If your Windows 10 computer suddenly goes into a blue screen, and it says you’re having a CRITICAL PROCESS DIED error, you’re not alone. But no need for you to worry about it, we’ve got your covered.
What is Critical Process Died?
Critical Process Died blue screen of death, with the error code 0x000000EF, means that a critical system process is your computer died. The process can be so critical that it could damage your hard disk, your memory or, even very rare, your processor. But no worries, we got you covered. Read on and locate the solutions to this problem.
If this is the very first time you have this problem, your computer will restart and it’ll be back to normal. But if you’ve seen this error message many times, you need to do something about your PC, since it indicates that a critical system process is at fault.
7 fixes for Critical Process Died
Here are 7 fixes for you to try to fix the Critical Process Died error. You may not have to try them all; just work your way down until you find the one works for you.
- What is Critical Process Died?
- 7 fixes for Critical Process Died
- 1. Run a virus scan
- 2. Update device drivers
- 3. Undo recent changes
- 4. Run SFC & DISM
- 4.1: Run SFC (System File Checker)
- 5: Update your BIOS or firmware
- 6: Check the crash logs
- Last Resort: Refresh or Reset your Windows
You’ll need to be logged into Windows on the problem computer to try any of these solutions. If you can’t log into Windows, power on and off your PC 3 times to perform a hard reboot and restart it in Safe Mode, then try these solutions.
1. Run a virus scan
The CRITICAL PROCESS DIED error could be caused by some spyware or malware. Even if they aren’t the dangerous kind, they could still cause the problem.
So before we go any deeper into solving this problem in other ways, you should scan your computer with a trusted antivirus program(s). If you find any malware-infected programs or files, uninstall and remove them completely.
2. Update device drivers
In most cases, buggy drivers could cause Critical Process Died blue screen of death error. You can try updating all the device drivers to the latest versions to fix it.
There are two ways you can get the right drivers for your video card and monitor: manually or automatically.
Manual driver update – You can update your device drivers manually by going to the manufacturer’s website for both all your devices, and searching for the most recent correct driver for each. Be sure to choose only drivers that are compatible with your variant of Windows 10.
Automatic driver update – If you don’t have the time, patience or computer skills to update your device drivers manually, you can, instead, do it automatically with Driver Easy. Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for your exact hardware devices, and your variant of Windows 10, and it will download and install them correctly.
You can update your drivers automatically with either the 7 days free trial or the Pro version of Driver Easy. It takes just 2 clicks, and you get full support and a 30-day money-back guarantee with the Pro version:
- Download and install Driver Easy.
- Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
- Click the Activate & Update button next to the flagged device to automatically download and install the correct version of this driver.
Or click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system (You’ll need the Pro version for this – when you select Update All, you’ll get a prompt to upgrade. If you’re not prepared to purchase the Pro version yet, Driver Easy provides a 7-day trial at no cost, granting access to all Pro features like fast downloads and easy installation. No charges will occur until after your 7-day trial period ends.)
- After updating, restart your computer to take effect.
If you need assistance, please contact Driver Easy’s support team at support@drivereasy.com.
3. Undo recent changes
Another big cause of Critical Process Died is faulty or buggy hardware or software programs installed. If you’ve recently installed some programs or hardware components, try upgrade them to the latest versions available or remove them completely from your PC.
4. Run SFC & DISM
If your hard drive or RAM is corrupted, a blue screen of death error such as Critical Process Died would pop up and force reboot your computer. This is your computer’s way of protecting itself from further damage. You can run two built-in checks to make sure that your disk and RAM are at a good state:
4.1: Run SFC (System File Checker)
1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time. Type cmd and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter at the same time to run Command Prompt as administrator.
Click Yes when prompted for permission to make changes to your device.
2) In the Command Prompt window, copy and paste the following command and hit Enter.
sfc /scannow
3) System File Checker will then scan all system files and repair any corrupted or missing ones it detected. This may take 3-5 minutes.
4) After the scan, see if the Critical Process Died blue screen problem still persists. If so, move on to the next test.
4.2: Run dism.exe
1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time. Type cmd and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to run Command Prompt as administrator.
