Fix: FAT FILE SYSTEM (fastfat.sys) BSOD on Windows 10/11

Microsoft created Windows as a versatile operating system. It improves and becomes more efficient with each upgrade. It can, however, be alarming and disruptive to encounter Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors repeatedly. One such error that Windows users may encounter is the FAT FILE SYSTEM error associated with the fastfat.sys file. Unless this error is addressed immediately, it can cause frustration and potentially lead to data loss on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 systems. In this article, you will learn how to fix the FAT File System (fastfat.sys) BSOD on Windows 10/11 error.

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What Is “Fastfat.sys?”

In this error, Windows identifies “fastfat.sys” as the culprit. Windows drivers for the Fast FAT File System are found in the Fastfat.sys file. NTFS was the default file system before Microsoft introduced the File Allocation Table organization. It is related to the File Allocation Table organization.

A floppy disk and a high-capacity memory device (flash drive or SD card) are the only devices that use it at the moment. Moreover, drivers can be found in “C:\Windows\System32\drivers.”

There are generally no issues associated with this file running silently in the background. Nonetheless, you may be experiencing a FAT FILE SYSTEM Blue Screen if you have incompatible hardware installed, outdated drivers, or a general corruption issue on your system.

Why Does fastfat.sys Caused BSoD Errors?

BSoD errors can occur when the fastfat.sys driver becomes corrupt or outdated, for example. It is possible for these errors to occur for a variety of reasons, including:

Problems with hardware, such as faulty RAM or hard drives
Drivers for incompatible or outdated devices
Conflicts between two software packages
Infections with malware or viruses

It is possible for the fastfat.sys file to encounter an issue, triggering a blue screen error, which will cause the computer to crash. Fastfat.sys can cause the following error messages:

“PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA”
“DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL”
“SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION”

How to Fix FAT FILE SYSTEM (fastfat.sys) BSOD on Windows 10/11

Here are some troubleshooting methods that you can use to resolve the FAT FILE SYSTEM (fastfat.sys) BSOD on Windows 10/11 error:

Fix 1: Run the DISM and SFC scans

Microsoft’s DISM and SFC (System File Checker) tools are built into Windows and can repair corrupt or missing system files if they are found. With elevated command prompt privileges (administrative privileges), both DISM and SFC scans can be performed. To do this, follow these steps:

Initially, type cmd into the search bar in Windows, and then right-click on the Command Prompt result and choose Run as administrator, as shown below.
If you would like to run a DISM scan, type this command into the command line and press Enter: dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

If any problems are found in your Windows component store, this tool will automatically fix them. You may need to wait several minutes for this process to complete, depending on your computer

Firstly, using the Command Prompt, type the following command and hit Enter: sfc /scannow
In order to apply any changes made by the two scans, you should restart your computer after they have been completed. See if the problem has been resolved.

Fix 2: Identify Problematic Drivers With Driver Verifier

It may be necessary to manually search for and fix the problematic driver if installing the pending driver’s updates did not help. Using the Driver Verifier, which is a built-in utility in Windows, is the best way to proceed in this scenario.

It does not correct faulty drivers, like SFC and DISM do, but only identifies them. In addition, you should keep in mind that when you run this utility, your computer will undergo several stress tests. Nevertheless, to ensure that everything goes smoothly, we suggest that you create a restore point before proceeding.

If you are not logged in as an administrator, you will not be able to view the file. On Windows, you can run Driver Verifier as follows:

To start, open the Run dialog and press Win + R.
Thereafter, to launch Command Prompt with administrative privileges, type cmd inside the dialog box and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
Use the elevated Command Prompt to type the following commands. You should now be able to launch the Driver Verifier program: verifier
To proceed, select Create Standard Settings and click Next.
Once this is done, click on Automatically Select all drivers installed on this computer and click Finish.
Your PC needs to be restarted once you have completed this process.

Once the computer reboots, the Driver Verifier will automatically run in the background. Wait for the utility to crash or repeat the action that previously caused the BSOD in order to identify the problematic drivers. Depending on your computer, the process can take a few minutes or several hours.

Fix 3: Check For Faulty Hardware

It is possible for external hardware devices (like scanners and printers) to push conflicting drivers onto your system at times. It appears that the hardware drivers conflict with the original drivers of the devices. So, it is recommended that you remove one from all external peripherals in order to isolate this cause.

Fix 4: Run the Driver Verifier tool

Using the Driver Verifier tool, you can check for unsigned drivers. By doing so, you can isolate the problem.

In the Windows search bar, type Verifier.
Start the Verifier application.
Check Create standard settings.
Then click Next.
Make sure Automatically select unsigned drivers is checked.
To continue, click Next.
Using the tool, you can check for unsigned drivers.

Fix 5: Run the CHKDSK Scan (only for HDD)

You can also experience FAT File System BSoD errors if your system uses an HDD drive. It may be possible to repair bad sectors on the hard drive by running a CHKDSK Scan.

To open the elevated Command prompt, search for Command Prompt and click Run as administrator.
To initiate the CHKDSK Scan, type CHKDSK /f /r and hit Enter.
It is necessary to reboot your computer in order for the scan to be completed.
Since every sector of the HDD needs to be checked, the scan will take a while to complete.

Fix 6: Update Windows drivers

Many FAT_FILE_SYSTEM problems are caused by corrupt or incompatible drivers, and we can resolve them by updating them. It is a piece of software that provides a computer with access to hardware devices. A bad driver or an outdated one can make the hardware incapable of working properly, causing numerous problems. When installing system updates, Windows 10 automatically downloads and updates drivers. You can install updated drivers manually if the system fails to update them.

To open computer management, right-click This PC and select Manage. From there, select Device Manager.
Expand the driver for the device you wish to update in Device Manager on the right. To update the driver, right-click the drive and select Update Driver.
In the pop-up window, select Find updated driver software automatically. You can request the latest driver from the device’s manufacturer if Windows is not able to find the latest driver.
When Step 3 doesn’t work, just right-click the device and select Uninstall. Once the computer is restarted, Windows will automatically reinstall the driver.

Fix 7: Perform System Restore

Perform a system restore to restore your system to a previous stable state if you made significant changes recently and started encountering the BSOD error.

To create a restore point, type System Restore into the Windows search bar.
Select a restore point before the error begins occurring by clicking System Restore.

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So, that’s all we have for you on how to fix the FAT FILE SYSTEM (fastfat.sys) BSOD on the Windows 10/11 error. It’s our hope that this guide has helped you. If you want more information, please comment below.

Fix: FAT FILE SYSTEM (fastfat.sys) BSOD on Windows 10/11

What Is “Fastfat.sys?”

Why Does fastfat.sys Caused BSoD Errors?