ERROR_INTERMIXED_KERNEL_EA_OPERATION [BSoD Fix]

The ERROR_INTERMIXED_KERNEL_EA_OPERATION, with an error code 324 (0x144) and description: An attempt was made to modify both a KERNEL and a normal Extended Attribute (EA) in the same operation, indicates an issue with the way certain kernel operations are being handled. This error can appear if there are file system operation issues, outdated drivers, or corrupted system files.

To begin with, restart your computer, then check for the latest Windows Updates, which can fix some system-level errors.

How can I fix ERROR_INTERMIXED_KERNEL_EA_OPERATION?

1. Run the SFC & DISM scans

1. Press the Windows key, type cmd in the search bar, and click Run as administrator from the list of options to launch Command Prompt with elevated rights.
2. To repair or restore the corrupted system files, copy & paste the following command and hit Enter: sfc /scannow
3. Wait for the scan to complete, type the following commands one by one to repair the Windows system image via Windows Update, then press Enter after every command:
   • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
4. Once the scan is executed, restart your computer to let the changes take effect.

2. Update/reinstall the device drivers

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run window.
2. Type devmgmt.msc and click OK to open the Device Manager app.
3. You will get the list of system components, expand the categories one by one, and look for a driver that has a yellow triangle icon with an exclamation mark inside.
4. Once you have located that, right-click it and select Update driver. 
5. Choose Search automatically for drivers from the following page.

Windows will try to find the best driver version, and if it fails, you can go to the manufacturer’s website and download the latest version. Alternatively, you can download & install a third-party driver updater tool to ensure all the drivers are up to date. You can repeat the same steps if you find multiple problematic drivers.

If updating drivers doesn’t work, you can reinstall the driver by following these steps:

1. Open the Device Manager app, go to the driver with the yellow triangle, right-click, and select Uninstall device from the context menu.
2. Go to Action and select Scan for hardware changes from the drop-down menu to reinstall the driver.

3. Run the CHKDSK scan

1. Press the Windows key, type cmd in the search bar, and click Run as administrator from the list of options to launch Command Prompt with elevated rights.
2. Type the following command after replacing C: with the drive you want to check, and hit Enter: chkdsk C: /f /r
3. You will be prompted to schedule the scan after restart; type Y to confirm and hit Enter.
4. Now, close the Command Prompt window, save all your work, and reboot your computer.

4. Run the Windows memory diagnostic tool

1. Press the Windows key, type memory diagnostic in the search bar, and click Open from the list of options to launch the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool. 
2. Select Restart now and check for problems.
3. Your computer will restart, and the scan will be initiated.

Once the scan is complete, you will get the login screen. Log in to your profile and check the scan results. If there are disk errors, reseat the RAM and memory modules, then run the tool. If the issue persists, it might be due to faulty RAM, and you might have to replace it.

5. Restart your computer in a clean boot environment

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run window.      
2. Type msconfig and click OK to open the System Configuration window.
3. Go to the Services tab, place a checkmark next to Hide all Microsoft Services, and click Disable all.
4. Now, switch to the Startup tab, and click the Open Task Manager link.
5. On the Task Manager window, locate all the Enabled items, select them one by one, click Disable, and then close the window.
6. On the System Configuration window, click Apply and OK.
7. Click Restart.

Your computer will restart with only Microsoft-related services and startup items. You can enable third-party services and startup items one by one to check if any of those are causing the ERROR_INTERMIXED_KERNEL_EA_OPERATION issue. If none of these are causing problems, you can reverse engineer these steps and boot your computer in normal mode.

6. Reinstall Windows (Last resort)

NOTE

Before following the steps below to fix this BSoD error, you should back up your important data, including documents, files, and photos. You also need a USB flash drive with 8 GB of free space.

Create an installation media

1. Go to the Microsoft software download website on another PC or device and click Download Now. 
2. The mediacreation.exe file will be downloaded. Double-click to launch it and click Yes on the UAC prompt.  
3. On the Windows 11 Setup wizard, click Accept to accept the license terms and agreements.
4. Plug in the flash drive, select the USB flash device option, and click Next.
5. Choose the language, edition, and architecture, then click Next.
6. Select the USB device option and click Next.
7. Next, follow the on-screen steps, click Finish, and remove the USB device safely from the computer.

Reinstall Windows

1. Insert the USB drive into the affected computer, and press Windows + E to open File Explorer.
2. Look in the USB drive’s folder for the setup.exe file, double-click it, and then click Yes at the UAC prompt.
3. Select Change and choose any of these options as per your preference:
   • Keep personal files and apps – Keeps personal data, apps & settings
   • Keep personal files only – Preserves data & settings, but apps are deleted
   • Keep nothing – Deletes all the settings, data, and apps.
4. On the next screen, click the Install button to initiate the reinstallation of Windows 11 on your computer to fix the ERROR_INTERMIXED_KERNEL_EA_OPERATION error once and for all.

During this process, your PC will restart several times, and once it is done, you will get the login screen. You can log in to your PC, install the latest Windows updates, configure your device settings, and then use it as usual.

In conclusion, to fix the ERROR_INTERMIXED_KERNEL_EA_OPERATION 324 (0x144) error, restart your computer to fix the usual glitches, ensure Windows is up to date, run the SFC & DISM scans, check your disk for bad sectors, update all drivers, restart your computer in clean boot to single out the conflicting service or process, or reinstall Windows.

If you often see BSoD errors on your computer, we recommend you check out this guide to learn the common reason for their occurrence.

Did we miss any step that helped you fix the BSoD error? Please share it with our readers in the comments section below.