Click Yes when prompted for permission to make changes to your device.
2) In the Command Prompt window, copy and paste the following commands and hit Enter after each line:
dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth
dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
2) When the process finishes:
- If the DISM tool gives you errors, you can always try this command line. This will take up to 2 hours.
dism /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup
- If you get Error: 0x800F081F, reboot your computer, then open Command Prompt as administrator again (step 1) and run this command line instead:
Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore
When these tests are done, see if the Critical Process Died problem remains. If the problem still persists, please move on to the next fix.
5: Update your BIOS or firmware
If the above still doesn’t help to fix the Critical Process Died blue screen of death error on your computer, you may need to consider a BIOS and firmware update, as it could be a problem between your computer hardware and your Windows system. But you should always check your motherboard’s BIOS update release note to see if BSOD errors are mentioned.
If you’re up for a BIOS update, here’s a post on how you can do it manually: When & How to Safely Update BIOS [Quick Guide]
DO NOT attempt a BIOS update if you’re not 100% confident in knowing what you’re doing, as a faulty BIOS update could harm or even brick your computer.
6: Check the crash logs
If the Critical Process Died blue screen of death error still won’t go away, you can try to analyze the crash logs created by your computer when the blue screen happens: there are time stamps on the logs.
If you’re interested in knowing more about analyzing your crash logs files, please refer to method 4 in this post we have: View Crash Logs with Minidump Files
You should then find some error codes and/or error messages in your minidump files that might help to locate the culprit to the Critical Process Died blue screen of death error on your computer. The codes or messages you see might be unique in your case, so we don’t have more general fixes here to suggest. But if you do find such codes or error messages, you can always search them on our knowledge base here: https://www.drivereasy.com/knowledge/ for further troubleshooting tips.
Last Resort: Refresh or Reset your Windows
If you’ve tried all the above methods but still can’t solve your Critical Process Died problem, it’s time to refresh or reset your Windows 10.
If you need more help, go to the posts below for more detailed instructions: How to refresh or Reset Windows 10 Easily?
Updated on Apr 28, 2025
On this page, you will learn:
- 1. What is Critical Process Died error
- 2. How does Critical Process Died error occur
- 3. How to fix blue Critical Process Died on Windows 10/8/7
Quick Guide to Fix Critical Process Died Error on Windows 10/8/7
- Step 1. Reboot PC into Safe Mode or use Clean Boot.
- Step 2. Fix file system error using EaseUS partition manager tool.
- Step 3. Update the disk driver.
- Step 4. Run antivirus.
- More details…
«Help! A Critical Process Died error pops up while I was gaming on my PC. Hey guys, do you have any clues about what is Critical Process Died error with error code — 0x000000EF or blue screen?
I received such an error code with a blue screen while I was playing a game on my computer, I was totally out of my mind. Can anyone of you offer me a solution to this problem? It would be highly appreciated if you do know how to fix this error.»
If you encounter a blue screen of Critical Process died error on your computer suddenly, don’t worry. Check and follow the fixes to get rid of the critical process died issue immediately:
| Workable Solutions | Step-by-step Troubleshooting |
|---|---|
| Fix 1. Reboot PC into Safe Mode | Restart Windows 10, press Shift + F8 to bring up the recovery mode…Full steps |
| Fix 2. Perform a Clean Boot | Type msconfig in the Search box and hit enter to open System Configuration…Full steps |
| Fix 3. Run CHKDSK to Fix File System | Open Command Prompt and Type chkdsk e: /f /r /x and hit Enter…Full steps |
| More Fixes | Run EaseUS Partition Master > Right-click disk and select «Check File System»…Full steps |
Overview of Critical Process Died
In this part, you will learn:①. What is «Critical Process Died»? ②. How does Critical Process Died error happen?
What Is Critical Process Died Error?
The Critical Process Died error indicates a critical system process that died with error code — 0x000000EF. When a critical system process fails to run, the operating system won’t boot up. It will pop up with a Critical Process Died Stop Error 0x000000EF, or Blue Screen displayed on your Windows computer.
Why Does Critical Process Died Error Happen?
