How to Fix the ERROR_MAX_THRDS_REACHED BSoD

The ERROR_MAX_THRDS_REACHED error has the value of 164 (0xA4) and it indicates that the maximum number of threads that can be created in the system has been reached. This can happen due to various reasons, such as insufficient system resources, outdated drivers, or malware infections.

Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve the issue by clearing temporary system states and freeing up resources. Another quick solution is to close unnecessary processes from Task Manager.

How do I fix ERROR_MAX_THRDS_REACHED?

1. Update the device drivers

1. Right click the Start button and select Device Manager.
2. Expand the categories one by one and right-click on each device and select Update driver.
3. Also, keep an eye out for any driver that has a yellow exclamation mark next to it. That means the component is not working correctly.
4. Follow the prompts to update all your device drivers.

This can be really time consuming. It might be a lot easier to use a dedicated driver updater tool that will do all that automatically. We also recommend using Fortect, a specialized tool in dealing with corrupted system files and fixing BSoD issues like this one.

2. Increase Thread Limit

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\SubSystems
3. Find the Windows key and double-click it.
4. In the Value data field, look for the SharedSection parameter.
5. Increase the second and third values (e.g., change 1024,20480,768 to 1024,30720,1024).
6. Click OK and restart your computer.

Make sure to make a Registry backup before making the changes in case something goes south.

3. Run SFC and DISM scans

1. Click the Start button, type cmd and select Run as administrator from the results.
2. Type sfc /scannow and press Enter. Wait for the scan to complete.
3. Then, type DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and press Enter. Wait for the process to finish.

Running SFC and DISM scans is a pretty helpful method to fix the system and dealing with BSoD errors.

4. Perform a clean boot

1. Press Win + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
2. Go to the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services, and click Disable all.
3. Go to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.
4. Disable all startup items and restart your computer.

This solution will help you boot your PC with a minimum number of services so you can troubleshoot the ERROR_MAX_THRDS_REACHED BSoD and look at its causes.

You might also learn more about the issue if you’re checking the BSoD error log. If the BSoD occurs when you’re playing games, check the highlighted link for our guide with tested solutions to fix it.

These steps should help you resolve the ERROR_MAX_THRDS_REACHED error. If nothing works, inspect the hardware components for any signs of damage and reseat the RAM modules on the motherboard.