11 Methods to Fix PFN List Corrupt [BSOD] in Windows 10/11

If you’ve encountered a PFN LIST CORRUPT error, you’re dealing with a common Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) issue. When your monitor turns blue and displays this error message, it freezes your computer and blocks access. But don’t worry—BSOD errors, including this one, can be resolved, no matter how complex they may seem.

Editor's Pick December 2024

Get NordVPN for just $3.49 a month on a 2 year plan

Get Deal

What Is The Meaning of A Corrupt PFN?

If you ever get an error message saying “PFN LIST CORRUPT,” this is a Blue Screen of Death stop code on Windows 11 and Windows 10. It indicates data corruption in the Page Frame Number (PFN), which is a database list that deals with system memory. Your operating system locks you out to protect itself from further corrupted system files and data loss.

The PFN_LIST_CORRUPT error could be caused by a problem at the hardware or software level. It can be tricky to diagnose, but easy to fix by following a series of workarounds that generally apply to blue screen issues.

How to fix PFN LIST CORRUPT on Windows 11/10

Follow the easy instructions below to get rid of the corrupt PFN list stop code on your Windows 10 or 11 PC. However, before getting started, it’s advisable to create a System Restore point as a backup measure. If you can’t get into your computer, try booting into Safe Mode. Otherwise, these tips are only useful if this issue comes and goes, as you’re limited in what you can do if you can’t log in to Windows!

1. Check Drivers

If any of your device drivers are obsolete, they could prevent your operating system from working normally, resulting in stop code PFN_LIST_CORRUPT. Another issue could be that your devices are not properly connected to your PC, or that they are equipped with incompatible drivers.

How to reinstall drivers on Windows 10 and 11:

1. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.

2. Expand the hardware categories and look for any devices with a yellow exclamation point. Right-click one and select Uninstall device.

   

3. Open the Action menu and select Scan for hardware changes.
4. Exit Device Manager and restart your PC. Windows will reinstall the missing drivers automatically.

If the PFN LIST CORRUPT error is persistent, you should check for driver updates. We suggest getting started with the graphics and network drivers since these usually have issues.

How to update drivers on Windows 10 and 11:

1. Return to Device Manager.
2. Expand the Display adapters group.
3. Right-click your GPU device.
4. Click Update driver.

1. Select “Search automatically for drivers” or “Search automatically for updated driver software.”

2. If the search is unsuccessful, select Search for updated drivers on Windows Update.

3. Do the same for your network driver (in the Network adapters category).

An alternative solution is to visit the website of each device manufacturer to locate, download, and install a newer driver. That’s the ideal way to get drivers, but it doesn’t always work well; it typically takes a while, and you risk getting incompatible drivers that will further damage Windows. Another option is to employ the services of a driver updater to bring all your drivers up to speed. They’re extremely useful because most of them don’t make you get the drivers manually; they’ll download and install them for you through the app.

On the other hand, you should immediately roll back a driver to a previous version if it’s unsupported by your operating system. Here’s how:

How to roll back drivers on Windows 10 and 11:

1. Go to Device Manager (right-click the Start button for the shortcut).
2. Right-click the device that needs the driver roll-back, and select Properties.
3. Switch to the Driver tab.
4. Select Roll Back Driver and follow the on-screen instructions.
5. If the button is greyed out, it means that you can’t perform the rollback since no previous version exists on your PC.

2. Update Windows

It’s essential to keep your operating system updated to the latest version. Besides improving your PC experience, you will also avoid irritating BSOD errors such as PFN LIST CORRUPT. Here’s what you need to do to fix system files by installing Windows updates:

1. Press the Win key, search for Check for updates, and press Enter.
2. Windows should autostart the update search. If it doesn’t, Select Check for updates.
3. If it finds any new updates, select Download.
4. Restart your PC once the update is complete.

Note: If OS updates aren’t working, then you should turn to the Windows Update troubleshooter.

3. Run BSOD Troubleshooter

Windows 11 and Windows 10 include a BSOD troubleshooter wizard that can help with this error. It’s easy to use because it’s built into Windows (no download necessary).

1. Search the Start menu for Get Help, and then click the shortcut in the results.
2. Type Troubleshoot BSOD error.
3. Follow the on-screen questions. Microsoft’s tool walk you through the necessary steps to address the blue screen issue.

4. Check Hard Drive for Errors

If the PFN LIST CORRUPT error code on Windows 10/11 was caused by a hardware problem, you can run a built-in hardware troubleshooter to diagnose it. Just head over to Settings and search for Troubleshoot to find the tool and activate its wizard.

If you can’t find the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter in the list of troubleshooters, you can run a command to launch it. Here’s how:

1. Open the Run dialog box (press Win+R).
2. Type this, and then press Enter.
   
3. Select Next and follow the wizard steps.
4. When it finds a solution, choose Apply this fix.
5. Restart your PC and check for BSOD errors.

5. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool to Check RAM

There might be something wrong with your RAM, resulting in the PFN LIST CORRUPT error on Windows 11 or Windows 10. But you can check it for errors using a built-in utility, called Windows Memory Diagnostic. Here’s how to use it to your advantage:

1. Make sure to save any ongoing projects and close all applications.
2. Select the Start button, search for Windows Memory Diagnostic, and press Enter.
3. Choose Restart now and check for problems.
4. During reboot, Windows will find and fix any RAM errors.

If you’re looking for more advanced information about the system memory, check out MemTest86.

6. Uninstall Problematic Software

You might have recently installed third-party software applications that aren’t properly built for Windows, resulting in software conflicts and blue screen errors like PFN LIST CORRUPT. Examples include free antivirus tools, firewalls, VPN services, proxy tools, and web browsers.

