Error 0xc0000017 During Startup — Causes and Solutions

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When booting Windows 11 or 10, attempting to access the recovery environment, and sometimes when installing a major update or booting from a USB drive, some users may encounter an error message with the code 0xc0000017 and the text “Not enough memory to create a disk in memory.”

What Causes the Error and How to Fix It

The numeric code 0xc0000017 corresponds to the STATUS_NO_MEMORY error, and in the context of this scenario, it means that the Windows boot loader lacks contiguous blocks of physical RAM to unpack the kernel, drivers, or a virtual RAM disk.

The source of the problem can be either software- or hardware-related. Fortunately, it’s usually the former, and the error is relatively easy to fix.

Now, let’s go through the possible specific causes of the error and approaches to resolving them:

1. If the error occurs when booting Windows 11/10 but not every time—for example, everything works fine on the next reboot—try disabling Fast Startup in Windows; error 0xc0000017 may occur if this feature is malfunctioning or if the hibernation file is corrupted.
2. If you’ve adjusted the “Maximum Memory” settings in msconfig, reset them to their default values. This may be difficult, but it is possible; detailed instructions are available in this guide.
3. Enter Recovery Mode (the key to do this is usually shown on the error screen) and navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt; if that doesn’t work, boot your computer from a Windows 11 installation USB drive or 10, press the keys Shift+F10 (sometimes Shift+Fn+F10), which will open the command prompt. Enter the command (to switch the input language, press Alt+Shift): If you see a list of memory addresses, enter the following command, then close the command prompt and restart your computer as usual.
4. Check whether the error disappears if you disconnect non-essential devices, especially USB and/or Thunderbolt hubs, external devices, and unnecessary PCIe devices. These can reserve space in RAM, leaving the bootloader without contiguous memory addresses. If this works, reconnect the devices one at a time.
5. In the BIOS (UEFI), check the status of the Above 4G Decoding or PCIe allocation options—if they are set to “Disabled,” try enabling them and saving the settings. If that doesn’t work, you can also try resetting the BIOS to its optimized settings (Load Optimized Defaults).
6. If you encounter this error only when upgrading Windows to a new version (or installing other major updates), the problem may be a corrupted recovery environment. One option is to recreate the recovery partition; another is to use “In-Place Upgrade.”
7. Try booting your PC with just one RAM module; if that doesn’t help, try with another one (if you have multiple). It may also be worth running a RAM error check.
8. Proceed with caution and strictly follow the manufacturer’s instructions: if new BIOS versions are available on the official website of the motherboard or laptop manufacturer, update it to the latest version.