WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR, the blue screen, explained and fixed
This stop code (0x00000124) is different from most blue screens: it is not Windows detecting a software problem. WHEA is the Windows Hardware Error Architecture, and this code means a hardware component, most often the processor, reported an error it could not correct. Overclocking, heat, and power delivery cause the majority of cases; a genuinely failing component causes the rest.
The fix, in order
- Remove all overclocking and undervolting first. CPU overclocks, RAM XMP profiles, GPU overclocks, and voltage offsets are the single most common trigger. Load the BIOS/UEFI optimized defaults and test at completely stock settings before anything else. If the errors stop, the overclock was never stable.
- Check temperatures under load. A processor that overheats produces machine check errors. Confirm the CPU cooler is seated, its fan or pump runs, and thermal paste has not dried out on an older build. Watch temperatures during the workload that triggers the crash.
- Update the BIOS/UEFI and chipset drivers. Firmware microcode and chipset drivers govern CPU voltage and power behavior, and makers release stability fixes for this exact error. Use only the board or PC maker’s files.
- Check Event Viewer for WHEA-Logger entries. Windows Logs → System, filter for WHEA-Logger. Event 18 and 19 entries name the component that reported the error (processor core, memory, PCIe device), which tells you where to look next.
- Test the RAM. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic, then a multi-pass test overnight if it is clean. Corrected memory errors that escalate can surface through WHEA.
- Consider the power supply. A PSU that cannot hold stable voltage under load produces CPU hardware errors. If the machine is older or the supply was budget-grade, testing with a known-good supply is a legitimate step.
Back up your data now. Most blue screens are software and harmless to your files. This one reports a hardware fault, and while the cause is often just an unstable overclock, a component that is truly failing can take the system, and access to your data, with it.
If it still happens
If WHEA errors continue at stock clocks, with good temperatures, current BIOS, and passing memory tests, the evidence points at a failing component: processor first, then motherboard, then power supply. Event Viewer’s WHEA-Logger detail and testing parts one at a time (or a repair shop’s known-good parts) is how that final call gets made.
Common questions
Does WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR mean my CPU is dying? It is one possibility, not the default. Unstable overclocks and undervolts, overheating, and outdated BIOS microcode all produce the same code on healthy processors. Work the list first; a CPU that errors at stock speed, cool, on a current BIOS is when replacement becomes the honest answer.
Can a Windows update fix WHEA errors? Indirectly, yes. Updates deliver chipset drivers and, through the BIOS, microcode that correct voltage and errata behavior. It is worth being fully current. But no update repairs a physically failing part, so updates are step three, not the whole plan.
Related errors