What does that mean? It could point to a situation where a piece of software tries to use a processor thread that isn’t available because a different program is using it. It could also mean that the thread doesn’t even exist. In lots of cases, the 0xC2 Bad Pool Caller error indicates a device driver issue.
STOP 0x000000C2 Errors
The error will always appear on a STOP message, more commonly called a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). You could see it when your computer first starts up, right after you log in when doing something specific like playing a video or opening a program, or even right after a fresh Windows 10 install. The error screen presents typically with a message like one of these:
Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. If you’d like to know more, you can search online later for this error: BAD_POOL_CALLERStop code: BAD_POOL_CALLER
How to Fix Bad Pool Caller Error on Windows 10
Follow these steps in order to address possible simple fixes before moving onto the more complex and less helpful tips:
Need More Help?
If you’re not interested in fixing this problem yourself, see How Do I Get My Computer Fixed? for a full list of your support options, plus help with everything along the way like figuring out repair costs, getting your files off, choosing a repair service, and a lot more. Since you’re probably on the error screen, the best way to restart is to press the power button (you might need to hold it down). After a few seconds, press it again to start back up. Antivirus tools and other software could be interfering with another part of your computer, like a driver, causing the 0xC2 error. If this works to stop the BSOD, you might need to look for an alternative program. Doing this is a standard solution for the 0x000000C2 error, so try your best to try all three of these tips:
Scan for hardware changes by opening Device Manager, right-clicking your computer at the top of the list, choosing Scan for hardware changes, and then rebooting. It will trigger Windows to check for drivers, but it might not work for all devices. Boot into Safe Mode (make sure it’s with networking support; see step 2) and use a driver updater tool. Update drivers manually. Some users experiencing this error have had to unzip the driver and use Device Manager to update it manually. All the directions are in that link.
If you’ve opened the Advanced Startup Options menu, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Uninstall Updates to delete the latest quality or feature update. Otherwise, open Control Panel and search for and select View installed updates. Choose the most recent update (or pick the one you suspect could be the issue), select Uninstall and then Yes, and restart the computer. Windows updates installed between now and the restore point will also be removed, which is great if there were some updates in the previous step that you couldn’t delete. Microsoft provides more information about this tool in that link. During this process, you can choose to keep your personal files intact or not. See How to Reset Your PC in Windows 10 for help.