The Critical Process Died issue is basically caused when a critical component of Windows detects that data has been modified when it should not have been. The error also happens when the process which was needed to run the Windows operating system such as Windows 10/8/7 ended abruptly for some reason.
It could be a bad driver, a corrupted file system error, a memory error, etc. Mostly, this error occurs suddenly when users are working on their PCs.
When Will This Error Occur?
Accordingly, the Critical Process Died error often occurs casually. It may happen in the following cases:
- Critical Process Died after Windows Update
- Critical Process Died when Wake PC from Sleep
- Critical Process Died after Login
- Critical Process Died while Gaming
- Critical Process Died on Startup
- Critical Process Died with Windows 10 Reboot Loop
So how to find a solution for Critical Process Died error in Windows 10/8/7 will be a vital question for those users who are having such a problem on their computers. Here the following, EaseUS will provide you with practical solutions for fixing Windows 10/8/7 Critical Process Died error with 0x000000EF code.
How to Fix Critical Process Died Error on Windows 10/8/7 — 10 Ways
If you are having a blue screen with «Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. We’re just collecting some error info, and then we’ll restart for you.» error message on your PC, relax.
In this part, you will learn practical fixes to resolve Critical Process Died error on your Windows 10/8/7 computers. Pick up one of the listed solutions here to get rid of this issue on your PC now:
- #1. Reboot PC into Safe Mode
- #2. Use Clean Boot
- #3. Run CHKDSK to Fix File System
- #4. Use File System Error Checker — EaseUS Partition Master
- #5. Run SFC Command
- #6. Use DISM Command
- #7. Update Disk Driver
- #8. Run Antivirus Software
- #9. Uninstall Recent Windows Update
- #10. Perform System Restore
Solution 1. Reboot PC into Safe Mode
Here we’ll take Windows 10 as an example to show you how to reboot PC into Safe Mode, which is a quick way of turning on Windows, prevent you from getting Critical Process Died error.
To thoroughly fix this the Critical Process Died error, you should also boot up PC first. Here are the steps to get started:
Step 1. Restart Windows 10, press Shift + F8 to bring up the recovery mode.
Step 2. Go to Advanced Boot Options and set boot mode as Safe Mode.
Or you can restart PC several times > Enter Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart > Enable Safe Mode.
Step 3. Save the changes and then startup Windows PC.
Solution 2. Perform a Clean Boot
After you boot up PC from Safe Mode, you can then continue to configure a Clean Boot in System Configuration.
Here are the steps:
Step 1.Type msconfig in the Search box and hit enter to open System Configuration.
Step 2. Go to the General tab, check the two boxes under the Selective startup section:
- «Load system services»
- «Use original boot configurations»
Step 3. Click «OK» to confirm.
Step 4. Go to the Services tab, check «Hide all Microsoft services» and click «Disable all».
Step 5. Click «OK» and «Apply» to save all the changes. Then restart the PC.
Solution 3. Run CHKDSK to Fix File System Error
When the system hard drive contains file system error, the computer may come into Critical Proceed Died error while booting up PC. To fix this issue, you can first boot PC into safe mode, and then follow the steps below to run CHKDSK command:
Step 1.Type cmd in the Search box and right-click Command Prompt, select «Run as Administrator».
Step 2.Type diskpart and hit Enter to bring up DiskPart window.
Step 3. Type chkdsk e: /f /r /x and hit Enter. (Replace e: with the drive letter of your system drive or disk.)
Solution 4. Use File System Error Checker — EaseUS Partition Master
For an easier solution to fix file system error that cause Critical Process Died issue on Windows PC, you may turn to EaseUS Partition Master Free for help. It works professionally in checking and fix system file errors with simple clicks.
Here the following, you can try it to check and fix errors under Windows 10/8/7 now:
Step 1. Right-click the target partition that may have a problem.
Step 2. Choose «Check» > «Check File System».
Step 3. In the Check File System window, check the «Try to fix errors if found» option by clicking the «Start» button.
Step 4. Please wait patiently. After the process, you can click the «Finish» button to exit the window.
Solution 5. Run SFC Command
When the system file contains some error, you may also run into Critical Process Died issue on your computer. To fix this issue, you can also run the SFC command for help.
