How to fix the intelppm.sys blue screen (BSOD) in Windows

intelppm.sys is the Processor Device Driver that Microsoft ships with Windows to put Intel CPU cores to sleep when they are idle. When a blue screen names it, the processor usually failed while changing its power state. Update the BIOS and return the CPU to Intel's default settings first.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What intelppm.sys is and why a blue screen names it

intelppm.sys sits in C:\Windows\System32\drivers. Its file properties name it Processor Device Driver from Microsoft Corporation, part of the Microsoft Windows Operating System. The PPM in the name stands for processor power management: Windows calls it every time an Intel core has nothing to do and should drop into a low-power sleep state.

Because it runs thousands of times a second on every core, it is often the code that happens to be running when the processor misbehaves. A dump posted on Microsoft Q&A from an Intel Core i9-14900K shows exactly that: the core was in its idle loop, Windows asked intelppm.sys to change the sleep state, and the hypervisor then stopped the PC.

Why intelppm.sys crashes: the causes, most common first

Since the driver itself is a stable Windows file, look at what happens around it. Intel's own root-cause report says affected 13th and 14th Gen desktop CPUs received elevated voltage requests from microcode and BIOS code, especially during idle and light activity. That is exactly the moment intelppm.sys is working.

Check what the crash really says

Before you change the BIOS, write down three things: the stop code, the processor model and whether the crashes happen when the PC is idle. They pick your first fix in the table under the methods.

1. Press Win + R, type msinfo32 and press Enter. Note Processor and BIOS Version/Date.
2. Press Win + R, type eventvwr.msc and press Enter. Open Windows Logs > System and find the newest BugCheck event, ID 1001. It holds the stop code.
3. Open C:\Windows\Minidump in File Explorer. One .dmp file is written per crash, named by date.
4. For details, install WinDbg from Terminal with winget install Microsoft.WinDbg, open the newest dump as administrator and run !analyze -v.
5. Read BUGCHECK_CODE, IMAGE_NAME and FAILURE_BUCKET_ID. intelppm.sys with 20001 means HYPERVISOR_ERROR in the idle path.

How to fix the intelppm.sys blue screen

Fixes 1 and 2 treat the processor, which is where this crash usually starts. Fix 3 is for crashes that began with an update. Fix 4 is for laptops. Fixes 5 to 7 are the checks for when the cause is still unknown.

Fix 1. Update the BIOS so the CPU gets Intel's fixed microcode

15 to 30 minutesRead the warningEvery Intel PC, and above all 13th and 14th Gen Core i5, i7 and i9 desktop processors.

Intel traced the instability of these CPUs to microcode and BIOS code asking for high voltage during idle and light load. Microcode reaches the CPU only through a BIOS update, and intelppm.sys is the driver running in those idle moments.

1. Press Win + R, type msinfo32 and press Enter. Note System Model (or BaseBoard Product on a self-built PC) and BIOS Version/Date.
2. Open the support page of your PC or motherboard maker, search for that exact model and open the BIOS downloads.
3. Pick the newest BIOS. For a 13th or 14th Gen desktop CPU its notes should mention microcode 0x12F or later.
4. Follow the maker's own instructions to flash it, usually from a USB drive inside the BIOS menu.
5. After the update, open the BIOS and load the defaults the maker labels Intel Default Settings or Intel Baseline Profile, if offered.
6. Start Windows and use the PC normally, including idle time, for a day.

Affected

Intel Core 13th and 14th Gen desktop processors. Intel states the mobile chips of those generations, Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake are not affected.

Microcode

0x125 (June 2024), 0x129, 0x12B (idle voltage, September 2024), 0x12F (2025). Intel now recommends 0x12F or later.

Warranty

Intel extended it by two years, to five years from the original purchase date, for eligible processors.

Fix 2. Remove undervolts, overclocks and power limits above Intel's defaults

15 minutesLow riskYou used ThrottleStop, Intel XTU, a motherboard auto-overclock, an undervolt or an XMP or EXPO memory profile.

An undervolt that is stable under load can fail when the core drops to a low-power state, which is exactly when intelppm.sys runs. Intel asks owners to keep the Intel default settings in the BIOS.

