XMRig Troubleshooting on Windows

Read the first thirty lines

Almost every answer is in the startup block: version, algorithm, memory mode, large-page status, thread layout and pool connection. If the window closes too quickly to read it, start the miner from a command prompt instead of double-clicking, or add --log-file=xmrig.log and open the file afterwards.

It starts and immediately exits

Usually invalid JSON after a manual edit — a missing comma, a smart quote pasted from a web page, or a stray brace. Validate the file, or rename it and let the miner regenerate a default one. A wrong path passed to -c produces the same symptom.

It will not connect to the pool

• Check host and port against the pool's own documentation.
• Match TLS to the port: enabled on a TLS port, off elsewhere.
• Look for a login rejection — that is the wallet address or worker format, not the network.
• Allow the executable through Windows Defender Firewall if outbound connections are restricted.

Large pages are not available

Run the miner as administrator. If the log still says they are unavailable, sign out and back in so the privilege applies, then try again. Long uptime also fragments memory, so a reboot before starting a long mining session helps. Until it works, you are mining in a slower mode than the hardware allows.

Hashrate is much lower than expected

1. Confirm large pages are on and the mode is fast, not light.
2. Compare the fifteen-minute average, not the first reading.
3. Try fewer threads — cache, not core count, is the usual limit.
4. Check memory is running in dual channel at its rated speed.
5. Watch temperatures: a number that decays over ten minutes is thermal throttling.

The antivirus deleted the executable

Expected behaviour for mining software. Verify the checksum first, then decide whether to create a narrow exclusion for the miner's folder. Never exclude an entire drive. The reasoning is set out in the security guide.

The MSR driver fails to load

On Windows 11 this is normally memory integrity in Windows Security. The miner runs without it at reduced speed; see the Windows 11 guide.

Shares are rejected

Occasional rejects are normal — a result arriving after the job changed. A steady stream of them points at a stale connection, a badly overclocked CPU or unstable memory. Test at stock settings before blaming the pool.

Before asking elsewhere

Collect your version, Windows build, CPU model, the relevant part of the configuration with the wallet removed, and the startup log. With those, someone can help; without them, nobody can.

Settings referenced here are explained on the configuration page.