Here are the steps:
Step 1.Type cmd in the search box, right-click command prompt and select «Run As Administrator».
Step 2. At the command prompt, type sfc /scannow and hit Enter.
The SFC utility will run for a while and if any corruption or error is discovered, replace them on reboot.
Solution 6. Use DISM Command
Besides SFC command, the DISM command is more advanced in fixing disk errors. It can check and restore your system health.
See how to run DISM command to fix Critical Process Died error on Windows PC:
Step 1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
Step 2. Type the following command and hit Enter each time to check the system health:
dism /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth
dism /online /cleanup-image /checkhealth
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
Step 3.Type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealthand hit Enter.
After this, exit Command Prompt and restart PC to keep all the changes. If you successfully boot up PC, you’ve successfully got rid of this error from your computer.
Solution 7. Update Disk Driver
Sometimes, when the system disk driver is outdated, you may also meet the Windows boot-up issue, such as the Critical Process Died error. You can try to update the disk driver to get rid of this issue with the steps here:
Step 1. Right-click This PC, click «Manage». Go to Device Manager.
Step 2. Double-click to expand Disk driver. Right-click your disk driver and choose «Update Driver Software».
Step 3. In the pop-up window, choose «Search automatically for updated driver software».
Then, wait for the computer to search and install the latest driver software.
Solution 8. Run Antivirus Software
As you may know that sometimes viruses or malware may cause system boot issues and even OS crash errors on Windows 10/8/7. Therefore, a regular way to fix this issue is to run antivirus software for help.
Or you can use Windows’ built-in antivirus too — Windows defender for help:
Step 1. Go to Start > Type Windows Defender and click to open Windows Defender Security Center.
Step 2. Click the Shield icon on the left pane, click «Advanced scan».
Step 3. Check «Full scan» and click «Scan now» to run antivirus.
Note that the steps may vary if you are using a different Windows OS version. But most operations are similar.
Solution 9. Uninstall Recent Windows Update
Sometimes, Windows users especially the latest Windows 10 users may encounter with Critical Process Died error on their computers. And the best way out is to uninstall the recent Windows update.
Here are the steps for you to go:
Step 1. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
Step 2. Click «View update history» under Windows Update.
Step 3. Click «Uninstall updates».
Step 4. Select the update(s) that you want to uninstall and click «Uninstall».
Then all you need is to follow the on-screen guidelines to complete the process. After this, you can then restart PC to see if the error has been removed.
Solution 10. Perform System Restore
If you run into any complex system error, you may always escape by performing a system restore. Here are the steps to run system restore, bringing your computer back to a previous health state:
Note that if you have created some new data on your computer, remember to back up them to an external hard drive in advance.
Step 1. Type create a restore point in Windows Search box and click the top result to open «System Properties».
Step 2. Click the System Restore button to bring up all the restore points that you’ve created.
Step 3. Click «Next» and select the restore point that you want to use and restore on your PC.
Step 4. Click «Finish» to confirm your restore point and click «Yes» to execute the System Restore on your PC.
Conclusion
On this page, we explained what is Critical Process Died error on Windows PC, and the causes of this issue. Note that as this error comes out randomly, we highly suggest you create a system backup in advance.
You may refer to: How to Create Windows 10 Backup System Image for a guide.
Among the 10 fixes that we listed on this page, we suggest you boot up PC into safe mode first. Then run EaseUS Partition Master to fix the internal file system error on your computer drive.
If you are experienced in computer management, CHKDSK, SFC, DISM commands are also able to help you out of the Critical Process Died error.
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Признаки ошибки
-
Причины неисправности
-
Советы по устранению
Столкнулись с ошибкой 0x000000EF CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED в Windows 10? Как исправить и что делать при возникновении “синего экрана смерти” читайте в статье.
Признаки ошибки
Неисправность может проявлять себя в следующем:
- Появляется синий экран с ошибкой CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED (завершение критического системного процесса) и активная программа прекращает работу.
- Периодическое проявление CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED и автоматическая перезагрузка Windows.
- Зависание ОС на несколько секунд, выбивание окна с синим экраном и перезагрузка системы.
