia Control Panel to prevent the GPU from accessing the application responsible for the issue. You can do so through the 'Manage 3D Settings' option in the Nvidia Control Panel and then select integrated graphics for the application.

8. Perform a System Restore

If you've tried all of the above steps without any positive results, a system restore might be the only option. This lets you revert your PC to a former state when the issue was not present. However, it requires you to have already set up a restore point earlier. If you don't have a system restore point, move on to the next fix.

There are a few ways by which you can restore your PC to how it was earlier, but the easiest one is through the Control Panel. Any changes you made to your PC after the restore point was created, like installing any new apps, will be undone.

  1. Launch the Control Panel and click on the 'Recovery' option.
  1. On the next page, click on the 'Open System Restore' option.
  1. System Restore will recommend the most recent restore point created by default. Click on the 'Next' button to proceed. You can also choose a different restore point from here.
  1. To complete the restore process, click on the 'Finish' button and your PC will be restored to the time when you created the restore point after rebooting.

9. Reset Your PC

Windows 11 lets you reset your PC, which means it will reinstall the OS and remove all installed programs and updates. However, your personal files will remain untouched. If a recent update or system change caused the error, this might help you resolve it.

  1. Open the Settings app and click on the 'System' tab on the left side.
  1. On the System page, scroll down and click on the 'Recovery' option.
  1. Here, you will find the 'Reset This PC' button. Click on it, and Windows will ask you whether you want to keep your files or remove everything. For best results, go with the second option.
  1. After you pick an option, you can choose to reinstall Windows from the cloud or locally. Click on the 'Local Reinstall' option to proceed.
  1. The next page will let you review your reset preferences. Click on the 'Next' button if you are happy with your chosen settings.
  1. Windows will now inform you that it is ready to perform the reset. Click on the 'Reset' button.

After your PC is reset, it will no longer have any additional software installed. If the error was caused by any application installer later on, it should not appear now.

For most Windows 11 users, the above techniques should help them get rid of the 'Memory Could Not Be Written' error. Try out these fixes one by one and restart your PC after each method to check whether the problem is resolved. If nothing works, consider performing a repair upgrade or reinstalling Windows by downloading the official ISO from Microsoft's website.

Once the issue is resolved, we strongly recommend following practices like closing programs properly before shutting down your system and performing regular malware checks using your antivirus to prevent such problems from occurring again.