The CNSS_FILE_SYSTEM_FILTER BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) error may appear during the initialization process for Windows Vista, XP, and 2000, and Windows 7 and 8. This error is an indication that the operating system has encountered a problem in the CNSS file system filter. It means that there is an internal inconsistency while representing Ntfs Structured Storage as a DOCFILE.

This error usually occurs when the nonpaged pool memory is full. It is also triggered by events when the available nonpaged pool memory is low and two different kernel-mode drivers compete for its use. The nonpaged memory pool is used by many drivers because it can be accessed at any Interrupt Request Level (IRQL), and its size is dependent on the amount of physical memory present in the system.

The CNSS_FILE_SYSTEM_FILTER BSOD error also occurs when you have a defective memory.

This BSOD error is also known as CNSS_FILE_SYSTEM_FILTER and “STOP 0x000000A4“. Some users of Windows have reported this error, which normally appears on the screen during the initialization of the system as:

To resolve the CNSS_FILE_SYSTEM_FILTER BSOD error, you have to check the usable memory for the operating system and other running applications. You have to add more memory in order to solve this error, particularly if the system is configured for a minimal amount of memory. The addition of physical memory to the computer will effectively increase the amount of nonpaged pool memory.

You can also resolve this BSOD error by running a memory check. You have to ensure that all memory is of the same type and speed, since most motherboards only work correctly when the memory is installed with matched sets and matched speeds. Replace defective memory and ensure that it resides in the correct slot in the motherboard.