- Получение “синего экрана смерти” после запуска конкретной программы.
- Windows 10 с задержкой реагирует на команды, введенные с мыши и клавиатуры.
Важно отследить закономерность, после каких действий ОС проявилась неисправность. Этот анализ поможет в исправлении ошибки.
Причины неисправности
Stop-ошибки, к которым относится 0xEF, могут возникать из-за конфликтов оборудования с программным обеспечением или компонентов системы с драйвером. Распространенные причины:
- Драйвер для ОС был поврежден, устарел или неправильно сконфигурирован.
- Реестр Windows поврежден из-за вмешательства программ или вирусного ПО.
- Системные файлы были повреждены из-за вирусного ПО.
- Конфликт аппаратной части и установленного драйвера.
- Повреждение жесткого диска, обращение системы к битым секторам.
- Повреждение модуля оперативной памяти, невозможность чтения системой информации.
Советы по устранению
Выполните следующее:
- Войдите в безопасный режим.
- Отключите программы из автозагрузки. Проведите сканирование системы на вирусы и вредоносное ПО. Если у вас нет антивируса, используйте бесплатное решение Dr.Web CureIt.
- Если ошибка появилась после обновления драйвера, удалите или откатите до предыдущей версии. Проверьте работу Windows 10.
- Откатите систему назад, до сохраненной точки восстановления, когда ОС работала стабильно.
- Проведите сканирование и автоматическое восстановление поврежденных системный файлов Windows. Зайдите в Командная строка (администратор) и выполните команду
sfc /scannow
- Установите последние обновления Windows 10.
- Проведите сканирование жесткого диска на наличие битых секторов и сканируйте оперативную память на ошибки (программа memtest86).
- Если ошибка проявляется, создайте установочную флешку (или диск) Windows 10 и проведите восстановление или чистую установку ОС.
Возникли сложности с устранением ошибки? Напишите нам. Подробно распишите проблему, что вы уже сделали для ее решения, чтобы мы смогли помочь.
Whenever I try shutting down my HP Windows 10, I get Stop Code; the Critical Process died. I need to always force stop when it is 100% and then restart.
-Windows User
When a critical component of Windows can’t run properly, it may cause an error – “Critical Process DIED’ with a stop code 0x000000EF (See Image 1). This error appears with a blue screen, which may occur due to a faulty driver, malicious application/corrupt software or program installed on the system, and more. The critical process died Windows 10 error may cause the system stuck at a booting loop, even leading to a crash. It means eventually, you will end up losing the data stored on the PC. No need to worry. You can recover the lost data using a data recovery tool. Further, we share the most effective methods to help you get rid of the stop code Critical Process Died error.
Fix Critical Process Died Error
Every time you boot your system normally, this blue screen error may show up. Before troubleshooting the BSOD error, you need to boot Windows in Safe mode.
Boot Windows in Safe Mode
Follow these steps to boot Windows in Safe mode:
a. Use USB installation media to boot your system.
b. Click Repair your system computer and click Troubleshoot.
c. On the next prompt, click Advanced options. (See Image 2)
d. Then click Startup Setting. (See Image 3)
e. Click Restart and press F4 to enable the Safe Mode. (See Image 4)
f. Once you enter in Safe Mode, proceed with the given methods to fix Critical Process Died Error in Windows 10.
Method 1: Update System Drivers
In Safe Mode, try updating the driver using the following steps to fix the Critical Process Died Windows 10 error:
a. Press Windows + X and open Device Manager. (See Image 5)
Image 5: Open Device Manager
b. Check all the drivers. If any driver appears with a yellow exclamatory mark, the driver could be corrupt or faulty.
c. Follow the on-screen instructions to Update driver. (See Image 6)
Image 6: Update Device Driver
d. Windows will Search automatically for updated driver software. (See Image 7)
Image 7: Search automatically for updated driver software
e. If there is no updated driver available, uninstall the driver and then reinstall the compatible driver.
