How to Fix PFN List Corrupt on Windows 10

The PFN_LIST_CORRUPT error in Windows 10 is a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) error. PFN refers to Page Frame Number, accessed by the Hard Drive in your PC to locate the files stored on it. If your PC cannot identify the path of the files stored on the hard disk, you may get this BSOD error. Whenever your PC runs into such a situation, the BSOD screen will show the PFN_LIST_CORRUPT error and tell you that your PC needs to restart. Then the PC will restart automatically after a short while.

It is a common occurrence among Windows 10 users and might bug you temporarily or permanently. If it was a one-time occurrence, you might want to skip the troubleshooting, but if it keeps on troubling you, you must find a PFN List Corrupt Windows 10 fix.

Why Am I Getting PFN_LIST_CORRUPT error?

When a device driver installed on your PC passes on a memory descriptor that is incorrect or invalid, you get this error. This could be happening because of outdated or corrupt device drivers. Issues with system files, hard drivers, other hardware, or complex software could be the reasons behind the error. But you can never be sure as to what exactly is causing the trouble. Therefore, we will take a look at a variety of solutions that will help you out of the situation.

Solutions to Fix PFN List Corrupt Error in Windows 10:

Run Blue Screen Troubleshooter

Windows 10 comes preloaded with a bunch of troubleshooters to help you get out of trouble with your PC. One of these troubleshooters available in Windows 10 is the Blue Screen Troubleshooter. It is meant to scan your PC for issues related to BSOD issues, such as the PFN_LIST_CORRUPT error. If the troubleshooter finds any issues during the scan, it will try to fix them automatically. This tool sometimes works wonders in getting rid of BSOD errors and saves a lot of time.

Here are the steps to run this troubleshooter:

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your PC by pressing the Win + I keys. In the Settings menu, you will see a bunch of options. Select the Update & Security option.

Step 2: When the Update & Security settings open, go to its left pane and select the Troubleshoot option. Next, go to the right pane now and look for the Blue Screen option. When found, like it, then click on the Run the troubleshooter button.

As you run this troubleshooter, it will begin looking for issues in your PC related to the recent BSOD errors you may have faced. Based on the diagnostics, the troubleshooter will apply the appropriate fix on your PC. Once the Troubleshooter has done its job, exit the Troubleshooter and the Settings window and restart your PC.

After the reboot, see if the PFN List Corrupt Windows 10 error still troubles you.

Update Device Drivers

If the Device Drivers installed on your PC are outdated, they may cause issues, including BSOD errors like this one. You need to make sure that all the device drivers are updated to the latest versions so that there is no compatibility issue on your Windows 10 system. There are two ways in which you can carry out this process:

Update Drivers Manually:

You can manually update all the device drivers on your PC through Device Manager. Here are the steps involved:

Step 1: Press the Win + X keys to open the Windows Power Menu. Here, select the Device Manager option.

Step 2: The Device manager window will open. Here, you will see a list of devices on your PC. You can click on a device to expand and view the list of associated device drivers. You can choose a random device driver or maybe start from the top. Make a right-click on the driver and select the Update Driver Software option.

Step 3: A new window will open, asking you how you want to search for driver software. Here, select the Search automatically for updated driver software option. Doing so will initiate a search for an updated version of the driver software installed on your PC. If found, you will get a notification on your screen regarding the same. Now, follow the on-screen instructions, and you will be able to update the device driver successfully.

Step 4: Now, carry out the same process for other device drivers available in the Device Manager window to update them.

This is a time taking and redundant process as you need to carry out the same steps all over again for every device driver available on your PC.

Let us talk about the other method.

Update Drivers Automatically:

If you do not wish to waste your time manually updating all the device drivers in your PC to fix PFN List Corrupt Error in Windows 10, go ahead and try this method.

For this, you will need to download a third-party Driver Updater Software. A Driver Update software will automatically scan your PC for device drivers that are outdated and update them. This software will require only initial engagement from you; the rest of the process is carried out automatically. A couple of such software that you can try are TweakBit Driver Updater and Driver Easy.

Once all the device drivers are updated on your PC, go ahead and check whether the BSOD error is still causing troubles.

Update Windows 10

If the Windows 10 version that you are currently using on your PC is not up to date, you may again face compatibility issues on your PC. These issues could lead to a blue screen of death errors like the stop code PFN_LIST_CORRUPT error to trouble you. Make sure to keep Windows 10 on your PC up to date. For this, follow the steps given below:

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your PC. To do so, press the Win + I keys together. In the Settings app, select the option named Update & Security.

Step 2: The Update & Security setting menu will open. Here, go to the left pane and make sure that the Windows Update option is selected. Next, toggle to the right pane. Here, you will see the Check for updates option. Click on it.

Upon selecting that option, your PC will begin a lookout to check whether a newer Windows version is available. If available, follow the on-screen instructions to initiate the Windows 10 update process.

Your PC will restart once the update is complete. Did this fix the BSOD error?

Run SFC Scan

Broken files on your PC could cause a series of issues. It is possible that the PNF List Corrupt blue screen error could be troubling you because of some problematic system files on your computer. To fix these files, you can run the SFC scan. An SFC Scan ensures to repair any such system files with issues when found. Here are the steps to run an SFC Scan in Windows 10:

Step 1: Press the Win + X keys. In the menu that opens, click on the Command Prompt (Admin) option.

Step 2: The Command Prompt window will open with Admin privileges. Here, enter the command given below and hit the Enter key:

sfc /scannow

Wait till the SFC scan is complete. After that, exit Command Prompt on your PC and give it a restart. Once Windows 10 boots, the blue screen will trouble you no more.

Run DISM Scan

Another command prompt utility, the DISM scan, also looks for your PC issues and fixes them. It is a rather detailed scan than the SFC, so expect the scan to take longer to finish. Check out the steps below:

Step 1: Open Command Prompt with elevated privileges. You can follow step 1 of the above solution to open Command Prompt (Admin) on your computer.

Step 2: In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press the Enter key:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

As the scan takes a bit longer to complete, we suggest you wait till the last. Do not interrupt the scan, and make sure to connect the PC with an uninterrupted power source. If using a laptop, make sure to charge its battery fully before commencing the scan.

Run Chkdsk Command

The Chkdsk command is a built-in Windows utility to check your PC’s hard drive for errors and issues. If any problem is found with the hard drive, this utility runs a repair and tries to fix things up for you. Here is how to run Chkdsk command in Windows 10:

Step 1: Launch Command Prompt with Admin privileges in Windows 10 by following the steps provided in the solutions above.

Step 2: After the Command Prompt window opens, type chkdsk c: /f /r and hit the Enter key.

Again, this, too, is a command that will run for a substantial period on your PC. Make sure to provide an uninterrupted power supply to the PC or if you are using a laptop, charge it fully. Any interruption could cause critical damage to your PC and may render the hard drive useless.

After the scan is complete, exit the Command Prompt screen and reboot your PC.

Check hardware for Issues.

If not the files and software, your PC’s hardware could be the culprit behind the PFN List Corrupt error in Windows 10.

Make sure all the hardware components in your PC are connected to their ports firmly. If need be, detach the parts and reconnect them. If there is any dust accumulation, clean it up. You might want to reattach the RAM. According to many users, the issue was with the RAM, and they stopped getting the PNF_LIST_CORRUPT error once they replaced the faulty RAM.