0x00000044: What It Means and How to Find the Driver
Stop code 0x00000044 means MULTIPLE_IRP_COMPLETE_REQUESTS: a kernel-mode driver tried to complete the same I/O Request Packet twice. In plain English, this is usually a driver-stack problem, not a failing SSD or RAM issue, and the fastest safe triage is to sort recent changes into four buckets: USB, network, security software, or chipset and storage drivers. I have seen people guess here, swap the wrong driver, and turn an occasional blue screen into boot loops, lost evidence, and hours spent replacing healthy packages. This guide gives the shortest path I use to identify the likely layer, confirm it with dump clues and Event Viewer, and test fixes in the right order. Microsoft documents the bug check behavior here: Microsoft Learn.
This guide is part of our Windows BSOD stop codes: full list and fixes series.
What to do first
If you only have two minutes, do these first: preserve the dump, note what changed, and test the driver bucket that matches the crash context before updating unrelated components.
- Copy files from
C:\Windows\Minidumpbefore uninstalling anything. If you need a walkthrough, see our minidump location in Windows guide. - Check whether the crash started after a new dock, USB device, VPN client, antivirus, storage tool, chipset package, or firmware update.
- Match the timing: USB activity, network activity, shutdown or scan, or boot and sign-in.
- If the PC is looping, boot into Safe Mode in Windows first and reverse only the newest low-level change.
- Use WinDbg for BSOD dump analysis or BlueScreenView to identify the active stack, but do not assume the first named module is the root cause.
Author and review note: This article is based on hands-on BSOD triage in test and repair scenarios using Windows minidumps, Event Viewer, Reliability Monitor, msconfig, and selective Driver Verifier runs. The interpretation advice here is practical, but minidumps, WinDbg, and BlueScreenView all have limits: they can show the active stack and useful clues, yet the first visible module may be the second driver to touch an already-corrupted IRP. Treat dump output as evidence to narrow the suspect layer, not as proof that the top named module is always the guilty package.
What does stop code 0x00000044 mean?
An IRP is the Windows I/O Request Packet used in device and file I/O paths, and it can be completed only once. When 0x00000044 appears, the useful question is not “which driver name showed first,” but “which driver stack was active when the packet was completed again.”
Why the first named module can mislead
Microsoft identifies 0x00000044 as MULTIPLE_IRP_COMPLETE_REQUESTS, and the failure happens when a driver calls IoCompleteRequest on a packet that was already completed. In practice, the visible module in the stack may be the second driver to touch the IRP, not the first one that mishandled it. See the Microsoft bug check reference: Microsoft Learn.
That is why blanket advice to update everything is weak. The second completion can hide the first mistake, so the safer move is to map the crash to a driver class first.
What evidence to collect before changing drivers
- Open Control Panel > Security and Maintenance > Reliability Monitor and note what happened right before each crash: USB attach, shutdown, resume, VPN use, file copy, or sign-in.
- Open Settings > Windows Update > Update history and list recent driver, firmware, and software installs.
- Write down connected hardware: dock, webcam, headset, printer, USB storage, VPN adapter, backup agent, or antivirus.
- Copy minidump files from
C:\Windows\Minidumpto another folder before uninstalling anything. - Open Event Viewer, then go to Windows Logs > System, and check the same minute as the crash for device resets, network disconnects, disk warnings, or service failures.
How to read the minidump fast
Minidump files are usually the best crash evidence source for this stop code. Open them with WinDbg or BlueScreenView, then check the bug check line, the active stack, and nearby third-party modules. If you need step-by-step help, see our guides to WinDbg for BSOD dump analysis and how to read minidump files in Windows.
- USB path clues:
USBPORT.SYS,USBXHCI,UCX, hub drivers, dock software, webcam or printer modules. A Microsoft Q&A case tied the crash to USBPORT driver activity, and one stack showedUSBPORT!USBPORT_Core_iCompleteDoneTransfer. - Network path clues:
NDIS, VPN modules, firewall callouts, packet inspection drivers, Wi-Fi or Ethernet vendor modules. - Security path clues: antivirus, backup, endpoint, disk filter, or file-system filter drivers.
- Platform path clues: chipset, storage, PCIe, controller, or bus-facing drivers from the PC maker or platform vendor.
According to Bug Check 0x44 MULTIPLE_IRP_COMPLETE_REQUESTS — Microsoft identifies 0x00000044 as MULTIPLE_IRP_COMPLETE_REQUESTS. (source)
0x00000044 triage matrix
Sorting the crash by context is the quickest safe move. Match the moment of failure to the active device class, use the first tool that gives evidence fast, and then change one layer at a time in the least risky order.
0x00000044 triage matrix
| Crash context | Most likely driver class | First tool to use | Safest remediation order |
|---|---|---|---|
| During USB use, dock attach, webcam, printer, phone sync, or external SSD activity | USB controller, hub, dock, or peripheral driver | Minidump in WinDbg or BlueScreenView, then Device Manager | Disconnect the device, uninstall its software, roll back or reinstall that device driver, then check chipset and USB controller packages from the OEM |
| During boot, sign-in, resume, or right after login | Chipset, storage, bus, or low-level filter driver | Safe Mode, then Update history and minidump review | Roll back the newest low-level driver first, uninstall the newest filter package, then update chipset or storage packages from the OEM or platform vendor |
| During browsing, VPN use, downloads, cloud sync, or adapter switching | Network adapter, firewall, VPN, or packet filter driver | Minidump plus Event Viewer | Remove VPN or firewall add-on first, then update or roll back the NIC driver from the PC maker or adapter vendor |
| During shutdown, scanning, backup, or right after installing security software | Antivirus, endpoint, backup, or file-system filter driver | Clean boot via msconfig | Open msconfig, go to Services, tick Hide all Microsoft services, click Disable all, restart, uninstall the suite from Settings > Apps > Installed apps, then retest before reinstalling anything |
| Repeated crashes after every reboot | Low-level driver that loads early | Safe Mode and minidump copy from C:\Windows\Minidump | Unplug docks, USB drives, printers, and other nonessential peripherals, remove or roll back the most recent driver, VPN, security suite, or dock package, test one driver class at a time, then use Driver Verifier only on a short suspect list |
Likely causes of 0x00000044, ranked
Most cases fit one of four buckets. The ranking below is based on scenario fit and stack patterns, not on guesswork, and it keeps changes focused so the next dump still has value if the first fix misses.
1. USB and peripheral drivers
USB-related failures are often the best match when the blue screen follows a device attach, removal, resume, or dock session. In my own triage notes, this bucket rises quickly when the stack includes USB components and the crash timing matches a dock, webcam, printer, phone sync, or external drive event. A Microsoft Q&A case also showed USBPORT activity in the crash path.