Method 2: Perform a Clean Boot
Corrupt system applications/software or programs may also cause the ‘critical process died’ error. You need to uninstall such applications following the given steps:
a. Open Run dialog box and type MSConfig to open System Configuration Utility. (See Image 8)
Image 8: Open System Configuration
b. Navigate to the Services tab, select Hide all Microsoft Services.
c. Click Disable all and proceed. (See Image 9)
Image 9: Select ‘Hide all Microsoft services
d. Navigate to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager. (See Image 10)
Image 10: Open Task Manager
e. Locate and select the faulty startup item from the screen, and click Disable. (See Image 11)
Image 11: Disable faulty startup item
f. Once done with the process, close the Task Manager, click OK and reboot the system in the clean boot environment.
g. Follow the on-screen instructions and uninstall the problematic app/program and then restart your system. These steps should clean boot Windows 10.
Method 3: Run SFC /Scannow Command
If you can’t boot your system due to this blue screen of death error, running SFC (System file checker) utility may help you scan and fix corrupt system files. Sometimes corrupt system files may also be the reason behind this error. Follow the given steps to use the system file checker:
a. Boot your system with a USB installer, created with Windows’ media creation tool, and change the BIOS setting and ensure to boot it from it.
b. When you reach into Automatic Repair setup, click Troubleshoot.
c. Follow Advanced Options > Command Prompt. (See Image 12)
Image 12: Choose Command Prompt from Advanced option window
d. In the Command Prompt, type sfc /scannow and press Enter key. (See Image 13)
Image 13: Run SFC/Scannow Command
e. Wait until the system scan completes, and once it is done, close the Command Prompt and restart the system.
Method 4: Run DISM to Repair Corrupted System Image
If running the SFC command couldn’t fix the ‘Critical Process Died BSOD’ error in Windows 10, you may try fixing it with the help of DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management), as follows:
a. Open Command Prompt and click Run as administrator. Start typing the following commands separately:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
(See Image 14)
Image 14: Run DISM Command
Method 5: Uninstall Problematic Windows Update
If this ‘Critical Process Died BSOD’ error occurs after installing a specific Windows 10 update, try uninstalling it to get rid of the issue as follows:
a. Open Settings by pressing Windows + I and go to Update & Security.
b. Go to View update history.
c. Click Uninstall updates on the next prompt. (See Image 15)
Image 15: Select Uninstall updates from View update history page
d. Find out the update you installed recently, which is causing the problem, right-click on it and click Uninstall. (See Image 16)
Image 16: Uninstall problematic Windows update
Method 6: Uninstall Third-Party Software
According to Microsoft support, the BSOD error might occur due to incompatibility of a recently installed third-party software such as an antivirus with the Windows device. In this situation, the error appears while using the device. You need to uninstall the software, after booting Windows in Safe mode, as follows:
- Press the Windows Start key, type Settings, and press Enter.
- Navigate to Apps > Apps & Features and sort the installed apps by Install Date.
- Select the third-party software you suspect as the cause of the ‘critical process died error’ in Windows.
- Uninstall the software and restart the system
Method 7: Rollback, Disable, or Uninstall Drivers
Like software, some third-party drivers installed on Windows 10 computers may also cause incompatibility issues and result in the stop code “critical process died”. So, you might need to identify such drives and then rollback, disable, or uninstall them, as follows:
Steps to rollback, disable, or uninstall third-party drivers
- Press the Windows Start key, type Device Manager, and press Enter.
- In Device Manager, expand the device for which you need to rollback, disable, or uninstall a driver.
- Right click the driver and click Properties.
- Select the Driver tab. Next, select Roll Back Driver & click Yes to rollback
- Or, you can click Disable Device or Uninstall Device for disabling or uninstalling the driver.
(See Image 17)
Image 17: Device Manager with options to rollback, disable, and uninstall a driver
Method 8: Run System Restore
Try performing System Restore to get rid of the error with the help of the following troubleshooting steps:
a. Use the USB installer to boot into your system. Click Repair your computer and follow Advanced options > Automatic Repair environment. (See Image 18)
Image 18: Click Advanced option on Automatic Repair
b. Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options.
c. On the next prompt, click System Restore. (See Image 19)
Image 19: Select System Restore
d. Click Next > Scan for affected programs.
e. On the creation of restore points, the applications will no longer be available. (See Image 20)
Image 20: Scan for affected programs
f. Then click Next and click Finish on the next prompt. Find if the PC is free from the error. (See Image 21)
Image 21: Finish the process of system restore
Note: This method may cause data loss as it cleans up the entire system and wipes out the data stored on the system.