1. Open the tuning tool you used and reset every profile to default, then turn off its start with Windows: Stop apps from opening at startup
2. Uninstall tools you no longer need, such as ThrottleStop or Intel XTU: Uninstall a program or app in Windows
3. Restart into the BIOS and load the optimized or default settings.
4. Choose the Intel default power profile if your board offers one, and turn off any multicore enhancement or auto-overclock option.
5. Turn off the XMP or EXPO memory profile for the test period.
6. Save, start Windows and leave the PC idle and in light use for several hours.

Fix 3. Remove the Windows update or preview build that started the crashes

15 minutesLow riskThe blue screens started right after a Windows update, or you joined the Release Preview or Insider channel.

intelppm.sys and the hypervisor are serviced by Windows Update. A user on Microsoft Q&A traced reproducible HYPERVISOR_ERROR crashes in intelppm!HvRequestIdle to a preview build, and another user reported that only rolling it back helped.

1. Open Settings > Windows Update > Update history and note the KB number and the date of the newest update.
2. Compare that date with the first crash in Event Viewer (BugCheck, ID 1001).
3. If they match, uninstall that update. Step by step: How to uninstall a Windows update
4. If you are in the Windows Insider Program, open Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program and stop getting preview builds.
5. Pause updates for one or two weeks and check whether Microsoft lists a known issue for your build.

Fix 4. Update the chipset and the PC maker's Intel power software

20 minutesLow riskA laptop, a Core Ultra processor, or HYPERVISOR_ERROR with intelppm.sys on every crash.

Laptops pair intelppm.sys with the maker's Intel power packages, such as Intel Dynamic Tuning, which steer the same sleep and voltage states. Mismatched versions after a Windows reset or an upgrade are a common source of idle crashes.

1. Open the support page of your laptop or PC model and list the newest chipset, Intel Dynamic Tuning or Intel Innovation Platform Framework and Intel Management Engine downloads.
2. Install the chipset package first, then the power packages, in the order the maker gives.
3. Open Device Manager and check System devices and Processors for yellow warning marks: Update, roll back or reinstall a driver
4. If a driver arrived just before the crashes, roll it back on its Driver tab instead.
5. Restart and use the PC with idle periods for a day.

Fix 5. Test the memory and the processor's stability

60 minutes or moreLow riskCrashes continue on a new BIOS with default settings, or stop codes change from crash to crash.

Damaged RAM or a CPU that has already degraded will crash in many places, and the idle driver is simply one of them. A test separates a software fault from a part that needs replacing.

1. Test the RAM with the tool built into Windows: How to test your RAM with Windows Memory Diagnostic
2. Check the stop codes of the last crashes in Event Viewer. Many different codes, such as MEMORY_MANAGEMENT or WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR, point to hardware.
3. Check whether games or programs crash on their own with messages about decompression or video memory.
4. On a 13th or 14th Gen desktop that still crashes on the newest BIOS and Intel defaults, contact Intel or the seller for the processor warranty.
5. Keep the dump files and the BIOS version for the claim.

Fix 6. Repair Windows system files

20 minutesNo riskSFC has not run on this PC, or someone renamed or replaced intelppm.sys.

intelppm.sys is a protected Windows file, so DISM and SFC can put back a clean copy. This undoes the rename trick from old guides and rules out a damaged file.

1. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin).
2. Run DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, then sfc /scannow. Step by step with screenshots: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files
3. Restart the PC when SFC is done.

Fix 7. Turn off the intelppm service in the registry, only as a short test

10 minutesRead the warningEverything above failed and you want to prove that the idle path is involved before contacting support.

Setting Start to 4 stops intelppm.sys from loading, so Windows no longer uses it to manage the cores' idle states. If the crashes stop, you have proved the fault lies in that path, which helps the PC maker or Intel.

1. Press Win + R, type regedit and press Enter.
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\intelppm.
3. Export the key with File > Export and note the current value of Start.
4. Double-click Start, set Value data to 4 and select OK.
5. Restart and use the PC for a day.
6. Set Start back to the value you noted, or import the exported file, and restart.

Still crashing: what to send and to whom

intelppm.sys is a Microsoft file, but the fix for this crash usually comes from the BIOS maker or the processor warranty. Collect the facts once and send them to the right place.