Tip: Before deleting your anti-malware program, give your computer a quick scan. An infection could be causing the corrupt PFN list error.

If the BSOD error is caused by such programs, you can resolve this problem by removing recently installed third-party programs. Here’s how:

1. Right-click the Start button and go to Installed apps (W11) or Apps and Features (W10).
2. Set Sort by and then choose the date option.

   Note: If you’ve been having this BSOD error for a while, you’d be wise to look beyond just the most recently installed apps. Find any potentially problematic software and promptly remove it. You can always reinstall it later if you find that it wasn’t responsible for corrupted system files.

   

3. Use the button next to the app to delete it.
   
4. Follow the on-screen instructions.
5. Reboot your PC and check for errors.

Unfortunately, the built-in uninstaller is pretty basic when it comes to eliminating unwanted software. If you want to be more thorough, we suggest using a third-party programs uninstaller, designed to also delete any leftover files and restore registry settings.

7. Disable Microsoft OneDrive

Although it’s unlikely, another potential fix is to disable Microsoft OneDrive. It’s actually not uncommon for Windows users to encounter issues with this app, such as high CPU usage. You don’t have to uninstall it, though — just disable it.

Here’s how:

1. Right-click the OneDrive icon from the system tray.
2. Choose Settings.
   
   
3. Select Account on the left, and then Unlink this PC on the right.
   

8. Fix HDD Errors With CHKDSK

An easy way to find and fix any errors that might be affecting your hardware and operating system is by turning to three command-line tools built into Windows. We’ll start with CHKDSK (Check Disk): 

1. Search for Command Prompt the taskbar, right-click it when you see it in the results, and choose Run as administrator (Select Yes if prompted by User Account Control).
2. If your operating system is installed on the C: drive, type chkdsk c: /f and hit Enter. Else, make sure to replace c: with the correct partition letter.
3. Type y and press Enter to schedule the task at the next system reboot.
4. Restart Windows and wait until it finds and fixes disk errors.

9. Fix Corrupt OS Files With SFC

If you are struggling with the issue, the missing system files may be the culprit. To fix this, we have to run the SFC (System File Checker) command in Windows Terminal.  

1. Launch Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Write sfc /scannow and hit Enter.
3. After SFC finishes its task, restart your computer to see if the corrupt PFN list BSOD error has been fixed.

10. Fix Component Store Issues With DISM

Like SFC, DISM is another command that checks and fixes important missing files, such as Windows images. Here’s how to run the DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) command in Command Prompt.

1. Open Command Prompt with admin rights.
2. Type DISM /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth and press Enter.
3. If DISM finds any problems, enter DISM /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth and hit Enter.
4. Once DISM completes its task, exit CMD and restart your PC.
5. Launch Command Prompt as admin again and run SFC (sfc /scannow).
6. Reboot your computer one last time.

11. Fix Startup Issues With Bootrec Commands

Bootrec is a tool included with Windows. You can run commands against it to repair startup issues. Here’s how:

1. Restart to the Advanced Startup Options menu. In Windows 11, go to Settings > System > Recovery. In Windows 10, go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.
2. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
3. Enter the bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd command and wait for it to finish.
4. Run the bootrec.exe /fixmbr command and wait for it to finish.
5. Do the same for bootrec.exe /fixboot.

How to recover unsaved or lost data due to stop code PFN LIST CORRUPT Error

The extensive troubleshooting guide above should be enough to fix the error. Whether those directions helped or didn’t, you might still have suffered from data loss. If, so there are free data recovery tools you can use to attempt to get your files back. One such program we recommend is called Recoverit Data Recovery.

Here’s a brief look at how to use it:

1. Download Recoverit Data Recovery from Wondershare, and install it to your computer.
2. Select the file storage location where you lost the data. It’s likely the C drive. 
3. Wait while the scan completes. In our test, it took about 10 minutes.
4. Select what you’d like to recover. We recommend using the search bar at the top of the program, and the filtering tools, to isolate the files you’re after. For example, pick when the file was last modified to help narrow in on it.
5. Choose Recover at the bottom, followed by Recover again on the confirmation prompt.
   

Note: This program can recover up to 100 MB of data under the free plan. If you’d like to use something else, we recommend Recuva or Windows File Recovery.

Stop code PFN LIST CORRUPT can be fixed

The PFN LIST CORRUPT Windows blue screen error prevents you from using your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC. It’s usually caused by a software or hardware problem, which you can fix without turning to Microsoft tech support.

Get started by checking your drivers to make sure that they’re compatible and updated to the latest version. You should also reinstall devices that aren’t properly connected to your PC, run Windows Update on a regular basis, perform a clean system boot, and check for common problems using the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter.

It’s also good to check for RAM issues, remove any peripheral devices you recently plugged into your machine, uninstall suspicious third-party apps and malfunctioning system updates, as well as repair any hard disk and operating system errors with ready-to-deploy tools.

A certain amount of disk space must always be available for Windows, so ensure that everything is in working order. Furthermore, you should update BIOS and reset it to default, run a malware scan, use Event Viewer to get additional information about the stop code, roll back your OS to a previous restore point, or reset Windows as a last resort.

How did you manage to finally get rid of the PFN LIST CORRUPT error code on Windows 11/10? Tell us about your experience in the comment section below.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is a PFN list? A Page Frame Number (PFN) list is a data structure used by Windows to track physical memory pages. It maps the memory pages to their corresponding physical addresses.
• What causes PFN list corrupt? Corruption is typically caused by faulty hardware like bad RAM or a failing hard drive, or by software bugs in device drivers.
• How do I find BSOD logs? Check the Event Viewer under Windows Logs > System for critical errors.