Much of this is simplified and not exact, and forgive me if you know this already.
Memory is where the computer juggles. Data needed by programs (including the operating system) is kept in memory, which provides high speed access. Memory is allocated to programs in chunks called “pages”.
As more and more areas are allocated to programs, it is possible for the system to run out of allocatable chunks. When this happens, the operating system goes through the pages and frees up pages that haven’t been used recently. (the exact method of identifying candidate pages varies). Some of these freed up pages come from programs that have been closed or finished, some from programs are idle (the data for these is migrated from memory to swap space on a disk). The pages are left in memory because there is no reason to free them until they are needed. Leaving them be improves resource utilization.
So, pageable memory is memory that has been allocated to a program or process but is eligible for reassignment to other processes.
Non-pageable memory is memory that has been assigned to a program or process that should can not be re-assigned. It should be left allocated. Pages assigned to the system’s kernel are a good example. Want to keep those close at hand and readily available.
Now we get to the goodness. Programs or processes request memory pages. The system keeps track of what memory is allocated where and programs or processes are notified of their pages.
Somehow, in this case, the system, kernel, program, process or something tried to free up the wrong page. It tried to free up a page that was marked as non-pageable (must remain resident in memory). At this point, the kernel doesn’t know how to resolve the issue.
Rather than take the chance of making a mistake that could put the system or program into an unknown state, the kernel stops what it’s doing and tells the user (or panics and halts).
Some process on his laptop (and your work computer) caused the kernel of your operating system to lose track of what it was doing and it did the only sensible thing it knew: stopped and told you.
Now, I don’t understand why you had to reload. Memory is fleeting. When you boot the computer, the pages that were assigned before are not necessarily assigned to the same programs. Programs don’t get to put there names on the pages.
Whatever bug caused the page fault in the first place might well occur again, but you should be able to isolate it by process of elimination.
I believe you when you say they told you to do it. I just don’t understand why. Unless when you ghost the image you leave off some post-installation applications.
I’ll stop rambling now. Again, this was simplified and not exact.