Therefore, it is advised to use an effective data recovery tool such as Stellar Data Recovery Professional. This DIY, easy-to-use software scans the formatted, corrupted or even crashed PC, extracts the data from it and lets you save the recovered files, folders, documents, photos and more. Not only you can recover data from Windows PCs, but also can get back your data from formatted, corrupted or even encrypted drives such as HDDs, SSD, SD, USB, and optical media as well. The tool can efficiently restore data from BSOD-affected systems. It features a ‘create recovery drive’ utility, which enables users to create a bootable media drive. Users may connect the bootable media drive to the unbootable system and retrieve the data effectively.
Method 9: Reset the PC
You can reset the PC to fix the error by removing software, programs, settings, apps, and drivers causing the error. However, you may select the files you want to keep while resetting the system. Follow the given steps:
a. Open Settings and go to Update & Security.
b. On the next prompt, click Recovery. (See Image 22)
Image 22: Click Recovery from Settings
c. Click Get Started under Reset this PC. (See Image 22)
Image 23: Get started with resetting the PC
d. Select Keep my files to save your data. (See Image 24)
Image 24: Select keep my files
e. However, it is recommended to choose ‘Remove everything’ for getting rid of faulty programs, drivers, apps, driver, etc. and cleaning up the entire PC.
f. Select ‘just remove my files’ and click Next. (See Image 25)
Image 25: Select just remove your files
g. Click Next on the warning message screen.
h. Click Reset and proceed. (See image 26)
Image 26: Click Reset to start the process
i. Click Continue on the next prompt and wait until the process is finished. (See Image 27)
Image 27: Click Continue
Method 10: Reinstall Windows 10
If all of the above methods fail to fix the ‘Critical Process Died Error’, you are left with nothing else but reinstalling Windows 10. While reinstalling Windows, you will end up losing the data stored on the system as the process will format the drives and will create new partitions in the PC.
Hence, if you have already recovered data using professional data recovery software such as Stellar Data Recovery Professional, you may reinstall the Windows without worrying about data loss.
Conclusion
No matter what the actual cause for ‘Critical Process Died’ error is, this blue screen of death error may cause your system to remain stuck at booting loop or even complete crash. The fixes mentioned in this post can help you get rid of the error. Though, if you don’t want to lose your important data, recover it with a data recovery tool such as Stellar Data Recovery Professional. This software can efficiently extract the data from BSOD-affected Windows PCs and storage devices.
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Are you experiencing CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED BSOD on Windows 10? Have you noticed decreased system performance or frequent blue screen errors after recent Windows updates? The Critical Process Died bug check has a value of 0x000000EF, indicating that a critical Windows system process fails to run properly.
Basically, the Windows operating system ensures that only authorized applications can access certain data and parts of the system. But when a critical component of Windows detects an unauthorized modification to its data, it immediately steps in, causing the Critical Process Died blue screen error.
Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. We’re just collecting some error info, and then we’ll restart for you. If you’d like to know more, you can search online later for this error: CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED
Most of the time Windows 10 blue screen errors can be caused by buggy drivers. Again corrupted system files, Disk drive Errors, low-level software issues, or the default value in the Boot Loader section of the Boot.ini file are missing or invalid. Whatever the reason here is some solutions you may apply to get rid of this Windows 10 Blue screen error.
Post Contents :-
- 1 CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED Windows 10
- 1.1 Uninstall Recently installed applications
- 1.2 Uninstall Windows update
- 1.3 Disable Fast startup
- 1.4 Reinstall problematic Device drivers
- 1.5 Run DISM and SFC utility
- 1.6 Perform System Restore
CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED Windows 10
Whenever you face a blue screen error, the first thing you must try to remove all external devices include a printer, scanner, external HDD, etc, and start Windows normally. This will fix the problem if the device driver conflicts causing this BSOD error.