• The three newest .dmp files from C:\Windows\Minidump, zipped.
• The processor, the BIOS version and date, and the Windows build from msinfo32.
• When it crashes: idle, light use, a game, after sleep.
• Which of the fixes above you tried, and the result of the registry test in Fix 7.

How to keep the intelppm.sys blue screen from coming back

Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025. Older Windows 7 PCs are long out of support too, and their intelppm.sys crashes cannot be fixed by Microsoft any more. Windows 11 with a current BIOS is the setup that still gets fixes.

Frequently asked questions

What is intelppm.sys?

intelppm.sys is the Processor Device Driver of Windows, made by Microsoft and stored in C:\Windows\System32\drivers. It manages the power states of Intel processor cores, putting them to sleep when they are idle and waking them up again. Windows installs it on every PC with an Intel CPU through cpu.inf, and Windows Update keeps it current. You do not need to download or install it yourself.

Is intelppm.sys a virus?

No. The genuine file is a signed Microsoft driver. Right-click C:\Windows\System32\drivers\intelppm.sys, select Properties and open the Details tab: it should read Processor Device Driver and Microsoft Corporation. A file with that name anywhere else, or without Microsoft's signature, deserves a scan with Microsoft Defender. The blue screen itself is almost never caused by malware.

What does intelppm.sys failed mean?

It means the stop screen's What failed line named intelppm.sys, so this driver was running when Windows stopped. It does not prove the driver is broken. In most dumps the core was going idle, and the fault lies in the voltage the BIOS and the processor chose at that moment. That is why the BIOS update and default settings in Fixes 1 and 2 help most readers.

Why do I get HYPERVISOR_ERROR with intelppm.sys?

HYPERVISOR_ERROR, bug check 0x20001, means the Windows hypervisor hit a fatal error. It runs when Memory integrity, Hyper-V, WSL or a similar feature is on. When the core goes idle, intelppm.sys asks the hypervisor to halt it, and an unstable core fails right there. Dumps then show intelppm!HvRequestIdle or intelppm!unknown_function. Fixes 1, 3 and 4 apply. Turning off Memory integrity is not a fix and leaves the PC less protected.

Can I fix intelppm.sys in regedit?

Only as a test. In Registry Editor the driver's service key is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\intelppm. Setting its Start value to 4 stops the driver from loading, as described in Fix 7. If the crashes stop, the processor's idle path is involved. Do not leave it that way: the CPU loses its normal idle power management, so put the original value back once you know the result.

Is the intelppm.sys crash a sign my Intel CPU is damaged?

Sometimes. Intel confirmed that some 13th and 14th Gen Core desktop processors degrade under elevated voltage and temperature, which it calls Vmin Shift Instability. Microcode 0x12F or later in a BIOS update prevents further damage but does not repair a chip that has already shifted. If crashes continue on the new BIOS with Intel's default settings, ask Intel or the seller about the extended five-year warranty.

How do I fix KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED intelppm.sys?

Treat it like the other intelppm.sys crashes. The stop code differs, but the driver was again running in the processor's idle path. Update the BIOS (Fix 1), remove undervolts and overclocks (Fix 2) and check for a fresh Windows update (Fix 3). If the stop codes keep changing between crashes, test the RAM and the processor in Fix 5.

Does the intelppm.sys blue screen happen on Windows 11 and Windows 7?

It appears on Windows 7, 10 and 11, because all of them use the same kind of processor power driver. On Windows 11 24H2 and later the stop screen is black rather than blue, but it carries the same What failed line. Windows 7 and Windows 10 no longer get Microsoft fixes, so on those systems only the BIOS and settings fixes remain.

Can I delete or rename intelppm.sys?

Do not. The file is protected by Windows, and System File Checker or the next cumulative update restores it. Renaming it can also leave the processor without its idle power management, so it runs hotter. If the cause is an unstable CPU, the blue screen simply returns with another driver named. The registry test in Fix 7 is the safer way to check the driver's role.

What does intelppm.sys синий экран mean?

It is Russian for the intelppm.sys blue screen, the same crash this page covers. Readers searching in other languages, such as écran bleu in French, face the same Microsoft driver and the same causes. The fixes above apply to every language version of Windows. The menu names differ by language, but the file path, the registry key and the commands are the same everywhere.