Critical
Software
✓ Solution Verified by Community (30+ upvotes)
How to fix error irql-not-less-or-equal in yt-dlp / youtube-dl
Driver conflict or faulty memory. Often caused by outdated drivers accessing invalid memory addresses.
Fix based on community reports and expert analysis. Last verified: 2026-08-12
· How we verify fixes
| Error Code | irql-not-less-or-equal |
|---|---|
| Affected System | yt-dlp / youtube-dl (Community) |
| Difficulty | Critical |
| Estimated Time | 20 min |
| Requires Admin Rights | ⚠️ Yes |
| Requires Reboot | 🔄 Yes |
Solution Steps
- 1 Restart yt-dlp / youtube-dl completely. Close it, open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), find any remaining yt-dlp / youtube-dl processes, right-click → End Task. Background processes from previous sessions are the most common cause of startup crashes.
- 2 Update yt-dlp / youtube-dl to the latest version. Open the app, go to Help → Check for Updates (or download the latest installer from the official website). Updates fix known bugs and compatibility issues.
- 3 Reset yt-dlp / youtube-dl settings. Navigate to %APPDATA%\yt-dlp/youtube-dl and rename the settings folder to add '.old'. This forces yt-dlp / youtube-dl to create fresh settings — corrupted config files cause crashes.
- 4 Run yt-dlp / youtube-dl as Administrator. Right-click the shortcut → Properties → Compatibility → check 'Run as Administrator'. Some features of yt-dlp / youtube-dl require elevated permissions.
- 5 Check if yt-dlp / youtube-dl conflicts with your antivirus. Temporarily disable real-time protection and test. Add yt-dlp / youtube-dl installation folder to antivirus exclusions.
- 6 Clear yt-dlp / youtube-dl cache. Navigate to %LOCALAPPDATA%\yt-dlp/youtube-dl\Cache and delete all files. Corrupted cache data causes rendering and processing errors.
- 7 Repair yt-dlp / youtube-dl installation. Windows Settings → Apps → yt-dlp / youtube-dl → Modify → Repair. This replaces damaged program files while preserving your data.
- 8 If yt-dlp / youtube-dl still won't work: uninstall from Settings → Apps, restart, reinstall from official website. A clean install is the nuclear option but fixes almost everything.
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