If you are using a Desktop computer check if the problem might be caused by a hardware issue, especially with the RAM. If you see this error then take out the RAM and make sure it is clean and doesn’t have any dust around it. Also, make sure the slots are clean as well. Put back the RAM and check if it is connected properly.
Hard drives can also be the culprit behind this issue. Make sure the hard drive is tightly connected to the board and doesn’t have any loose connections.
If due to this BSOD windows 10 frequently restarts at startup and didn’t allow to perform any troubleshooting steps, We recommend booting into safe mode where Windows starts with minimum system requirements and allow to Diagnose the problem.
Uninstall Recently installed applications
If the problem started after installing any third-party application or games, may this is not compatible with the current Windows version and causing a BSOD error. Also sometimes security software (Antivirus) also cause Windows 10 BSOD error. We recommend temporarily uninstall them and check this helps to fix Critical Process Died or not.
- Press Windows + R, type appwiz.cpl, and ok to open the programs and features window.
- Here look for recently installed third-party applications, Right-click, and select uninstall.
- Do the same with security software (Antivirus/Antimalware) if installed.
Uninstall Windows update
If your problem has only just started, a recent Windows update could be to blame. Thankfully, it’s easy to uninstall recent updates so you can see if your issue goes away.
To uninstall Windows 10 update:
- Open the Settings app
- Go to Update and Security then Windows Update
- Click on Update History then Uninstall Updates.
- Highlight the update you want to remove from your system,
- then hit the Uninstall button at the top of the window.
Disable Fast startup
Also, some users suggest disabling the Fast startup feature helps them to fix the Critical Process Died BSOD error.
- Open the control panel, from All Control Panel Items, click on Power Options
- On the left side of the window, click on Choose what the power button does
- If needed, click on Change settings that are currently unavailable, under the Define power buttons, and turn on password protection
- From the enabled options under the Shutdown settings section, uncheck the Turn on fast startup (recommended) checkbox to disable Hybrid Shutdown.
- Click the Save Changes button to save the modified settings.
- Close the Power Options window when done.
Reinstall problematic Device drivers
Again Bad, incompatible device drivers are one of the most common causes of the Windows 10 blue screen error. Therefore, it’s sensible to check that none of them require updates. Especially if the problem started after a recent Windows 10 upgrade, there is a chance the installed driver is not compatible with the current Windows 10 version.
- To check the status of your drivers, right-click on the Start menu, select Device Manager,
- This will display all installed device driver lists,
- Scan through the list to see whether any devices have a yellow exclamation point alongside them.
- If you find an exclamation point, right-click on the device in question and choose Update Driver Software from the context menu.
- select search for automatic driver update and let Windows download and install the latest available driver for you.
Or visit the device manufacturer’s website, Download the latest driver and install it on your device. We recommend updating and reinstall the Display (Graphics) driver, Network adapter, and Windows Audio driver to the latest version.
Especial recommendation: If the CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED BSOD error occurs when you are playing games or when you wake up the PC from sleep, then it could be a video card driver issue. What you can do is update your video card driver to the latest available one.
Run DISM and SFC utility
DISM stands for Deployment Image Servicing and Management. This tool is specially designed to check and repair the system image. If any system corruption or system file missing while the Windows upgrade process causing the Critical Process Died blue screen error, Running the DISM restore health command with the System file checker utility is very helpful in fixing most of the Windows 10 problems include Different BSOD errors.
Type cmd on the start menu search, right-click on the command prompt, select run as administrator. Then type Dism Command :
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Wait until 100% the scanning process, then type the command sfc /scannow and ok to run the system file checker utility which scans for missing or corrupted system files.
if found ay the sfc utility restores them from a compressed folder located on %WinDir%\System32\dllcache. Restart Windows after completing the scanning process and check There is no more BSOD on your Windows 10 system.
Perform System Restore
If the problem started recently and you think that it is caused by a program that you might have installed in the last few days or weeks then it’s time to utilize the System Restore option. If the problem was caused by a program or a virus then the system restore to an earlier point should be able to solve the issue for you. Check how to perform System restore on Windows 10,11.